Postcards From Hoi An, and a Lamb Tagine
Hi everyone, and welcome to our June newsletter.
After a busy start to the year, Matt and I are having a well-earned break! How crazy are we? Yes! You heard it here — cooking classes on our holidays! We are in Hoi An, Vietnam; we are seeing as much of this country as we can and getting some wonderful ideas for Yes Chef Cooking School — so far, the pork and mushroom spring rolls are to die for! And the Vietnamese seafood pancake? Delicious! Beautiful people, passionate about their culture, and such a wonderful country! (Even at a daily temperature of 39!) Can’t wait to tell you all about it!
In other news… I managed to make 30 kg of Moroccan Spice before I left, so if you want to top up your supply, call us.
We will be back before you know it!
Just a look at where we are today — Halong Bay, 1,900-plus islands and a beautiful and tranquil setting; we would highly recommend this cruise! #peonycruises
Check out our reviews: Yes Chef Cooking School Reviews 2026.
Thank you for being part of our growing community. We look forward to meeting and working with you this year and to sharing our new site in North Melbourne. Let’s get cooking and say YES CHEF!!
June feature recipe: Lamb Tagine
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1.5 kilos lamb shoulder
- 25 g sea salt
- 3 onions, diced
- ½ celery, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced or chopped
- 4 bay leaves, whole
- ½ bunch thyme, whole
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 bunch parsley to cook with
- 1 bunch parsley to add later
- 30 g Moroccan Spice
- 1 preserved lemon wedge
- 1 eggplant, diced and browned
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 3 tbsp honey
- 100 g dates
- 3 litres stock
- 300 g pearl cous cous, stock, saffron and currants
Method
- Marinate lamb (diced) in half of the Moroccan spice and ½ cup olive oil, thyme and sea salt overnight.
- Roast in a HOT oven for 1.5 hours, turning!
- Fry off onion, celery and ½ cup of olive oil for 30 minutes.
- Add remaining Moroccan spice, bay leaves, and parsley (1 bunch).
- Add lamb, stock, eggplant, zucchini, honey, dates and parsley, and cook for 45 minutes!
Serve with cous cous, harissa, sumac yoghurt, roasted almonds, mint leaves and pomegranate.
Try this recipe and tell us what you think. Our Moroccan Spice can be ordered by calling Paul on 0451 969 878.
Know someone who’s impossible to buy for?
We now have 9 classes, plus the ability to build classes as we go, so you can make and experience the dishes you want. Our new venue in North Melbourne is also great for product launches and events at a very reasonable cost.
From basic to advanced skills, with the ability to customise group classes and specialise in one-on-one classes, we are set to bring your culinary adventure to life.
Yes Chef kitchen hacks
Essential tips for a good toffee/sugar syrup.
Ingredients
- Use granulated or brown sugar — brown sugar adds a richer taste.
- Glucose can assist in sugar work too, adding at a rate of 20% of sugar volume (200 g of glucose per kilogram of sugar).
Equipment
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent burning.
- Clean pastry brush.
- Have a candy thermometer — this is very important!
- Grease your baking tray before you start.
Key steps
- Stir constantly at the beginning, then stop stirring once boiling.
- Brush sides with a wet, clean pastry brush.
- Cook to 300°F / 149°C (hard crack stage).
Common mistakes to avoid
- Don’t rush the cooking process.
- Don’t stir after it starts boiling (causes crystallisation).
- At the end of cooking you have no time, so the tray needs to be lined and ready.
- Don’t make toffee on a humid day — it won’t set properly.
- Don’t walk away — it can burn quickly!
Looking for a special occasion event?
Ask us about our Chef for a Night events; we look after it all, and you get a night to remember. You greet your guests and pour the wine — we do the rest! This is incredible value for your next event.
With restaurants getting more expensive by the week, we offer an alternative that delivers value and three chef-hat quality menus.
Yes Chef Cooking School
1/66 Curzon Street, North Melbourne, Victoria
Call Paul on 0451 969 878 · info@yeschefcookingschool.com.au