DAVID ASHER’S MILKLAB
FROM JULY 15 TO JULY 19
We are delighted to host David Asher’s Milklab for a comprehensive 5-day introductory course on natural cheesemaking! David is a former goatherd from the west coast of Canada turned extraordinary natural cheesemaker. He is a fervent advocate of raw milk cheesemaking, and we are very excited to welcome him to Le Doyenné Restaurant, where we will learn all about his approach to cheesemaking through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on participation.
From culture propagation to rennet coagulation to affinage, this comprehensive and practical course will cover many aspects of natural farmhouse cheesemaking. Participants will learn how simple traditional methods can lead to safe, effective, and delicious raw (or pasteurized) milk cheesemaking, and how the philosophies of fermenting natural wine, beer, sourdough, and dairy are all interconnected. There will also be a discussion on the implications of raw milk cheesemaking for human health and the complex ethical issues of animal agriculture.
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS
The classes* will run from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday, at Le Doyenné Restaurant. Breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 9 AM.
*The classes will be conducted in English.
The 5-day course is priced at €1000 per person.
A light breakfast, snacks, and lunch will be prepared daily by our chefs using organic ingredients directly from our garden.
We will organize a pizza night in our wood-fired oven, using the fresh mozzarella that we will prepare during the Wednesday class!
Two spots have been allocated for partial scholarships at a rate of €900 per person. If you are a student of agriculture or culinary arts, or if you need financial support, please contact us directly at [email protected].
We also offer an all-inclusive experience at Le Doyenné with accommodation in our inn for €2400 (including €1200 for 5 nights and €1200 for the course and dinners). If you wish to be 2 in the room, the price for the second person will be of €1200 (course and dinners included). For people who will be staying over the week, Le Doyenné dinner will be offered at the restaurant on Thursday night !
Please inform us of any intolerances, allergies, or dietary restrictions.
Spaces are limited! To book your place as soon as possible, visit our website ! (please select the date of the 15 of July and add 1 guest to access further options).
COURSE DESCRIPTION
On the first day, we will learn how to create and care for our cheese cultures. We will start with a session on dairy fermentation, covering Clabber, Kefir, and Amasi (an African milk beer) as well as traditional cream-top yogurt.
On the second day, we will use our cultures and rennet to make fresh lactic cheeses such as cream cheese or chèvre, as well as French goat cheeses matured with Geotrichum-candidum, such as Crottin.
On the third day, we will focus on rennet cheeses, preparing the basic curd in the morning, which can in turn be used to make many different styles of cheese.
On the fourth day, we will make a French blue cheese, Bleu d’Auvergne, and explore the culture of the blue mold that gives this cheese its beautiful marbling.
(Doyenné dinner offered on 18/07 upon request at a rate of €100 per person)
On the fifth and final day, we will make an Alpine cheese and see how this unique method can evolve in many directions.
Five days of learning will allow participants to see many styles of cheese through the stages of their evolution and provide insight into how all cheeses can evolve from the same milk, with the same cultures and the same rennet. The course will emphasize natural methods and small-scale, full-circle cheesemaking: no freeze-dried cultures or synthetic enzymes will be used in any of our preparations.
Please visit www.labodulait.org or contact us at [email protected] for more information.
See you soon!