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This is a great masterclass.com cooking course. Wolfgang Puck gets straight to the point. He has come up with several spectacular dishes that I have been able to easily recreate, without having to spend hours in the kitchen.
I like to entertain at home. So, when I saw Wolfgang Puck’s Masterclass, I dived straight it. He is a Michelin star chef, so I was hoping his course would help me to cook more interesting food, which it has.
I highly recommend this course. I also highly recommend this course. It does not matter whether you are a home cook, someone training to work in the restaurant industry or just a passionate foodie, I am pretty sure you will enjoy it and learn a lot. I certainly did. Below, are a few of the highlights and details of what you can expect from the course.
Hopefully, this information will enable you to decide whether Wolfgang’s cooking class is for you. If for some reason you decide it is not, you just need to read some of my other cooking course reviews to find one that you like better. You may also find my overview of what you can expect from masterclass courses to be helpful.
OK, enough waffle, from now on this article is only about Wolfgang’s tasty food and his course.
By the way, we recommend purchasing Masterclass for more than just one single course. The value comes when you take several. If you want to read our review of the whole platform, check out this Masterclass review article.
If you want to just find out what some of the best masterclasses are, this is the article for you.
How to train your palate to become a great cook
I really liked the fact that Wolfgang took a slightly different approach from the other chefs on the masterclass.com platform. For example, he spent time covering the very important subject of training your palate.
He starts off, this class, by explaining what the five different flavors are – Salt, sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and my favorite, umami. A flavor I did not realize is a feature of Parmesan cheese until Wolfgang said it was.
Having heard that, I can see myself using a lot more parmesan in my cooking. I plan to try a little in my cauliflower cheese and lasagnas.
Wolfgang also opened my eyes to the fact that there are many different types of salts and peppers. It was especially interesting to hear how he uses each type to enhance the flavour of various ingredients.
Learn to make a great stock – the base for tasty sauces and gravy
I’ve always made my own stock and was heartened to see that Wolfgang uses a very similar method to the one my Gran taught me. Yet, I still learned a few things from this section of the course.
For example, I roast the bones, but not the vegetables. I can tell you that roasting them together as Wolfgang does makes a huge difference to the quality of the stock. Also, learning to make a demi-glace has made a big difference to the flavor of my food.
Wolfgang Puck’s meat and fish dishes
If you enjoy fish and meat, you will love Wolfgang’s recipes. During his course, you get to learn how to make the following wonderful meat and fish-based meals:
- Pepper Steak with Red Wine Sauce
- Roasted Chicken With Mustard Port Sauce
- Tuna Sashimi
- Roasted Branzino with a Caper Herb Beurre Blanc Sauce
- Seafood Gazpacho
- Wolfgang’s award-winning macaroni cheese
- Smoked salmon pizza
- Veal stock and demi-glaze
While putting together the above dishes you will end up learning to make things that you can use for other recipes. For example:
- Beurre blanc
- Clam stock
- Tomato broth
- Mustard port sauce
- Red wine sauce
- Bechamel sauce
Some nice vegan dishes too
It is refreshing to see that Wolfgang has not forgotten vegans when putting together this course. He has included three wonderful recipes for them that are innovative, as well as delicious.
- Farro Salad with Roasted Carrots
- Oatmeal Risotto
- Fennel and apple salad
Now I know that is not many vegan dishes. But, at a pinch, you can easily adapt several of the other recipes to make them vegan-friendly. For example for the creamed spinach and most of the sauces, you would just need to swap out one maybe two ingredients. Plus, the tomato broth is a very handy thing for a vegan to know how to make.
Use what you learn to improve your family favorites
This was a great masterclass.com cooking course and I learned a lot. But, there were a few things I would have liked to have seen done a bit differently. For example, it would have been nice to see a few more recipes taught.
But, the truth is that I have been able to adapt what I learned from this relatively small selection of recipes to greatly improve my day to day cooking. For example, I discovered that the mustard port sauce can be used for far more than just roast chicken.
Also, Wolfgang’s Bechamel sauce can be flavored differently and used for all kinds of dishes. For example, I used his macaroni cheese recipe but substituted the pasta for cauliflower and broocoli. The sauce was silky, glossy and tasted wonderful because I had followed Wolfgang’s recipe.
Learn how to create classic cocktails
I have never seen a cooking course that includes a section on how to make cocktails before. It is clear that Wolfgang enjoys making cocktails. He is really passionate about them. During this video, you get to learn how to make some true classics including:
- Berry Margarita
- Nagrini
- Bellini
- Bloody Mary
You will notice that fresh fruit and vegetables are important components of all of these cocktails. During this lesson, Wolfgang explains how to buy the produce you need to make your own fruit and tomato juices. He also briefly covers how to match cocktails to the food you are planning to serve.
Next time I have friends over for dinner, I will definetely be offering them a cocktail or two. It is a great way to make the occasion that little bit more special.
The chance to have your questions answered by Wolfgang
One of the things that makes Masterclass.com courses stand out from the rest, is the ability to ask questions and get answers directly from your teacher.
It amazes me that a Michelin starred chef like Wolfgang Puck has taken the time to answer my cooking questions.
Plus, there is the user forum and each video has a comments section. So, you learn even more than you are expecting to when you take any masterclass.com course
A decent workbook to download
If you like to have the recipe in front of you when you cook, you might want to download the workbook. It is well laid out and the instructions are clear. I would have liked to see some extra advice added to it, like some of the other chefs have done. But, that is just me and it is really more of a niggle than a critisism.
You will, however, appreciate the fact that Wolfgang has taken the time to explain how to plate up each dish. That was a nice touch.
Wolfgang Puck’s kitchen essentials
If you want your food to turn out well, using the right tools for the job is vital. So, it is nice to see that Wolfgang has added a bonus video that covers the subject of the tools you need to get good results.
An insight into Wolfgang’s path to success
If you are someone who wants to become a professional chef, you could benefit from the fact that Wolfgang shares his path to success, in this course. I found this video interesting and enjoyable, inspiring even. So, I think most students will end up watching it right the way through. The video about his philosophy was good too.
Wolfgang came from humble beginnings. But, he worked hard and never gave up. He had to knock on a lot of doors to get his first real job in the business. Something that I think fuele his passion for food and cooking.
Why you should treat yourself to this course
This is a lovely cooking course. Wolfgang’s teaching style is relaxed, nicely paced and informative. It is really easy to absorb what he is teaching you.
For $90 you really cannot go wrong. You will find yourself dipping in and out of his videos and workbook, on a regular basis. If you are anything like me, what you learn will have a positive impact on a lot of your day to day cooking. His cooking techniques and recipes can be used for far more than just dinner parties. Buy The Course Here.
Don’t forget when you pick up the Masterclass.com all-access pass, you get to enjoy every single one of their 50+ courses.
There are several more cooking ones to take.
As well as the chance to learn about writing, film making, photography, playing various sports, and many other subjects. All of the courses are taught by A-listers, who have been successful in their field for decades. At just $180, the pass is a bargain, I for one could not resist.