Lesley Waters Cookery School

Lesley Waters Cookery School Tv chef Lesley Waters offers seasonal hands on cookery lessons, demo's and bespoke courses

06/09/2026

Buttery, golden and worth getting your hands stuck into.

Here’s how I plait my brioche, give it a go!
And yes, I’ve got my rings on. This one’s only for the family. 😉

If you fancy learning a little more about bread, come and join us for one of our hands-on Bread & Pastry Days at the Cook School.

Link to book in bio.

Recipe 👇🏻

Makes one large loaf

For the brioche dough
700g strong bread flour or plain flour will work too
pinch salt
4 teaspoons sugar
2 sachets easy blend yeast
150g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly.
4 eggs, beaten.
approx.350/ 400mls water

1 beaten egg for glaze.


In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. In a jug mix the water, eggs and warm melted butter. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the liquid ingredients, adding extra water if needed to bring together to form a soft dough.

Knead lightly for 5 minutes until smooth, adding a little flour if the dough is very sticky. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to prove for approx. 1- 1 1/2 hours until it has doubled in size.

When it has risen, ‘knock back’ by kneading the dough again for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll into long sausages approx. 42cm. Place the 3 rolled sausage dough pieces and form a letter H, on a floured tabletop and follow the video.
Transfer to a parchment lined baking tray. Cover lightly and leave in a warm place to prove until puffy and risen approx. 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200c

Brush the brioche dough with the beaten egg.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180C and cook for a further 15/20 minutes or until the brioche is golden and cooked through.

01/09/2026

A delicious little lunch or supper, especially alongside a bowl of soup or a hearty stew. Or simply warm, tear and dip into good olive oil and balsamic. They’re also rather lovely served alongside roast chicken, instead of traditional stuffing.
Recipe below 👇🏻

Makes 8

200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
90g instant polenta
85g Parmesan or really strong Cheddar finely grated
Approx. 220ml milk
4tbsp olive oil + extra for greasing
2 eggs
2tbsp jalapenos, chopped

Preheat the oven to 190C. Lightly grease 8 muffin wells.
Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the polenta and 70g of the cheese. Season well with freshly ground black pepper.
In a measuring jug mix together the milk, eggs, olive oil and jalapenos.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dried taking care not to over mix.
Spoon the mixture evenly between the prepared muffin wells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden.
Allow to cool in the tin for 2 minutes remove and eat warm, see intro

23/08/2026

My cheat’s fruit tart. Crisp pastry, fresh fruit and a lovely creamy filling, and the best bit is how little effort it takes.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Serves 6-8

350g (12oz) shortcrust pastry
Caster Sugar & 1 tsp cinnamon for rolling
300g (10oz) Cream Cheese
Grated rind of 1 large Orange
2 tablespoons icing sugar
280g (10oz) blueberries
icing sugar for dusting

1.​Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200C/ 400F. Line a baking tray with non stick baking parchment.

2.​On a clear surface, using caster sugar in place of flour, roll out the pastry until approximately 5mm thick. Using a large dinner plate, cut out a neat round approx. 23cm in diameter and carefully place onto the lined baking tray. Prick the pastry all over and crimp or fork the edges.

3.​ Bake the pastry in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked and biscuit coloured.

4.​Allow the pastry to cool completely before carefully transferring to a serving plate.

5.​In a small bowl beat the cream cheese with the orange juice and grated rind, adding the icing sugar to taste. Spread this mixture over the pastry base leaving a 2.5cm border clear. Top the orange cream with the blueberries and lightly dust with icing sugar. Serve at once.

14/08/2026

I love serving my ⁠ Deluxe side of roasted salmon like this, simple, fresh and full of flavour.

Tenderstem broccoli and spinach, simply tossed in olive oil and lemon, alongside caper berry potatoes and the most delicious lemon beurre blanc. A lovely one to make when you want something that feels a little bit special, without being complicated.

Recipe below 👇🏻

Oh and the Alsace Pinot Blanc works so well with all of this.

1 X 600G FROZEN LIDI DELUX GARLIC SCOTTISH SALMON SIDE serves 4 , cook from frozen, follow instructions.

Baby Potato Ravigote

Serves 4

450g small new potatoes, cooked and still warm.
4 tbs. baby capers
1/2 bunch dill roughly chopped.

Dijon mustard vinaigrette

2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsps white w**e vinegar or lemon juice
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic crushed.
Salt and pepper
Pinch sugar


Make the dressing.

