Monday, February 15, 2010

Friday, 2/12/10 – Concentration Methods Day #1

Since we were “blessed” with a snow storm cancellation last week yet Steven and I were “allowed” to pay for a full class, Friday’s class was spent playing catch-up, so we cooked one recipe from Wednesday and one from Friday’s lesson.

I wear my heart on my cutting board. You know, once you think you know someone, all of a sudden they’re gone and out of your life with no ounce of remorse, like the past 2 weeks have meant nothing. The kitchen is no place for pansies, so I’ll just say it: we switched station mates again, and it was hard to say goodbye to Chad. He’ll be working right next to me, so I’m not that upset, but nevertheless we worked well together. At least that’s what I thought – he's probably celebrating as we speak.

We learned how to truss a chicken, which ensures that it cooks well, keeps the stuffing inside and that the breasts get plump…….it’s really hard for someone as immature as me to stay silent through “Get the breasts nice and plump!” and “Those breasts don’t look plump enough.” I need help.

So we roasted our trussed chicks with the plumped breasts (browning each side in oil first to crisp the skin) and used the drippings to make a nice jus. We served it with browned bacon lardons, mushrooms cooked in the bacon fat, caramelized pearl onions and potato rissoler, a 3-step method of cooking the little potato footballs – this whole dish is called “Grandmother Style,” or Grand-Mere.

Then we took a beautiful sirloin steak and threw it on the big grill, making sure we created the quadrillage, the classic diamond shape, on each side of the meat. Since I don’t like to eat something that’s still moo-ing, I put my steak into the oven for a few more minutes to get it up to medium. We served it with Pommes Frites and a Sauce Choron, which is a béarnaise reduction with tomato fondue that is traditionally served with grilled meats. DELICIOUS! I brought a good-sized sirloin home, and served a pepper steak-topped Greek salad for dinner Saturday night. I am getting a little nervous about how easy it is becoming for me to eat two full meals a night with no hesitation. This might become a problem in the near future.

RANDOM RECIPE OF THE DAY

Hand-made mayonnaise is not the same as the Hellman’s crap you buy on a shelf. It is light, flavorful and can greatly enhance any salad or sandwich.

MAYONNAISE

You will need:

-1 egg yolk

-1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

-5 ounces of vegetable oil

-1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

-Kosher salt and pepper

Combine the egg yolk, vinegar, a generous pinch of salt and the mustard in a bowl and whisk until combined. Continue whisking, and slowly add the oil drop by drop until an emulsion occurs, or until it is thick and airy. The rest of the oil can then be added in a thin stream, but continue to whisk. You will recognize the consistency when it’s done. Season to taste, adding pepper and salt as needed.

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