The last two days of our class are going to be for preparation and production of a Menu. Random menus where given to all of us and mine was the following:
Soup.- French Onion Soup
Appetizer.- Chicken Roulade stuffed with Roasted Bell pepper, asparagus, mushroom duxelle served with tourne potatoes and a port wine sauce.
Entree.- Grilled Salmon Filet, Pomme Puree, Steamed Carrots and Lemon Caper Buerre Blanc.
For Tuesday we will be presenting our list of ingredients, the organization of our Mise en Place, (our organized items), knife cuts review and we will also have a last quiz.
Last Quiz Review:
Ingredients for sauces Robert, Charcuterie, Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc and Orange Beurre Blanc
Techniques for tough cuts of Meat
Ingredients for Chicken Roulade and the process to make it
Five Products ID
WISH ME LUCK!
Monday, May 10, 2010
DAY ELEVEN REVIEW OF PAN FRY, SEARING AND SOUP MAKING
Today our production consisted of Roasted Butternut Squash Potage, Pan seared Scallops, Weiner Schnitzel with Lemon-Caper Beurre Blanc sauce.
The Soup Roasted Butternut Squash Potage is a thick soup made of roasted squash and garnished with seared apples and oven toasted pumpkin seeds.
1 1/2 Butternut Squash
1oz Blended Oil
4 oz Onion Parmentier
2 oz Carrot Parmentier
2 oz Celery Parmentier
1 t Garlic Minced
1ea Sachet (Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Clove and Peppercorns).
A/n Chicken Stock
TT Salt and White Pepper
1 T Toasted pumpkin seeds
3ea Sauteed apple slices
First we put the squash in a tray with heavy salted water covering half of it and we put it in the oven to cook.
Then in a sauce pan we added the mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery), to caramelize, then we added garlic and the pureed squash we cooked the mixture slightly and the we added the stock to cover, then we added the sachet and let it simmer. Then we processed the soup in a blender to achieve a liquid thick texture, then we seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.
To garnish we used sauteed apple slices and toasted pumpik seeds.
INTERESTING FACTS It was very interesting to know what is the difference from winter squash and summer squash. There is a great squash variety and the main difference is the skin. Whereas the summer squash are thin skinned and we can eat it whole. The winter squash is covered with a thick skin that is not edible.
"Coquilles St. Jacques" which is French for Scallops. It was very interesting to know that they are called shells from Saint John (translation) because it was the emblem used by Knights that fought for the church. I found more information about the subject:
The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of James, son of Zebedee and is popular with pilgrims on the Way of St James to the apostle's shrine at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to his shrine often wore a scallop shell symbol on their hat or clothes. The pilgrim also carried a scallop shell with him, and would present himself at churches, castles, abbeys etc., where he could expect to be given as much sustenance as he could pick up with one scoop. Probably he would be given oats, barley, and perhaps beer or wine. Thus even the poorest household could give charity without being overburdened. The association of Saint James with the scallop can most likely be traced to the legend that the apostle once rescued a knight covered in scallops. An alternate version of the legend holds that while St. James' remains were being transported to Spain from Jerusalem, the horse of a knight fell into the water, and emerged covered in the shells.
The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of James, son of Zebedee and is popular with pilgrims on the Way of St James to the apostle's shrine at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to his shrine often wore a scallop shell symbol on their hat or clothes. The pilgrim also carried a scallop shell with him, and would present himself at churches, castles, abbeys etc., where he could expect to be given as much sustenance as he could pick up with one scoop. Probably he would be given oats, barley, and perhaps beer or wine. Thus even the poorest household could give charity without being overburdened. The association of Saint James with the scallop can most likely be traced to the legend that the apostle once rescued a knight covered in scallops. An alternate version of the legend holds that while St. James' remains were being transported to Spain from Jerusalem, the horse of a knight fell into the water, and emerged covered in the shells.
Our recipe for Pan Seared Scallops with Orange Beurre Blanc
2ea Scallops
A/n Clarified Butter
A/n Salt and Pepper
1 ea Shallot minced
A/n White Wine
8oz Cold Butter
1oz Orange Juice
1oz Carrots Julienne
1oz Leeks Julienne
1oz Celery Julienne
1oz Red Bell pepper Julienne
We actually do not eat the whole creature only its aductor muscle. Scallots are high in sugar and moisture, very easy to overcook and will turn to a rubbery texture.
First we remove the toe of the scallot (a little atached part to the main muscle aductor). we seared the scallots in a hot oiled pan with the presentation side down to get the desired maillar reaction and have a nice brown color. Once it is done we turned with the pan out of the heat to the other side just to cook.
Apart we did a sauce Orange Beurre Blanc. This sauce is very hard to make because the emulsion that holds de sauce is made by the orange juice and monte au burre butter and it is done au blanc, meaning that we use cold butter and we cannot allow the mixture to get browned because the desired color must be clear.
First we cut Orange supremes. This is a peeled orange that we cut in small wedges out and squeezed the juice out of the rest of the orange.
In a small saute pan we put minced shallots to sweat and we deglaze with the orange juice and white wine. Once the consistency of the mixture became almost au sec (almost dry) we added out of the heat, cold butter and the wedges (orange supremes).
Apart we did juliennes with our vegetables (thin strips) and cooked them just al dente in a small amount of water.
The plate together was very appealing with the vegetables used as a bed for the scallots and covered with the sauce an the orange supremes.
