An online ice cream class from Jordi Roca of Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca
Spanish speakers can take a video ice cream course with Jordi Roca, pastry chef of El Celler de Can Roca. Jordi is the youngest of the three Roca brothers who own and run the Spanish restaurant in Girona which came in No. 1 at the 2013 World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in London in April, knocking Noma of Copenhagen out of the top spot. Financial Times restaurant critic Nick Lander reports that the restaurant now gets 3,000 requests for reservations a day.
The online video course, “La HeladerÃa de los Sentidos†(The Ice Cream Shop of the Senses), from the Spanish company Creative Signatures costs 89 euros (about $120) for 15 lessons totaling 1 hour and 20 minutes of video and eight detailed recipes. Difficulty is rated as alta, or high. Plans are to translate the lessons into English eventually, according to the Spanish newspaper El PaÃs.
The prospectus for the course points out that Jordi Roca has revolutionized ice cream flavors and textures. In this course, participants will learn about his vision, his inspiration and the technique behind the distinctive ice creams and toppings served at the Roca brothers’ Rocambolesc Gelateria in the center of Girona. There, every day you can find six different ice creams and 34 funny toppings, examples of which can be seen on Rocambolesc’s Instagram feed.
Back on the ice cream course page, click on the “Contenido†tab to see what Jordi is making in each lesson. Roca Cola sorbet? (Part 1 and 2). Baked apple ice cream?
Clicking around the Internet for more information on the El Celler de Can Roca and Jordi, I came across a YouTube video of young Jordi demonstrating how to make crema catalana, the lemon scented custard — with a link to the recipe. I watched the video and translated the recipe with the help of a Spanish-English dictionary. Unlike the Creative Signature class, this demonstration is entirely free.
His crema catalana is going on my list of desserts to try — and soon, especially since he serves the fragile custard with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. He’ll even let you use store-bought, if you want. Otherwise, he includes the recipe for that as well.
However, if I’d taken an ice cream course, no problem. I’d know just how to make it.
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