In this practical, hands-on course, you will learn the essential techniques to prepare and cook a variety of fish and shellfish with confidence. The River Cottage chefs will share some of their favourite recipes, which you’ll prepare under their expert guidance.
The course kicks off with the essentials of fish preparation, including scaling and filleting different types of fish—both flat and round—with a particular focus on knife skills.
Next, you’ll dive into shellfish. Being so close to the sea, we are fortunate to source amazing local shellfish, depending on the season and weather. After a demonstration, you’ll practice preparing and cooking bivalves like mussels and clams. Your chef tutor will also show you how to pick and cook either a crab or lobster, which you’ll enjoy as a little taster.
You’ll learn various techniques for cooking fish, including how to cold smoke your round fish. Seasonality and sustainability are cornerstones of the River Cottage ethos, and our chefs will introduce you to the seasonal varieties of fish available, updating you on current sustainability guidelines and advising you on how to shop for the freshest fish.
Your day will include a fantastic fishy lunch, with the centrepiece being the flat fish you prepared yourself. As with all our cookery courses in Devon, there will be time during the day to explore the farm, stroll through the gardens, and see where some of your ingredients have been produced. You’ll leave equipped with the skills to learn how to cook fish and how to cook fresh caught fish with confidence!
10:00 - 17:00
You will meet your host and settle in with tea, coffee and treats fresh from the kitchen.
Learn how to scale and fillet a round fish, which will be cold smoked and ready for you to take home later.
Practice makes perfect! You'll then move on to flat fish, learning how to prepare and fillet this different type of fish.
Under the expert guidance of our chefs, you'll pair your flat fish with seasonal ingredients to create a delicious lunch.
Take a break, relax, and enjoy your seasonal flatfish lunch.
To ease you into the afternoon, your chef tutor will demonstrate how to pick and cook the crustacean catch of the day.
Next, you'll learn how to prepare and cook mussels or clams, depending on the fisherman’s catch!
To conclude your day, you'll create another delicious recipe using the fish you prepared earlier.
You’ll have time to chat with your fellow participants and the River Cottage team before heading back up the hill at 5 PM.
This course is run from River Cottage HQ on the Dorset/Devon borders. Full address details of HQ will be provided once you have booked.
We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.
If you would like to stay at the heart of River Cottage, we offer overnight accommodation at River Cottage HQ in our beautiful 17th century farmhouse. We have three stylishly refurbished bedrooms for B&B plus the 2-bedroom Gardener's Cottage. These get booked quickly so for more information go to rivercottage.net/stay to book. Alternatively, we have put together a list of our local accommodation which includes B&Bs, self-catering, hotels and camping.
We would advise that this course is only really suitable for 12 years of age and upwards. Under 16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.
We’re afraid this course isn't suitable for those with fish and seafood allergies, however please do get in touch before booking to see if we can accommodate you.