Weiner Schnitzel
Is a traditional Austrian dish made with veal cutlets coveren in bread crumbs.
3ea 2oz Veal cutlets
1ea Lemon
3ea Parsley sprigs
Breading:
2 oz Flour
2ea Eggs beaten
2oz Panko bread crumb
4oz blended oil
Tt Salt and white pepper
First we trimmed the veal out of any fat and nerves, then we pounded to achieve thin cutlets that we breaded soaking in flour, egg and panko bread.
In a hot pan with 1 inc of oil we pan fryed the cutlets then we did a lemon sauce as follows:
Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc
1/2 T Shallots hacher
2oz White wine
4oz Butter
3 T Fresh lemon juice
1 T Capers drained
Tt Salt and Pepper
In a pan we sweat the shallots and deglaze with wine and the lemon juice then we added the cold butter, some lemon supremes and capers seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
DAY TEN GRILLING AND BRAISING REVIEW
This day we reviewed the grilling and the braising technique using pork meat. We learn that pork when is alive is called swine or hog when is destined for consumption and pig when is only a pet. When the meat is cut and chopped is called pork.
The meat of the pork is known as the other white meat because the content of hemioglobin is minimal as it is in the poultry.
The fat of the pork is beneath its skin, same as the ducks and humans. When the meat of the pork is undercooked is not safe because it may carry a disease called triquinosis which is a worm. Triquinosis dies at 130°F which is the temperature for medium-rare cook.
People usually are misinformed and like to have well done pork due to the fear of triquinosis.
The cuts we used today were tenderloin that is a cut coming from the area near the spine of the pork and the pork chop that comes from the part near the ribs connecting with the muscles in the back.
Pork cooks faster than salmon so we have to watch our meat carefully.
Pork Chop.-
We seasoned with salt and pepper, marked the meat in the grill and then finished in the oven for 7 minutes placed in a rack with the bone covered with foil.
The sauce charcuterie that we make for the meat consisted of a espagnole sauce with cournichons (German pickles) added to the sauce.
We make a base sauce that we used for this recipe and also to add in the pork tenderloin recipe.
We served the pork chop with a warm German potato salad and braised cabbage.
The base for the sauce was now easier to make because we know the steps to follow which are:
1.- Create a suc by sautéing a piece of bacon or meat in a pan.
2.- To the suc add onions to caramelize
3.- Deglaze with wine
4.- Reduce to demi-sec
5.- add stock reduce or add more stock according to consistency
6.- Add mustard and strain the sauce with a colander or chinoise
7.- Finish with cold butter to serve and season (monte au burre).
Pork Tenderloin
The tenderloin was prepared cutting the fats, and trussing the meat. We seasoned with salt and pepper and we browned a little in a hot pan so the meat did not stick to it.
We finished the meat by cooking in the oven for 14 minutes total at 400°F
We served the tenderloin with potato fingerlings.
Braised red cabbage.-
The braised cabbage for me was a great side dish that I liked very much. We chiffonade the cabbage. And we followed the steps for braising.
1.- Saute in an oiled pan the onions to caramelize
2.- Add the item (cabbage) and the garlic
3.- Cover ¾ of the item with water
4.- Simmer until tender.
5.- Add 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar
6.- Add the Jelly and a little sugar and sage.
Roasted fingerling potatoes
The fingerlings are very easy to do but the difficulty is to keep the time while doing other dishes at the same time.
Fingerlings are done in the oven where they are baked and almost at the end of the cooking process other ingredients are added which are shallots and aromatics.
Warm German potato salad
This was another example of braising. We cooked the potatoes al dente. On another pan we created a suc with bacon and then we followed the steps to make a sauce, caramelize onions, deglaze with wine, add stock and reduce, and season. Only that in this sauce we added flour for thickening.
After we done the sauce we added the potatoes and bacon on top to serve.
Chef liked the tenderloin that only had a small part that almost dried. The pork chop was one minute over cooked in one side. The cabbage was great and the fingerlings needed more caramelization for the shallots.
The meat of the pork is known as the other white meat because the content of hemioglobin is minimal as it is in the poultry.
The fat of the pork is beneath its skin, same as the ducks and humans. When the meat of the pork is undercooked is not safe because it may carry a disease called triquinosis which is a worm. Triquinosis dies at 130°F which is the temperature for medium-rare cook.
People usually are misinformed and like to have well done pork due to the fear of triquinosis.
The cuts we used today were tenderloin that is a cut coming from the area near the spine of the pork and the pork chop that comes from the part near the ribs connecting with the muscles in the back.
Pork cooks faster than salmon so we have to watch our meat carefully.
Pork Chop.-
We seasoned with salt and pepper, marked the meat in the grill and then finished in the oven for 7 minutes placed in a rack with the bone covered with foil.
The sauce charcuterie that we make for the meat consisted of a espagnole sauce with cournichons (German pickles) added to the sauce.
We make a base sauce that we used for this recipe and also to add in the pork tenderloin recipe.
We served the pork chop with a warm German potato salad and braised cabbage.
The base for the sauce was now easier to make because we know the steps to follow which are:
1.- Create a suc by sautéing a piece of bacon or meat in a pan.
2.- To the suc add onions to caramelize
3.- Deglaze with wine
4.- Reduce to demi-sec
5.- add stock reduce or add more stock according to consistency
6.- Add mustard and strain the sauce with a colander or chinoise
7.- Finish with cold butter to serve and season (monte au burre).
