Brutally cold weather and going to restaurants- let’s just say they don’t mesh well together. Another slow day in the kitchen, but I’m not complaining. We still got to practice plating each dish and then wrapping it up for chef to take home for dinner. Someone sign me up to become a chef instructor, I want first class meals every night without having to do any of the preparation. We are basically chef’s private chefs every night! Lucky man!
For the past four days, I have been covered in duck fat from head to toe. We have made more duck and chicken confit to feed an entire village in Tanzania. I made sure to practice every component of every dish because I could end up with either two of the dishes (Cousin Lynn keep praying for me)! Therefore, I cut the butternut squash into macedoine size pieces with onions and sage, roasted peppers, and made rice pilaf. I have now established a love/hate relationship with rice pilaf. I am torn because on the one hand it got me into trouble with chef (clearly- it was my fault, not rice’s… but easier to blame the rice) and on the other I just love rice pilaf and can’t get enough. We then made the pear dumplings with the duck confit fried rice. I feel pretty confident leaving saucier station for the final- safe to say.
In the production station, where I will be moving to after pastry, they made French onion soup dumplings today! I was SO fascinated to learn because I just can NEVER get enough French onion soup dumplings. First, they made the French onion soup and then just added gelatin inside to bind the soup and make it into gel form. Then they took a little spoon full wrapped it inside a wonton and then steamed it on up. When you bite into that little succulent piece of everything good, the soup oozes out like a beautiful flowing river out of the movie Pocahontas. I can’t wait to try to make it on my own. I love the production station because you can be creative and try new dishes!
Off to pastry tomorrow- wish me luck!
Love,
E