Happy Birthday Chef Veronica, don’t worry I understand why you took the day off, I did it on my birthday too, when I was a teacher! That being said, we had two fabulous substitutes Chef Chris and Chef Phillipe. We took our second test of the level today and I got a 99% on it. Only missed one question about why buerre noisette has a nutty taste to it. And to think I was going to stay home last night and not to go out to study! HA!
I was at the saucier station today and was in charge of the Grandmother Style Chicken (Poulet Grand Mere). Today was a HUGE change from yesterday because first of all I’ve done this dish before (but with a partner) and second of all we didn’t have a lecture in the afternoon, so we weren’t racing against the clock. I didn’t have to present my dish till 1:15pm, unlike yesterday we had to at 11:30am. Chef Chris ever so kindly helped show me how to truss the chicken. After he showed me, I then did it myself like a big girl. I put oil in the pan and seared my whole chicken all around until it was golden brown. Then basted it with butter and put it in the oven to continue roasting. In the meantime, I had to make my “jus” or sauce to put on top of the chicken. I worked on that while helping my team assemble our “one bite” appetizer dish with the ingredients chef limited us to. We made our own version of a “huevos rancheros” on a little crouton with homemade salsa to top it off. Zandra was all excited about her salsa because she used to work in a Mexican restaurant and was in charge of making the guacamole/ salsa or something like that. My experience with salsa and guacamole at a restaurant is on the other side- umm... chowing down the food while they make it table side for me.
While my chicken was roasting in the oven, I decided to work on my garniture. I had to cut up bacon lardons and sauteed them. Then I had to cut up mushrooms and sauteed them in the bacon oil/fat. After that I was busy making 12 cocottes (ooh, I can NOT wait till tomorrow when I am on pastry and don’t have to make potato cocottes). Zandra was behind with her dish timing wise and asked me to help her cocotte. I politely laughed and said you have got to be kidding me, I’m sorry I can’t- I’ll loose my mind honey. Is there anything else you need? After my cocottes were formed, I then blanched them, sautéed them, and then to finish it off roasted them in the oven. I needed chef’s help with cutting the chicken up into the thigh, leg, breast etc. I somehow seemed to mess up pairing the white meat with dark meat, but I just couldn’t tell them apart! Oy vey! So, I put two white meats on a plate and two dark meats instead of putting one of each on a plate together. I probably did that on purpose because I don’t like dark meat and only wanted the white meat on a plate. Who knows! And I forgot to machonner the legs (expose the bone and push the skin back).
Even with some minor difficulties, I was not late to present, my jus tasted great, I wasn’t sweating bullets, yeah my plate could have been hotter, and I should have taken out some of the cartilage/ machonner the legs, but hey you can’t win ‘em all and today was a nice and smooth type of day. ( Sorry for the blurry picture!)
Funny quote: Everyone gives the dishwashers their food. So, today chef told one of us to give Ignacio (new dish washer for this level) the WHOLE fish (without being filleted) to him. So… Lashandra goes “Ya’ll think the dishwasher is a dog. You feed him everything- bones and all” hahaha I was laughing really hard.
Okay- Love you!
Eliana