Pork Tenderloin
The tenderloin was prepared cutting the fats, and trussing the meat. We seasoned with salt and pepper and we browned a little in a hot pan so the meat did not stick to it.
We finished the meat by cooking in the oven for 14 minutes total at 400°F
We served the tenderloin with potato fingerlings.
Braised red cabbage.-
The braised cabbage for me was a great side dish that I liked very much. We chiffonade the cabbage. And we followed the steps for braising.
1.- Saute in an oiled pan the onions to caramelize
2.- Add the item (cabbage) and the garlic
3.- Cover ¾ of the item with water
4.- Simmer until tender.
5.- Add 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar
6.- Add the Jelly and a little sugar and sage.
Roasted fingerling potatoes
The fingerlings are very easy to do but the difficulty is to keep the time while doing other dishes at the same time.
Fingerlings are done in the oven where they are baked and almost at the end of the cooking process other ingredients are added which are shallots and aromatics.
Warm German potato salad
This was another example of braising. We cooked the potatoes al dente. On another pan we created a suc with bacon and then we followed the steps to make a sauce, caramelize onions, deglaze with wine, add stock and reduce, and season. Only that in this sauce we added flour for thickening.
After we done the sauce we added the potatoes and bacon on top to serve.
Chef liked the tenderloin that only had a small part that almost dried. The pork chop was one minute over cooked in one side. The cabbage was great and the fingerlings needed more caramelization for the shallots.
DAY NINE BRAISING
Braising:
Coq au Vin with traditional garnishes
Chicken Roulade with roasted bell pepper
Mushroom Duxelle, spinach, asparagus and barded in caul fat.
Today we had the visit of a French chef Philippe Guit. It was very difficult to understand what he was saying but just watching what he was doing I could understand much better not only how to do tournees properly but also how to braise.
Chef Philippe took his time to go around the class and he helped me to perfection my cuts and my tournes. It was very kind of him to supervise our work and teach us the proper technique.
Chef Philippe gave us a class about braising and stewing. Stewing is used for small amounts of food whereas braising is used for larger amounts of food.
Fricasse is a technique where the product will always be white in color or au blanc.
Cuisson means to cook and cuisson brassiere means to cook braising and the product can be au blanc or brown.
Braiser au brown is for a small item
braiser au blanc means no color. Examples Fricasse, Etuve and Cuisson a court bouillon.
A small amount of liquid means not enough to cover the item completely which will be submersion.
This day we cooked a traditional French dish the Coq au Vin. (Rooster in wine). We learned that the difference with a chicken is that the meat of a rooster will have less fat and therefore will need more time to tenderize than a chicken. In this case the meat was marinated since a day in advance.
We followed the steps to sauté to create a suc with the meat until brown, we caramelized mirepoix and deglazed with wine, then we added stock and the meat that we had separated. In other pan we cooked au blanc pearl onions to preserve the color and then we added to the final product. In another pan with bacon suc we created a sauce with cremini mushrooms following the same steps. suc-caramelize-deglaze-add stock-reduce-season.
Chef Brown liked my dish the meat was good and the sauce too with the added Beurre Manie for thickening.
We also created a chicken roulade that is a tenderized chicken breast that will be filled with blanched spinach, roasted pepper, blanched asparagus, shallots and mushrooms. With the help of the caul fat that looks like a net we rolled in the breast and trussed with string. Then we basted in clarified butter and created a sauce with chicken suc, we added butter and shallots to sweat added mushrooms and deglazed with port wine, then to serve we added cold butter to create emulsion in the sauce.
Chef liked my coq au vin it was good and the chicken roulade was slightly overcooked the meat dried a little.
QUIZ REVIEW:
Difference in poaching techniques:
Shallow Poaching is used for small items, where are partially covered with the liquid. The liquid then can be used to make a sauce. Liquids employed to use this technique are usually stocks.
Poaching is cooking by total immersion in a flavored liquid called court bouillon. It is used for larger items and the liquid is not used for sauce.
Thickening agents for Gumbo, and what are they made of
Gumbo is distinguished by the roux - a combination of oil or fat and flour. But while in traditional French cooking roux is a thickening agent, in Creole and Cajun cuisine it is a flavoring agent - the roux is often cooked to the point that it has almost no thickening power - just flavor power. In gumbo thickening comes from okra or file.
Okra is sliced and used in Gumbo to do the thickening.
The usual alternative thickening agent is filé, a powder made from dried sassafras leaves. Filé becomes gummy when it’s boiled, so it can’t simmer into the soup. It has to be added just before serving, or sprinkled on at the table.
How many shrimp per pound is the method used to count shrimp by size:
Jumbo Shrimp 16 to 20 per pound.
Extra Large Shrimp 21/25 per pound.
Large Shrimp 26/30 per pound.
Medium Shrimp 31/35 per pound.
Maitre’D Hotel Butter
Maître d'hôtel butter begins life as a stick of regular, unsalted butter. With a spoon or mixer, a cook creams the butter and adds chopped parsley, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black or white ground pepper. The mixture is then gathered into plastic wrap and formed into a log or roll. The roll is then refrigerated until firm.
To use maître d'hôtel butter, the cook simply cuts small rounds of the butter and serves it atop grilled meat or fish. As it melts, it forms a savory sauce that mixes with the meat juices, heightening the flavor of the meat and giving it richness. Leftover maître d'hôtel butter can be rewrapped and refrigerated for two or three days until needed again.
