PAUL Boorman doesn’t like the term molecular cooking.

The head chef at Clarice House says it makes it sound like he is using chemicals.

Instead, Paul says, he and colleagues John Jackaman and Hayden Lyell, from Bury St Edmunds catering supply company Infusions, are creating weird and wonderful dishes that tickle taste buds and funny bones.

The three chefs took their culinary magic to Colchester Institute.

They were at the Sheepen Road college to show 30 students the art of modern cooking and help them serve up an 11-course taster menu to a group of diners.

They employed techniques which the food industry has used for years and have only recently been developed in restaurants, most notably by Ferran Adria, at El Bulli, regarded by many critics as the world’s most famous restaurant.

This meant using a number of special ingredients, such as vegetable gels, foams and powders and turning the idea of serving up food in its traditional way completely on its head.

Mr Jackaman said: “We’re talking about things like derivatives of seaweed and vegetable cellulose, which are all completely natural, but they allow you to do some amazing things.

“For the day, we have written a menu taking traditional dishes and making people think very differently about them.”

Mr Boorman added: “We’re here to show the guys the basics of this kind of cooking, because some of it can be very technically demanding.

“I’m pleased to say they have all taken to it very well.”

The dishes included a prawn cocktail, which was a pipette of lettuce “soap” on which was a chargrilled tiger prawn wrapped in some tomato candy floss.

Then there was the fish and chips, which consisted of an oyster in batter, straw potatoes, a light pickled onion sponge and oyster foam, all served in an oyster shell.

The shepherds pie was served in a shot glass with shredded lamb and vegetables that floated in a clear consume underneath a light potato foam.

Luke Peasland and Matthew Springett were two of the large group of students who signed up for the day-long course and evening service.

Luke said: “It’s like nothing we’ve ever done before.

“It’s completely unique and really exciting. I’ve learned so much and it’s been great fun.

Matthew added: “We all volunteered to do it and it was a long day, but none of us would have missed this.

“One of the most interesting elements of the day was how cooking it this way brings out the flavours of the food.

“I’ve had a great time doing it.”

Profits from the dinner and a charity auction will go to St Helena Hospice, in Colchester.