One of the high points of my recent trip to Paris with my sister Diane was the cooking class we took at Cook’n With Class, a Parisian cooking school offering classes in English to locals and tourists. Diane and I chose the Morning Market Class, in which students shop with the chef for fresh ingredients and then prepare a four-course meal back at the school.

We met Chef Patrick Hebert and four other students on a very cold morning at a Métro stop near Montmartre. Chef Patrick led us to the markets, where we inspected the meat at a boucherie:

. . . the fish at a poissonier:

. . . and the cheese at a fromagerie:

Chef Patrick gave us pointers on choosing the freshest fish:

Guided by the chef’s suggestions and the food preferences of the students, the group mutually decided on this menu:

Scallops and Mussels in Saffron Sauce
on a Bed of Caramelized Fennel

Duck Magret with Figs
Haricots Vert (Green Beans)
Celeriac au Gratin

Cheese Tray

Chocolate Souffle

Talk about fresh fish! We watched the fishmonger shuck and clean the scallops we ate later that day:

After shopping for fruit and vegetables, we headed to the cooking school to prepare our feast. The classroom was all set up, with a station for each student:

We got right to work, separating eggs for the soufflé . . .

. . . chopping fresh tarragon . . .

. . . measuring Grand Marnier for the chocolate soufflé . . .

. . . sautéing the fennel as Chef Patrick looked on . . .

. . . buttering ramekins for the soufflé . . .

Chef Patrick showed us the correct way to sharpen knives . . .

. . . and how to keep our fingers out of the way when chopping vegetables. Here he is slicing celeriac:

Dinner is coming together! Here is the celeriac au gratin bubbling in the oven . . .

. . . mussels cooking in cream . . .

. . . scallops sizzling in the pan . . .

. . . and the duck magret resting in a bowl . . .

Dinner is ready.

The first course: mussels and scallops in saffron sauce on a bed of caramelized fennel:

The main course: duck magret served with figs sautéed in butter and port, haricots vert, and celeriac au gratin:

While the chocolate soufflé was in the oven, we enjoyed a cheese course:

Chef Patrick showed us how to slice the variously shaped cheeses so that the last person wasn’t left with all the rind:

Now, ready for dessert. Ah, the first bite of chocolate soufflé:

Délicieuse!

Here we are at the end of the day with Chef Patrick:

Don’t we look well fed and contented?