Fine Herbs.- Parsley, Tarragon, Chervil, Chives.
Methods for Tenderizing Meat: Braising, Stewing, Grilling and brining.
Pounding with a Mallot, Marinating, Rub softeners, Barding (rolling bacon on it).
HOMEWORK DUE TODAY
1. What are the differences between Braising and Stewing?
The difference is that Braising is a technique used for large items. The item is placed in a liquid that partially covers it.
Stewing is used for small items, with uniform cut pieces that are completely immersed in the liquid.
Both belong to the category of moist techniques, and are methods for tenderizing meat.
2. Develop a detailed step by step method for Braising.
• Season the meat that will be cooked.
• Separatedly place in a pan the liquid that will be used to cook the meat, (this liquid could be also be pre-seasoned with herps and sweated aromatics such as onions or shallots.)
• Place the meat in the liquid that should be sufficient to partially cover the meat.
• Allow to simmer in low heat until the meat is done.
3. Write a short 1 paragraph essay on the origins of Coq au Vin.
Coq au vin is a chicken stew with wine that has almost the same recipe as beef bourguignon, popular belief traces its origins to the time of Julius Cesar, but it was until the first quarter of the 20th Century. There is not much history behind the recipe. Although there are two myths regarding its origins, one relates the encounter of Napoleon with a peasant that cooks for him coq au vin an the other one is that when Julius Cesar conquered the region known now as France it was served Coq au Vin as tribute.
4. What is a roulade? How can it be prepared? What steps can you take to ensure a roulade will remain moist and tender?
Comes from the French word rouler “to roll”. Is a seasoned piece of meat, stuffed, then rolled over itself, and then cooked.
A roulade is prepared taking a deboned piece of meat, seasoned and stuffed with the ingredients of our preference, and then it will be rolled on itself or closed and held with cooking yard tied securely.
A roulade can be cooked in a braising method and basting the meat with the liquid will take care of the moistness it will also be a good idea to use a sauce pan to prevent the rapid evaporation of the liquids, to finish cooking it can be also placed in the oven for the remaining time.
Coq au Vin with traditional garnishes
Chicken Roulade with roasted bell pepper
Mushroom Duxelle, spinach, asparagus and barded in caul fat.
Today we had the visit of a French chef Philippe Guit. It was very difficult to understand what he was saying but just watching what he was doing I could understand much better not only how to do tournees properly but also how to braise.
Chef Philippe took his time to go around the class and he helped me to perfection my cuts and my tournes. It was very kind of him to supervise our work and teach us the proper technique.
Chef Philippe gave us a class about braising and stewing. Stewing is used for small amounts of food whereas braising is used for larger amounts of food.
Fricasse is a technique where the product will always be white in color or au blanc.
Cuisson means to cook and cuisson brassiere means to cook braising and the product can be au blanc or brown.
Braiser au brown is for a small item
braiser au blanc means no color. Examples Fricasse, Etuve and Cuisson a court bouillon.
A small amount of liquid means not enough to cover the item completely which will be submersion.
This day we cooked a traditional French dish the Coq au Vin. (Rooster in wine). We learned that the difference with a chicken is that the meat of a rooster will have less fat and therefore will need more time to tenderize than a chicken. In this case the meat was marinated since a day in advance.
We followed the steps to sauté to create a suc with the meat until brown, we caramelized mirepoix and deglazed with wine, then we added stock and the meat that we had separated. In other pan we cooked au blanc pearl onions to preserve the color and then we added to the final product. In another pan with bacon suc we created a sauce with cremini mushrooms following the same steps. suc-caramelize-deglaze-add stock-reduce-season.
Chef Brown liked my dish the meat was good and the sauce too with the added Beurre Manie for thickening.
We also created a chicken roulade that is a tenderized chicken breast that will be filled with blanched spinach, roasted pepper, blanched asparagus, shallots and mushrooms. With the help of the caul fat that looks like a net we rolled in the breast and trussed with string. Then we basted in clarified butter and created a sauce with chicken suc, we added butter and shallots to sweat added mushrooms and deglazed with port wine, then to serve we added cold butter to create emulsion in the sauce.
Chef liked my coq au vin it was good and the chicken roulade was slightly overcooked the meat dried a little.
QUIZ REVIEW:
Difference in poaching techniques:
Shallow Poaching is used for small items, where are partially covered with the liquid. The liquid then can be used to make a sauce. Liquids employed to use this technique are usually stocks.
Poaching is cooking by total immersion in a flavored liquid called court bouillon. It is used for larger items and the liquid is not used for sauce.
Thickening agents for Gumbo, and what are they made of
Gumbo is distinguished by the roux - a combination of oil or fat and flour. But while in traditional French cooking roux is a thickening agent, in Creole and Cajun cuisine it is a flavoring agent - the roux is often cooked to the point that it has almost no thickening power - just flavor power. In gumbo thickening comes from okra or file.
Okra is sliced and used in Gumbo to do the thickening.
The usual alternative thickening agent is filé, a powder made from dried sassafras leaves. Filé becomes gummy when it’s boiled, so it can’t simmer into the soup. It has to be added just before serving, or sprinkled on at the table.
How many shrimp per pound is the method used to count shrimp by size:
Jumbo Shrimp 16 to 20 per pound.
Extra Large Shrimp 21/25 per pound.
Large Shrimp 26/30 per pound.
Medium Shrimp 31/35 per pound.
