(Duck Tales Theme Song)
Lesson 29- Magret De Canard + Gnocchi
We made two dishes today: Magrets de Canard à l'Orange and a Parisian Gnocchi.
Magret de Canard
I've been looking forward to this class all year, because magret de canard (duck breast) is one of my favorite foods in the world. I worked around Bordeaux for 2 months this past summer and I had so many of these delicious duck breasts, though in Bordeaux they are generally grilled and cooked to saignant, whereas we seared it to à point and served it in a sweet and sour orange sauce. The orange sauce is quite interesting since it is made with gastrique cooked with orange juice and julienne orange + lemon zest. The dish is also served with orange pieces.
Parisian Gnocchi
The Parisian Gnocchi was fairly straightforward. Unlike the gnocchi's I've had before, which were made with potatos, this is made with grated cheese. We started with a choux pastry, then mixed in some cheese before squeezing it out of a pastry bag like toothpaste and cutting them into cork-like pieces. We served the dish with a Béchamel sauce.
I had high hopes for my dish today, because I love magret de canard so much and because I've been eagerly waiting for this class all term. The dish came out fantastic: Meat was cooked perfectly so that it is still pink but no longer bloody. The skin has a perfect gold color. My julienne was even width and thin. The only two comments that Papa Bear gave me was that my sauce lacked a sour kick and my oranges were not cut round enough. For the sauce, I later learned that it was because I added some butter cubes into the sauce right before serving, as per instructions from the demonstration and despite Papa Bear saying that we shouldn't. Goes to show that you should always listen to bears. As for the shape of the orange pieces, I like to think that because I grew up with a Playstation, I think in blocky polygons. Just kidding, it is because I suck at cutting.
The Gnocchi was great, though it could have use a tad bit more color on the surface. I had it for dinner today.
After the review, I just wolfed down the magret de canard as I frantically washed my knives because we had our last demonstration class coming up.
Quote from this class:
"Madmoiselle? Madmoiselle? You shouldn't leave the classroom without asking for the chef's permission first. I will never stop you, but it is a matter of respect in the classroom."
-Demo Chef Vaca
catching a student who snuck out for a bathroom break during class
catching a student who snuck out for a bathroom break during class
Chef Stril: They eat a lot of these in Bordeaux don't they?
Me: Oui Chef, I love Magret de Canard! I eat it every time I go back down there.
Chef Stril: They usually cook it over dried vines, no?
Me: Oui Chef, grilled. The vines give it a different aroma, and it is delicious!
Chef Stril: I know you guys like it saignant, or even bleu there. Crazy folks. Here, you make it à point.
Me: Oui Chef.
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