All the basic emulsion sauce recipes use fat, acidity and sometimes egg yolk. It is important in making and finishing the sauces that they are balanced in terms of flavour, even before other flavourings are added. Where egg yolk is included in the base, enough oil or butter must be added to balance the eggy flavour, which is especially noticeable with raw eggs. With so much oil or butter, enough acidity is required to Put the main crab shell, shell side down and eyes towards you, on a board, and locate the little piece of shell immediately behind the eyes. Push down firmly to snap this from the main shell; lift it out and away and discard it (it contains the mouth and stomach). Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of well salted water to the boil (about 25–30g salt per 1 litre of water). The internal body is made up of a honeycomb of little compartments divided by very fine shell. It is imperative to avoid getting shell in the crab meat and the best way to reach the white meat is to cut the body in half.

At Leiths, our teaching combines classical culinary training with modern, progressive techniques following a continuously evolving curriculum that reflects the changing tastes and trends in industry. The Essential course was the best for me because it taught me a lot of foundational skills but also forced me to learn recipes that I probably wouldn’t try alone. For example, I’m a really savoury person, but I’ve done a lot of baking and I’ve really enjoyed it. I certainly think my skills have expanded greatly since then." Shortly before your course start date, you will be invited to introduce yourself to the rest of your class via messaging on the Workshop app. Leiths Online Cookery School is a winning partnership between Leiths School of Food & Wine - the esteemed cookery school - and education technology pioneers, Workshop. The internal body contains a little brown meat, but mainly white meat; the claws and legs contain white meat and the main outer crab shell contains brown meat. Turn the internal body over and scrape away the brown meat into a bowl, then put the internal body aside and deal with the main shell.Not only that, but you’ll be cooking alongside a small group of like-minded students who’ve started at the same time as you. Over the length of the course you’ll get to know one another, exchanging ideas and building on each other’s culinary successes. In every session, you will follow a Leiths teacher through a series of step-by-step videos in your own kitchen, learning directly through your experience. At the start of each week, you will be prompted to schedule 1-5 practical sessions and to gather all the kit you’ll need to start cooking.

Written for the novice cook this course is ideal for the absolute beginner in the kitchen. This 8 part course covers a wide range of eating occasions and you will cook alongside our skilled Leiths teachers who’ll be lifting the lid on some key fundamental cookery skills and techniques. To stabilise a beurre blanc, once the reduction is made, add 1 tbsp double cream and reduce again by about half. Strain, then whisk the butter in. Master the essential skills of professional cooking, in your kitchen. Learn the techniques that will lead to a lifetime of restaurant-quality cooking with Leiths’ 24-week Professional Essential Cooking Course and Certificate. Attain industry respected training from Leiths, wherever you are in the world. Discover how easy it is to learn with Leiths Online Cookery School by trying this FREE taster session from the Absolute Beginners course. At the end of the course, you can take a final assessment to earn your Certificate of Completion. To earn the full Leiths-accredited Essential Cooking Certificate, you can take an in-person assessment in London for an additional fee.Once you've met all the requirements to complete this course, you'll receive a verified Certificate of Completion. Cut the butter into 1cm cubes and keep chilled and firm. Put ¾ tbsp reduction in a small saucepan and, over a gentle heat, add a cube of cold butter. Using a small sauce whisk, incorporate the butter into the reduction as vigorously as you can. The sauce requires constant, vigorous whisking. Once you have prepared your sedated crab (as shown left), bring a large saucepan of well salted water to the boil (about 25–30g salt per 1 litre of water).

All Leiths Online courses are 18+ or require parental consent for those between 13-18. The exceptions are our Teens courses, which are exclusively for 13-18-year-olds. Using a teaspoon, scrape all the brown meat from the shell into a bowl. If the shell is to be used for serving, for a dressed crab for example, remove the inner shell by pressing down firmly along the natural line on both sides of the underside of the shell, then scrub and rinse the shell under cold water to clean completely. Set aside. The recipes taught on this course have been cleverly selected to cover a wide range of foundation cookery skills, so you can begin your journey towards becoming a confident home cook. On completion of the course, you’ll know how to rustle up all the elements to make a speedy midweek supper, batch cook hearty winter warmers, and effortlessly entertain friends and family.

Kickstart Your Journey to Becoming a Confident Home Cook

I would absolutely recommend Leiths Online. If you want to get your foot in the door with understanding the basics of cooking or getting an idea about a future career in food or just as a hobby, it is the place to start." balance the cloying nature of the fat. Acidity is generally added in the form of vinegar or lemon juice. Reducing vinegar softens the harshness of it, but the underlying acidity base is still present. The process of balancing the flavour of the fat begins in the early stages of making the sauce, with the addition of a little reduction or lemon juice. In the final balancing and seasoning of the sauce both reduction and lemon juice can be used, as well as salt and pepper, as the tastebuds react to different forms of acidity in different parts of the mouth. If a sauce is a little too acidic, try adding a little more salt, and vice versa. This course has been carefully designed to make sure the advantages of real-world learning experiences are still embraced online. You will therefore be taken through the subject matter week-by-week to give you the chance to digest what you’ve learnt whilst progressing at a steady pace alongside your classmates. Unlike a real-world course though, you will also have the opportunity to revisit sessions and practice whenever and wherever you like! Your Certificate of Completion will be awarded if you pass a 3-part assessment at the end of the course. Whether you’re a home cook looking to take your passion for food to the next level or an aspiring professional wanting to springboard into a culinary career, this course is for you.

Carefully remove any small bits of shell and discard, then gently pull the shell from the claw meat. If carefully done the claw meat can be removed whole.Place the crab upside down on a board, eyes away from you, then lift up and pull off the apron. Place your thumbs at the bottom of the crab on the base of the apron, on either side of the internal body. Push up firmly to release the internal body of the crab and pull away.