Maitre’D Hotel Butter
Maître d'hôtel butter begins life as a stick of regular, unsalted butter. With a spoon or mixer, a cook creams the butter and adds chopped parsley, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black or white ground pepper. The mixture is then gathered into plastic wrap and formed into a log or roll. The roll is then refrigerated until firm.
To use maître d'hôtel butter, the cook simply cuts small rounds of the butter and serves it atop grilled meat or fish. As it melts, it forms a savory sauce that mixes with the meat juices, heightening the flavor of the meat and giving it richness. Leftover maître d'hôtel butter can be rewrapped and refrigerated for two or three days until needed again.
Fine Herbs.- Parsley, Tarragon, Chervil, Chives.
Methods for Tenderizing Meat: Braising, Stewing, Grilling and brining.
Pounding with a Mallot, Marinating, Rub softeners, Barding (rolling bacon on it).
HOMEWORK DUE TODAY
1. What are the differences between Braising and Stewing?
The difference is that Braising is a technique used for large items. The item is placed in a liquid that partially covers it.
Stewing is used for small items, with uniform cut pieces that are completely immersed in the liquid.
Both belong to the category of moist techniques, and are methods for tenderizing meat.
2. Develop a detailed step by step method for Braising.
• Season the meat that will be cooked.
• Separatedly place in a pan the liquid that will be used to cook the meat, (this liquid could be also be pre-seasoned with herps and sweated aromatics such as onions or shallots.)
• Place the meat in the liquid that should be sufficient to partially cover the meat.
• Allow to simmer in low heat until the meat is done.
3. Write a short 1 paragraph essay on the origins of Coq au Vin.
Coq au vin is a chicken stew with wine that has almost the same recipe as beef bourguignon, popular belief traces its origins to the time of Julius Cesar, but it was until the first quarter of the 20th Century. There is not much history behind the recipe. Although there are two myths regarding its origins, one relates the encounter of Napoleon with a peasant that cooks for him coq au vin an the other one is that when Julius Cesar conquered the region known now as France it was served Coq au Vin as tribute.
4. What is a roulade? How can it be prepared? What steps can you take to ensure a roulade will remain moist and tender?
Comes from the French word rouler “to roll”. Is a seasoned piece of meat, stuffed, then rolled over itself, and then cooked.
A roulade is prepared taking a deboned piece of meat, seasoned and stuffed with the ingredients of our preference, and then it will be rolled on itself or closed and held with cooking yard tied securely.
A roulade can be cooked in a braising method and basting the meat with the liquid will take care of the moistness it will also be a good idea to use a sauce pan to prevent the rapid evaporation of the liquids, to finish cooking it can be also placed in the oven for the remaining time.
DAY EIGHT STEWING
Stewing Meats and Soup Making
Hungarian Goulash
Spaetzle
Specialty Soup:
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo with steamed rice
Marinade Coq au Vin
Unfortunately this day I had a Doctor’s appointment the good news is that my lungs are much better now, the bad news are that I could not do the production for this day. I will look forward to have the skills on Saturday to do it. At this moment I will write the recipes according to the book and a little history behind them.
HOMEWORK DUE TODAY
1. Why are tough cuts of meat used for stewing/ simmering?
Tough cuts are used when it is not necessary to brown the item and it can be kept cooking for a longer period of time while simmering.
Also to stew an item is an effective way to tenderize it, bringing a though meat to a desirable tenderness.
2. Describe in detail the proper procedure for stewing/ simmering meats.
• prepare the meat seasoning, and collect all the other items needed
• Start a broth or boiling liquid with mirepoix
• Place the meat in the cooking liquid
• Reduce the heat to simmer and keep it without boiling
• Simmer or stew until the meat is soft
• Serve the meat with garnishments
3. What is the main ingredient in Goulash?
The main ingredient is always a boneless meat. It can be veal meat; beef or pork. The seasoning with Hungarian paprika will give the name to Hungarian Goulash.
4. What are the differences between Cajun and Creole cuisines?
Creoles were originally descendants of early French and Spanish settlers in the New World. The term "creole" became very popular in the colony. It was used to apply to people and things native to the colony. Thus the food style became Creole to refer mainly to this area, although eventually it became synonymous with the race of people found in Louisiana
Cajun used to be a term to reference people from French ascendance, but in the present it refers to a wider group of people from different who are descendant of different countries such as France and Germany and defines a style of a group of people found in Louisiana. The food Cajun style will be different from Creole in the slightly difference of the groups of people who create this type of season for the food.
5. Describe the different characteristics/levels of Roux and how each stage affects the cooking process.
A roux is a combination of flour and fat in an equal ratio. The difference between a White Roux, a blonde roux and a brown roux is the time cooking this combination of flour and fat (usually butter).
A slightly colored (color cream) roux will be a White Roux and will smell like popcorn. The delicate flavor of this roux is used for sauces made out of dairy products mainly such as the mother sauce Bechamel, and secondary sauces such as mornay.
A light mocha colored roux will be a Blonde Roux and will give away the smell of browned popcorn. The flavor is more developed than in the white roux and it will be used for combinations with brown stocks such as veal, for the production of Veloutte sauce and secondary sauces like the supreme.
A dark colored roux will be a Brown Roux and will give away a scent of burned popcorn. This roux with a stronger flavor is employed to do sauces that will have stronger flavors as well such as the Espagnole and its secondary sauces such as Madeira.
