Don't Stop Me Now! I'm Having Such A Good Time! I'm Having A Ball.

Don't Stop Me Now! If You Wanna Have A Good Time, Just Give Me A Call!
(Queen- Don't Stop Me Now)

Intermediate Lesson 01- Basque Country

I'm so excited to start my intermediate class at Le Cordon Bleu! Basic Cuisine was a blast, and I just want to keep learning more dishes and techniques.

The Cordon Bleu classes in November-December is intensive, meaning that we go more than twice the speed than the regular program. By the end of this week, we will reach lesson 10 (!). The good news is it will be over in less than four weeks. Lets hope I don't get sick or injured during this time.

Anyways, today's dish is a Basque-style Chicken Sauté.

Wham! We served the chicken

The dish incorporates some Esplette pepper, which is from the Basque region. We also served it with a pilaff rice with saffron, sautéed jambon and peppers typical of the Basque region. The bird itself was cooked sear-braised style

Perhaps it's been a long time since I've worked in a high pressure kitchen, or maybe I just suck, but I kept making mistakes in the kitchen. First mistake was I accidentally stabbed my left hand while cutting the raw chicken thigh. I've done this more than a dozen times over the last few months, so how did I screw up? Blood started gushing out and my uniform was all bloody and stained. Luckily, I had Chef Poupard as my practical chef (THANK YOU CHEF GUO FOR TELLING ME HIS NAME), who promptly brought me to the first aid section. The cut itself wasn't that deep, but he very clearly used the same level of focus to meticulously examine my cut and treated it as he used when he plated his dishes during our demonstration, which I really appreciated. This is a solidly good chef who cares about his students.

I thanked him and went back to 2GS to continue cooking. Sadly, I made more mistakes such as browning my vegetables and undercooking my chicken. Sorry chef. I hate disappointing people I look up to.

Surprisingly, Chef Poupard said my chicken was cooked perfectly (despite it being very bloody and red inside). I just don't understand French tolerance for raw meat. His feedback to me were mainly that I should have placed my chicken behind my garnishes so the round shape of the plate can compliment the shape of my chicken. Also he wanted my rice to be cooked softer. I pushed back and said said that I thought we needed our rice Al Dente, but apparently the only type of rice that we cook to Al Dente is Risotto. Everything else should be more douc, softer.

Quotes from this class:

"If I see someone using their cellphone in class..." *PAUSES... then takes out his rolling pin* "Let's just say.... " *Smashes the rolling pin on the table... SMILES* "  I'll smash it into pieces. Or it'll go into the deep fryer."

-Demo Chef Poupard

Setting ground rules on the first demonstration class of the term.

Demo Chef Poupard: How much do you think 10 grams of saffron costs?
Student1: 20 Euros!
Student2: 100 Euros!
Student3: 8 Euros!
Demo Chef Poupard: 8 Euros? Madam! *Runs over to the student and shakes her hand* I will buy 1 kilograms from you for that price and go on vacation!
Answer was around 40 Euros for 10 Grams. Higher quality saffron will cost more.

Et Je Suis Fier, Et Je Suis Fier, Et Je Suis Fier D'Etre Bourguignon

Quand je fois rougir ma trogne, je suis fier d´être bourguignon!
( Je suis fier d'être Bourguignon)

Lesson 18 - Red Meats - Part 2

Today, we made Beef Burgundy, a yummy, tender dish that reminds me of an interracial wonderful marriage between the Chinese and French. The texture of the meat is similar to the braised beef that I eat in China, but the reduced red wine sauce is distinctively French. The sauce contains small mushrooms and bacon bits, and the dish is garnished with potatoes, glazed onions and a fried crouton.

My Braised Beef with Glazed Onions, Potatoes and Fried Cruton

 I accidentally cracked my heart-shaped crouton, so

I now christen it my Crouton Cordon Bleu Coeur Brisé (CCBCB).
Sounds like a Chinese State-owned Enterprise.

The dish took over 48 hours to make. We prepared the marinate, which was basically 1 liter of red wine combined with aromatic garnishes, last class. We then soaked the beef shoulders in the marinate for over two days, and then cooked it in the oven for a good 75 minutes. Despite that, the Chef still complained that my meat was not well done enough. The beef is suppose to be super well-done, to the point where its fibers break down. That would take more than 2 hours of cooking to achieve.

Review from the chef: The beef is as well cooked as it could be, given that we only had 75 minutes. Glazed onions, cruton, and turned potatoes all have the right flavor and textures, though glazed onions generally should have more coloring. Although flavorful, the sauce should have more red wine flavor. Perhaps I should add more red wine in the future. Also I probably shouldn't serve my crouton if it was broken. "Oh it was deliberate, chef."  I tried to argue,"It's my Broken-Hearted Crouton!"

Quote from this class:

"You know, I have a friend in the industry who refuses to serve beef that is any more cooked than Saignant (rare). If a client demands à point (medium) or bien cuit (well done), he would simply refuse to cook the dish, and instead recommend a chicken or pork dish, which would be cooked bien cuit."

- Demo Chef Vaca, who failed to disclose where his friend works