On Monday 23 February at 9am sharp, the doors opened at Webbe’s Cookery School Rye and ten eager amateur cooks stepped into the calm, purposeful world of Paul Webbe and his scallop masterclass.
The kitchen was soon filled with a steady rhythm of knives on boards, the scent of citrus being zested or the quiet hiss of a pan warming in readiness. Paul moved among the cooks with that understated confidence born of years at the stove, observant, encouraging and gently correcting a grip here or a seasoning there.
Scallops lay on the counter like small treasures from Rye Bay: pearlescent, delicate and demanding respect.
The morning began with preparation. The cooks learned how to open scallops cleanly and how to trim and dry them properly and lastly how to understand their sweetness rather than to overwhelm it. Paul teaches them that scallops are not complicated but that the cooking of them needs to be precise: too hot and they toughen or too long and they lose their silk. Just right they are sublime.
Under Paul’s quiet but deeply knowledgeable tutelage, confidence grew. By late morning the kitchen tempo shifted. “Mise en place” is complete. Sauces have been balanced, garnishes finely chopped and then comes the moment every cook waits for: the transformation.
Together, everyone prepared and cooked each course of a six-course lunch presenting scallops in different ways: cured and bright with citrus; gently poached; wrapped in crisp pancetta; paired with earthy purées; lifted with fresh herbs; and crowned with a delicate espuma.
What began as a lesson became a feast. The participants sat down not just to eat but to taste their own progress, to understand texture, balance and restraint and to appreciate that the art of cooking scallops lies as much in what you hold back as in what you add.
By the time the cooks left in the late afternoon they carried away more than recipes. They had gained technique, confidence and a new respect for the simple scallop.
Two brothers Daniel and Byron were given this masterclass opportunity as a Christmas present. Their wives joined them to enjoy the fruit of their labours and this is what Liz Tomkinson wrote after the day: “Webbe’s Rye Bay Scallop: what a wonderful way to spend a Monday! While Daniel and Byron worked hard all morning, learning all sorts of tips and tricks from Paul at Webbe’s, Clare and I enjoyed relaxing at the wonderful Rye Retreat for a massage. We then re-joined the boys for an amazing scallop-based, six-course feast that they had prepared at Webbe’s Cooking School. We thoroughly recommend the experience, both the spa and the cooking, for a truly memorable day out.”
Chef Paul Webbe commented, “I’d just like to say how good the Rye Bay Scallop Week is: it lifts our industry out of the winter doldrums and all the participating restaurants are very busy. We are using a food stock that is on our doorstep and we couldn’t wish for more. Rye Bay Scallops are the best, absolutely.”
Image Credits: Kt bruce .