6. Write a short 1 paragraph essay on the history of Gumbo.
Gumbo derives its name from Ki Ngombo (okra) in an African dialect. Is a technique that is about thickening a sauce using a roux or thickening agent such as okra. Due to slavery it was exported to America from Africa and became a cooking technique employed by the slaves in colonial Louisiana. It combined with the time with the French technique for cooking with French bouillabaisse and with the Native American use of ground sassafras.
Hungarian Goulash
Spaetzle
Specialty Soup:
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo with steamed rice
Marinade Coq au Vin
Unfortunately this day I had a Doctor’s appointment the good news is that my lungs are much better now, the bad news are that I could not do the production for this day. I will look forward to have the skills on Saturday to do it. At this moment I will write the recipes according to the book and a little history behind them.
HOMEWORK DUE TODAY
1. Why are tough cuts of meat used for stewing/ simmering?
Tough cuts are used when it is not necessary to brown the item and it can be kept cooking for a longer period of time while simmering.
Also to stew an item is an effective way to tenderize it, bringing a though meat to a desirable tenderness.
2. Describe in detail the proper procedure for stewing/ simmering meats.
• prepare the meat seasoning, and collect all the other items needed
• Start a broth or boiling liquid with mirepoix
• Place the meat in the cooking liquid
• Reduce the heat to simmer and keep it without boiling
• Simmer or stew until the meat is soft
• Serve the meat with garnishments
3. What is the main ingredient in Goulash?
The main ingredient is always a boneless meat. It can be veal meat; beef or pork. The seasoning with Hungarian paprika will give the name to Hungarian Goulash.
4. What are the differences between Cajun and Creole cuisines?
Creoles were originally descendants of early French and Spanish settlers in the New World. The term "creole" became very popular in the colony. It was used to apply to people and things native to the colony. Thus the food style became Creole to refer mainly to this area, although eventually it became synonymous with the race of people found in Louisiana
Cajun used to be a term to reference people from French ascendance, but in the present it refers to a wider group of people from different who are descendant of different countries such as France and Germany and defines a style of a group of people found in Louisiana. The food Cajun style will be different from Creole in the slightly difference of the groups of people who create this type of season for the food.
5. Describe the different characteristics/levels of Roux and how each stage affects the cooking process.
A roux is a combination of flour and fat in an equal ratio. The difference between a White Roux, a blonde roux and a brown roux is the time cooking this combination of flour and fat (usually butter).
A slightly colored (color cream) roux will be a White Roux and will smell like popcorn. The delicate flavor of this roux is used for sauces made out of dairy products mainly such as the mother sauce Bechamel, and secondary sauces such as mornay.
A light mocha colored roux will be a Blonde Roux and will give away the smell of browned popcorn. The flavor is more developed than in the white roux and it will be used for combinations with brown stocks such as veal, for the production of Veloutte sauce and secondary sauces like the supreme.
A dark colored roux will be a Brown Roux and will give away a scent of burned popcorn. This roux with a stronger flavor is employed to do sauces that will have stronger flavors as well such as the Espagnole and its secondary sauces such as Madeira.
6. Write a short 1 paragraph essay on the history of Gumbo.
Gumbo derives its name from Ki Ngombo (okra) in an African dialect. Is a technique that is about thickening a sauce using a roux or thickening agent such as okra. Due to slavery it was exported to America from Africa and became a cooking technique employed by the slaves in colonial Louisiana. It combined with the time with the French technique for cooking with French bouillabaisse and with the Native American use of ground sassafras.
DAY SEVEN STEAMING AND PAPILLOTE TECHNIQUE
Steamed fish
6 oz Round Fish
2 C Water
1 T Fish sauce
2 T Mirin
2 oz Soy sauce
1ea Garlic clove, hacher
2 T Ginger, hacher
¼ ea Carrot, julienne
¼ ea Zucchini, julienne
¼ ea Goldbar, julienne
¼ ea red bell pepper
¼ ea celery, bias rondelle
1ea Chili pepper, seeded finely chopped
2 T Green onion, hacher
2 T Cilantro, hacher
2 T Lime juice
1ea Cabbage leaf, blanched
2 oz Soybeans (Edamame)
tt Salt and White Pepper
Steamed Vegetables
2oz Broccoli
1oz Zucchini
1oz Gold bar squash
1oz Carrot slices
1oz Red bell pepper
tt S & P
A/n Melted butter
Compound butters
Jasmine Rice in asian flavored broth
Fish en Papillote with Herb Gnochi compound butter sauce with asparagus
6 oz Round Fish
3-4ea Shallots, cut in rings, sweated in butter
1 t Olive oil
2 T White wine
tt Salt and White pepper
Garnish as desired: Lemon slices
Tomato slices
Leek julienne, first sautéed
Rosemary (whole sprigs)
Thyme (whole sprigs)
Oregano (whole sprigs)
Basil (chiffonade)
Gnocchi:
1 ¾ # Russet potatoes
1ea Egg
1-2 T Melted butter
¼ C Parmesan cheese, grated
A/n AP flour
tt Salt and White pepper
Herbs: chives, sage, parsley
4-5ea Asparagus spears
Hotel Butter:
¼ # Butter
1 t ea Chopped chives, chopped parsley, and lemon zest
½ ea Shallot, hacher
Rice
6 oz Jasmine rice
12 oz Water
tt Salt and White pepper
The gnocchi was done mixing the potato pure with parmesan cheese, herbs and some a.p. flour. The sauce was made with Hotel d Maitre Butter which is a compound butter made with the classic herbs chives, parsley, shallot and lemon zest.
