What I Learned at Culinary School Today

I would've burned the ******* establishment down if they proposed to take an off day and instead make a Thai buffet in a culinary class I had paid for. What's next, stir-fry?

Originally Posted by foodguy

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real cooks don't say "icky". i've cleaned tons of squid (well, not literaly, but LOTS) and like any other chore, with repetition, it gets less bad. real "icky" for me is cleaning fresh sardines -- notch behind the head, twist to break the spine and then pull carefully ... if you do it right, you pull almost all the guts out at the same time. that's icky.
Only one thing ever gave me the creeps in the kitchen. During my aborted career as a cook (before I learned better,) every day around four o'clock, my chef would plop himself next to my station, start chatting and cutting foie gras for saute. It was the only mise en place he ever did, and we served probably 60 seared foie on an average night... literally everybody ate it. Anyway, he would get his knife smoking hot, and cut several livers one after another, each slice smelling like slightly cooked liver. After he was done, I would have to clean the scraps for other preparations. To this day I cannot eat seared foie, since the smell became so imbedded in my nose that it started to make me feel ill. Cold or poached I love, can't get enough, but put me anywhere near the smell of sizzling foie gras, even on a plate, and I go practically white. Oddly, cleaning the stuff of veins is no problem at all. Anything else gory, as you have seen, is not an issue.

that's kind of the definition of a SF-endorsed delicate sensibility, isn't it? going pale at the scent of seared foie gras?

M-
I think you will be pleased to know that FCI was just awarded "Vocational Cooking School of the Year" award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Big feat to win an award like that over the CIA.

This was a fun day. First, the FCI was all abuzz because on of their Chef-instructors had won on an episode of "Chopped." He was some haughty frog I had seen around but never had for a class. Second, the food was mostly good.

The four courses were:
"¢\tShrimp and mussels in herbed emulsion
"¢\tCod and smoked salmon "wallet" in soy butter sauce
"¢\tMedallions of pork with wild mushroom jus, soft polenta and truffle oil
"¢\tHot Chocolate cake with espresso sauce

I did 2 and 4.

Once again I had to filet and skin a cod. I am getting reasonably good at it, though on one piece my knife when through the skin and I had to start again. Didn't really lose any fish, though. I do find getting the bones out to be a pain. There is really no way to do it without tearing the fish. Last week it didn't matter because I was chopping it up anyway. This week I needed nice portions. But thankfully the filet was large enough that I could just cut it down the center line and trim the bones out. Then it was easy to cut sever 1x2" or so pieces.

This was fun to do. I took some leek greens, cooked them a l'anglaise and shocked them. Then cut into long ribbons and let dry. The smoked salmon was already sliced thin, which saved us considerable time and headache. Now, you lay out a piece of salmon and put in a piece of cod, presentation side down. Then wrap the salmon around the cod. Then tie it with a leek ribbon. Voila:



You present it with the bow down on the plate, though honestly I thought the bows looked rather nice.

The sauce was delicious. 1:1:1 soy sauce, red wine vinegar and fish stock or clam juice (we used the latter). Clam juice substituting for fish stock is a nice trick to know. We did it today because Chef could not find any fish stock. He also said he doesn't really like it. Well, I don't know if it would have been better with fumet or not, but it was delicious as it was. Since I never make fish stock at home and never have fish bones, and clam juice comes in cans, this is a great trick.

Also you want a little Tabasco and (no joke) ketchup. Also some minced ginger. Reduce by half. Then whisk in lots of butter (very cold, cut small), the same amount of your soy/vinegar/stock total. Whisk in like you are making a beurre blanc. Add a small dollop of molasses. Strain. Keep over a water bath to maintain temp.

When it's time to cook the fish, sear them in oil on medium high heat. It takes less than one minute on each side. Then into a 350 oven for about eight minutes.

The garnish was a medley of julienned green and red peppers, yellow squash, mushrooms, and diamond cut snow peas. All but the shrooms are cooked a l'anglaise; the shrooms get sautà ed and then you add the reserved veg at the end. Sprinkle final plate with chopped cilantro (which I forgot to do at school but did remember to do at home.)



The yin-yang thing was really just an attempt to do something other than the typical sauce circle or sauce stripe. Here all the plates I did:



I did not make the pork dish and did not love it. I did make the polenta, which was not bad probably because it had tons of butter and parm. It was a lovely (and huge) boneless loin. They sliced it, pounded it and sautà ed it. I thought it was a touch dry and under-seasoned. The mushroom jus had only dried porcinis in it (soaked and chopped), no other shrooms. Also veal stock, shallot and white wine. This did not work. I like dried porcinis but they should always be a flavor compliment not the flavor itself. Dried shrooms are just bad on their own.

Though I didn't make the dish, I did plate my own:



Finally the cake was fairly simple flourless chocolate. Melted chocolate plus egg yolks plus sugar, beaten, then folded into a French meringue. That's the batter. Sauce was an espresso sauce, basically a crème anglaise flavored with espresso power. We took a small jar and dumped its contents into coffee filters, tied it up, and then let that steep while the cream mixture cooked and also off heat for a while after.

The cakes are prepared sort of like soufflà s. Coat a little cake mold with butter, then with sugar so that the sugar sticks to the bottom and the sides. Fill with batter. Bake for 8-10 min. Will be dry on the outside and still liquidy on the inside. Let cool, unmold upside down, pour over sauce and serve.



This was very tasty but if I do it again I will make double the espresso sauce and make half into ice cream. That would be perfect.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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M-
I think you will be pleased to know that FCI was just awarded "Vocational Cooking School of the Year" award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Big feat to win an award like that over the CIA.

Of course, of particular relevance to this Forum and thread, one thing FCI is lacking that is so much a part of The Culinary is an (M)Anton Plaza.

Originally Posted by medwards

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Of course, of particular relevance to this Forum and thread, one thing FCI is lacking that is so much a part of The Culinary is an (M)Anton Plaza.

Perhaps the FCI should have an (M)edwards Hall?

Originally Posted by MarquisMagic

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Perhaps the FCI should have an (M)edwards Hall?

I think not.

Manton is something a novice could make: Hot Chocolate cake with espresso sauce. Or does it require some special technique.

Originally Posted by badsha

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Manton is something a novice could make
I think this is literally true.

Originally Posted by Manton

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No offense, but this looks awful. I'd have sent it back.
The rest looks decent.

Originally Posted by IndianBoyz

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No offense

Right.

Correct.
The curry fish cookies look interesting.

Did you know that food was invented by an Indian?

Probably, our civilisation is one of the oldest out there.