In a bowl mix (or shake in a jam jar) all the ingredients together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold water and whisk well. Season to taste. In a large bowl stir the dressing, capers and dill together and toss in the warm potatoes Toss in the warm potatoes season and serve.

LEMON AND DILL BEURRE BLANC

SERVES 4

200mls white w**e
Juice 1 lemon
200mls double cream
½ packet chopped dill
salt and pepper
nut of butter, optional

1. Pour the w**e and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer until the mixture has reduced by half. Add the cream and simmer gently for 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the chopped dill and season with salt and pepper and a nut of butter if desired. Keep warm until needed.

09/08/2026

Sundays were made for baking, weren’t they? I’ve given the classic Victoria sponge a little Mediterranean twist — light, fresh and perfect with a cup of tea. My kind of Sunday.

Recipe below 👇🏻

Serves 8

175ml olive oil
5 eggs
150g caster sugar
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
125g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder

Filling
4 tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam
icing sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan, gas mark 5.
Line the base of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment.
Place the eggs and sugar into a large mixing bowl and using electric beaters whisk until thick and mousse like. Add the salt and vanilla.
Whisk in the oil in a steady stream.
Sieve in the flour and baking powder and quickly fold in.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes until pale golden and just firm.
Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes (they will fall slightly whilst cooling, so don’t panic-this is normal). Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.
Sandwich together with jam and place on a serving plate.
Sprinkle the top with vanilla caster sugar or icing sugar and serve with a pile of fresh, sweet strawberries and a jug of cream.

It’s Friday!!! Happy cook school
07/08/2026

It’s Friday!!! Happy cook school

25/07/2026

Summer Thai Noodle Salad! This one is so simple and so delicious! Give it a go this weekend!

Recipe below ⬇️

THAI NOODLE SALAD
Makes 1 x 1 litre jar

170g medium or fine egg noodles
115g/4oz fine green beans, topped., or sugar snaps
2 large carrots, peeled
1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced

for the dressing
40g/1 ½ oz or 4tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
15ml/1tbsp runny honey
1½ tbsp rich soy sauce
Juice 1 orange juice
juice (1 lime)
50g/1 ¾ oz or 1 1/2”in/3.8cm piece ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
good pinch dried chilli flakes
45ml/3tbsp rapeseed oil
15ml/1tbsp sesame oil

1. Place the noodles in boiling water and stir well. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for 3 minutes.(Refer to packet instructions). Drain well under cold running water. Set to one side to drain.
2. Blanch the beans, place in a pan of boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under running cold water.
3. Peel the carrots into ribbon strips .
4. Place the sesame seeds in a frying pan and dry fry until golden remove from heat and add all the remaining dressing ingredients and whisk together.
5. Allow to cool .
6. Toss the noodles, vegetables and dressing together. When cooled spoon into kilner jar.

22/07/2026

I have a little confession… I LOVE Kilner jars 🤍

There’s just something so lovely about a recipe served in a jar… it makes it feel that little bit more special.
So I thought it would be fun to share some more of my favourite jar recipes with you

My aromatic summer Thai curry is the perfect mid week supper!
Recipe below 👇🏻

Makes 1 x 1 litre jar

For the Thai paste
15ml/1tbsp rapeseed oil
60ml/4tbsp of the coconut milk
55g/2oz or 5cm/2in piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 green chilli, halved deseeded and chopped
1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and chopped
1 stick lemongrass, trimmed and chopped
55g/2oz or 1 banana shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bunch fresh basil



For the vegetables

300ml/coconut milk
300mls vegetable stock
200g small new potatoes
250g sugar snap peas or mange tout
225g small tomatoes on the vine, halved
4 spring onions, sliced on diagonal, chunky
1. Place all the Thai curry paste ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend briefly. The texture should be a coarse paste.
2. Cook the small new potatoes until just cooked through.
3. Place the paste in a pan and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and stock bring up to the boil.
4. Add the potatoes, onions and mangetout cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook for 2 minutes.

18/07/2026

A big jar of lemon posset 🍋🫐

Creamy, zesty and finished with fresh blueberries for a little burst of sweetness.

Recipe below

Makes 1 x ¾ litre jar

Serves 6

600ml/1-pint double cream
2 lemons, juice only
Juice and zest 1 lime
75g caster sugar , flavoured with crushed cardamon seeds if desired
200g blueberries

1. Place the cream, lemon, lime juice zest and sugar into a shallow pan, bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Sieve and allow to cool.
2. Pour into jar and add ½ the blueberries. Allow to set over night in the fridge. Layer the remaining blueberries on top.

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SP78AB

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+447955254545

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