This day I enjoyed doing the gnocchi it was very easy to do and tasty. I did not know that it was made with potato and parmesan cheese. Chef said it had a very good consistency.
The papillote is another great dish, we created our heart shaped papillote, we placed the fish and the condiments, then we closed and in a little hole left we added the wine. It was cooked in the oven steaming until the papillote puffed.
A fabulous dish was the steamed fish Asian style with julienne vegetables. At home we love asian food and the broth was amazing. Chef liked my fish it had good white flaky consistency and the vegetables cooked al dente. We used a foil plate to steam and it was very useful. The broth was simple but full of flavor. Chef thought the broth needed a little more salt.
6 oz Round Fish
2 C Water
1 T Fish sauce
2 T Mirin
2 oz Soy sauce
1ea Garlic clove, hacher
2 T Ginger, hacher
¼ ea Carrot, julienne
¼ ea Zucchini, julienne
¼ ea Goldbar, julienne
¼ ea red bell pepper
¼ ea celery, bias rondelle
1ea Chili pepper, seeded finely chopped
2 T Green onion, hacher
2 T Cilantro, hacher
2 T Lime juice
1ea Cabbage leaf, blanched
2 oz Soybeans (Edamame)
tt Salt and White Pepper
Steamed Vegetables
2oz Broccoli
1oz Zucchini
1oz Gold bar squash
1oz Carrot slices
1oz Red bell pepper
tt S & P
A/n Melted butter
Compound butters
Jasmine Rice in asian flavored broth
Fish en Papillote with Herb Gnochi compound butter sauce with asparagus
6 oz Round Fish
3-4ea Shallots, cut in rings, sweated in butter
1 t Olive oil
2 T White wine
tt Salt and White pepper
Garnish as desired: Lemon slices
Tomato slices
Leek julienne, first sautéed
Rosemary (whole sprigs)
Thyme (whole sprigs)
Oregano (whole sprigs)
Basil (chiffonade)
Gnocchi:
1 ¾ # Russet potatoes
1ea Egg
1-2 T Melted butter
¼ C Parmesan cheese, grated
A/n AP flour
tt Salt and White pepper
Herbs: chives, sage, parsley
4-5ea Asparagus spears
Hotel Butter:
¼ # Butter
1 t ea Chopped chives, chopped parsley, and lemon zest
½ ea Shallot, hacher
Rice
6 oz Jasmine rice
12 oz Water
tt Salt and White pepper
The gnocchi was done mixing the potato pure with parmesan cheese, herbs and some a.p. flour. The sauce was made with Hotel d Maitre Butter which is a compound butter made with the classic herbs chives, parsley, shallot and lemon zest.
This day I enjoyed doing the gnocchi it was very easy to do and tasty. I did not know that it was made with potato and parmesan cheese. Chef said it had a very good consistency.
The papillote is another great dish, we created our heart shaped papillote, we placed the fish and the condiments, then we closed and in a little hole left we added the wine. It was cooked in the oven steaming until the papillote puffed.
A fabulous dish was the steamed fish Asian style with julienne vegetables. At home we love asian food and the broth was amazing. Chef liked my fish it had good white flaky consistency and the vegetables cooked al dente. We used a foil plate to steam and it was very useful. The broth was simple but full of flavor. Chef thought the broth needed a little more salt.
HOMEWORK DUE TODAY
What is the “En Papillote” method? Describe how you would assemble a typical “Papillote”; detail a step by step method.
En papillote means to cook inside a paper. This method consists of making a container out of paper to encase an item, along with spices and sauce that will infuse the item with flavor. The enclosure will make the item cook in the steam released from its own liquids. The papillote usually will not be opened until it is presented to the customer.
Method to assemble a papillote
1.- Fold a parchment paper in two.
2.- Cut a half heart shape in the paper
3.- Coat the paper with fat (oil or butter)
4.- Place the item to be cooked at one side of the heart
5.- Add herbs, spices and sauce if needed
6.- Cover the item with the other side of the heart
7.- Fold the edge to form an enclosure
8.- Place the papillote in a sauté pan
9.- As soon as the papillote starts to puff place it in the oven
10.- Finish cooking in the oven at 450°F until the papillote is puffed and browned
11.- Serve immediately and cut open in front of the customer.
DAY SIX POACHING AND SHALLOW POACHING
Poaching is an indirect technique used in moist cooking to tender items.
Today before production Chef showed a power point presentation over the Moist cooking techniques specifically the poaching technique.
There is no maillard reaction in any of the moist techniques and the main difference with the dry techniques is the color of the food after cooking which is au blanc (white).
Le Poacher means boiling, steaming, and stewing.
There is submerged poaching and shallow poaching. The submerged poaching or plain poaching is used for large items where the shallow poaching is used for small items.
In modern cooking there is a new technique called Sou Vie that is a vacuum sealed bag with the herbs and the item slow poached.
Poaching can be started in hot or in cold water for better control of the temperature.
The moist cooking temperatures are:
Poaching160°F to 185°F
Simmer 180°F to 208°F
Boiling 212°F
Steaming.- Is an indirect method were the heat circulates through convection
Today we will use foil to keep poaching products warm and acid such as vinegar and wine to help penetrate the food with heat.
The liquid where we poach is called court bouillon and it is a flavored liquid made with mirepoix, aromatic herbs and an acid (vinegar or wine or a combination of both).
Poached Salmon in court bouillon served with Pommes Gaufrette, steamed vegetables and sauce
For the Court Bouillon:
4C Water
1oz White wine vinegar (white wine may be used with equal parts to water)
1ea Onion, sliced
½ ea Carrot, peeled and sliced
½ ea Celery, sliced
1ea Bouquet garni
¼ t Crushed peppercorns
A/n Salt
5oz Fillet of salmon
We simmered the court bouillon, strained and placed in a pan with the salmon fillet to shallow poach. The fillet was with the skin side down and it was done in 3 minutes, then we turned to the other side for other 3 minutes.
Pommes Gaufrette
1ea Kennebec potato
Frying fat
Salt
With a mandolin we cut the desired waffle shape slices of potato and then we deep fried to doneness. Chef explained that if the potatoes stop bubbling means that they are overcooked.
Steamed Vegetables
2oz Broccoli
1oz Zucchini
1oz Gold bar squash
1oz Carrot slices
1oz Red bell pepper
tt S & P
A/n Melted butter
We cut the vegetables in quarters and slices depending on their shape and we placed them in a self made steamer above the bouillon, covered with foil.
Hollandaise
The sauce was done with clarified butter, lemon and egg yolk, seasoned with salt and pepper without cayenne this time.
Sole Vin Blanc, 1 # Flat fish
A/n Butter
1ea Shallots, minced
2 oz White wine
½ C Fish or chicken stock
½ C Fish Velouté
2 oz Heavy cream
1 T Butter, cold for mounting sauce
tt Salt
tt White pepper
tt Lemon juice
The fish fillets were spread with salmon mousse and then rolled in and held with toothpicks. In a pan we placed brunoise shallot and wine
mixed grain pilaf,
¼ C Converted long grain white rice
¼ C Wild rice
2 T Flax seed
¼ C Onion, macedoine
A/n Butter
We cooked separatedly the wild rice from the pilaf. When the pilaf was ready we added the wild rice, the toasted flax seed and it was served with the fish fillets au vin.
1 Red onion, large, peeled and thinly sliced
1 T Butter (more if onion is very large)
tt S & P
1 T Sugar
1 Thyme, sprig
½ C Red wine
1 T Red wine vinegar
tourney, carrots, and sauce supreme
Sauce Making:
Hollandaise
A/n Water
3ea egg yolks
1# butter, clarified
tt lemon juice
tt salt
tt cayenne pepper
Sauce Supreme
Making a Cuisson
From the above dishes Chef liked the hollandaise sauce a lot. My favorite was the sole vin blanc because the fish presentation was nice although my fish had a small undercooked part.
It was important to learn that the fish plumps when is ready so that is a sign that we can watch for. A tip from Chef was to remove the skin part of the salmon once it is cooked which really facilitates the operation.
Also we learned that the court bouillon has vinegar or any acid to facilitate the firmness of the meat. But the vinegar is bad for steaming greens because it makes them brown in color.
HOMEWORK DUE TODAY
Poaching Chapter Questions 3, 4 and 5 of the Book.
3.- Which side of the fish fillet is the presentation side?
The most attractive side of the fish, which is then browned for presentation.
4.- What techniques can you use for lifting whole poached fish out of court bouillon without breaking it or damaging its appearance?
Start the fish in cold water to cook evenly, then it can be used a specially design basket for poaching, or to place the fish on a cheese cloth to remove easily or tied loosely to a board.
5.- What temperatures are best for poaching fish? 160°F will be a good temperature for fish that will not overcook.
Pacific Dover Sole
(Solea vulgaris vulgaris)
Physical characteristics: U.S. Dover Sole is actually in the flounder family. A deep water flatfish, it has a long slender body that reaches between 12 to 30 inches. Dover has an especially slimy skin and is sometimes referred to as Slime Sole. It is a right-eyed fish with both eyes on top of it's head. It's top side is brown to blend in with the ocean bottom.
Seasonality: The season in the lower 48 states and Canada is open year-round, but is regulated by monthly trip limits. Alaska sets a season which runs in three, four month periods. Very rarely does the quota get met, as the season closes early, due to the by catch of Halibut.
Major catch areas: Alaska, California, Canada, Oregon, Washington.
Harvest method: Dover Sole is landed by trawlers and mostly at night, when it comes out of the sand where it buries itself during the day.
Flavor/texture profile: Dover Sole has a mild, sweet flavor. The texture is firm and lean. Raw meat is glistening white and stays white when cooked.
5 classics preparations of Sole from Escoffier’s Cookbook and name the ingredients that make them different.
Sole Meniere.- Seasoned fish dredge in flour placed in a pan with butter to cook until browned, served with sprinkled lemon juice, and light browned butter.
Fillets of Fish Dore.- Same recipe, serve without lemon juice. Just place on the side as garnish.
Trout Meunlere.- Basic recipe, then dip the fish in Milk before dredging in flour to form a better crust.
Fish Saute Amandine.- Prepare basic recipe, brown sliced almonds in butter for sauce.
Fish Saute Grenobloise.- Basic recipe, then garnish fish with capers, and diced peeled lemon sections and parsley before pouring the brown butter.
Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs.- Prepare basic recipe then serve without other garnishment.
Differences between Poaching and Shallow Poaching.
Shallow Poaching is used for small items, where are partially covered with liquid. The liquid then can be used to make a sauce.
Poaching is cooking by total immersion in a liquid called bouillon. It is used for larger items and the liquid is not used for sauce.
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