The best of all the mother sauces is Espagnole. It is the classic brown sauce. So rich, so flavorful, I could eat it on almost anything.
Brown Veal Stock
Mirepoix (Onions, Celery, Carrots)
Clarified Butter
Flour
Tomato Puree
Sachet (Bay Leaf, Dry Thyme, Parsley Stems)
Saute Mirepoix in butter until caramelized, add flour to create roux, cook together to blonde creamy consistency, stir in tomato puree, slowly whisk in stock, add sachet, simmer for 2 hours & strain.
Espagnole on it's own is very good, but that's just the beginning. From there you can make a demiglace, which is very easy. Take equal parts Espagnole & straight brown stock, reduce it to half & there is your demiglace. Once you have a demiglace you can make 3 very fantastic sauces; Chasseur, Robert, & Marchand De Vin.
Chausseur - Saute mushrooms & shallots to good caramelized color. Add white wine & reduce, add demiglace & diced tomato, simmer, then finish with chopped parsley (a nice hearty, chunkier sauce, very flavorful that goes well with any red meat or even chicken.)
Robert - Sweat a small amount of diced onions in butter. Add about a cup of white wine, reduce by 2/3, add demiglace, simmer, strain, then finish with a bit of dry mustard & a little sugar dissolved in a small amount of lemon juice. (very good on pork, gives a sweet, sour, tangy flavor.)
Marchand De Vin (MY FAVORITE & the easiest) - Reduce red wine with chopped shallots by more than 1/2. Add demiglace & strain. (So rich & thick & great with steak. A little goes a long way.)
After we made the demiglace & turned it into each of the three sauces chef grilled some flank steak & we had a great dinner of steak w/ our sauces, polenta & leftover bread from the baking & pastry class next door. After 8 weeks of classes I finally get to eat a decent dinner. The sauces were great. Especially the Marchand De Vin & the Chausser. Robert, I don't know, maybe it is better with pork. I'll have to give it a try. The other thing that was sinfully good was dipping the bread into leftover clarified butter. Clarified butter has a beautiful flavor that is very different than just regular melted butter. We use clarified butter instead of raw butter in almost everything. That's a lesson for another day. I'm still trying to completely understand the technique. I like to think it makes the butter a little less fattening. Wishful thinking, I'm sure. More to come on that topic.
I really have to study all of these sauces this weekend, plus 4 more that we will do on Monday. I still have to get through Emulsion Monday - Hollandaise, Bearnaise, Mayonnaise & Beurre Blanc. On Tuesday I have a sauce practical test & will have to create 2 sauces (of the chef's choosing) without recipes, by myself, out of about 12 that we've learned. Quite a challenge. Should do okay. Bandaged fingers crossed. (Oh yeah, cut a couple of fingers along with the onions....again....OUCH!)
-CLG
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
If you can't take the heat......
----Tonight was pretty intense & it's only going to get worse....so get used to it. If you can't handle it & you don't want to do the work or the cleaning then you can leave.---- In so many words, that was the parting message from the Chef tonight. (And I'm glad she said it.) Just about everyone left the class annoyed or mad at someone or themselves. I was pleased with my results but was reaching my limit of patience with a handful of classmates.
It was a lot of work & a whole lot of cleaning, but if you paid attention, stayed organized & took seriously what you were doing, it was not hard. We worked in teams of 2 & had to produce 4 variations of 2 of the mother sauces then turn those 4 into 4 small sauces. I know that was confusing but hopefully I can explain it in simple terms.
The 5 mother sauces are Bechamel (White Sauce), Espagnole (Brown Sauce), Tomato, Hollandaise & Veloute. Tonight we made Bechamel & Veloute. We made three types of Veloute - Chicken, White Veal & Fish.
Bechamel = Milk + White Roux (roux is equal parts clarified butter & flour combined & cooked to a creamy peanut butter consistency & then used to thicken liquid - cooking it shorter or longer determines the color from White, Blonde to Brown or even darker in New Orleans - Brick)
Chicken Veloute = Chicken Stock + Blond Roux
White Veal Veloute = White Veal Stock + Blond Roux
Fish Veloute = Fish Fumet (Mirepoix & Fish bones sweated in wine & then water added to make into a stock) + Blond Roux
Once we made the 3 veloutes & the bechamel then those were turned into 4 small sauces:
Mornay = Bechamel + Gruyere & Parmesan (like Alfredo but better)
Supreme = Chicken Veloute + tempered cream + lemon + s&p, finished with a little butter (Creamy chicken sauce with a hint of lemon)
White Wine Sauce = Fish Veloute + 1/2 reduced wine + tempered cream + lemon + s&p, finish with a little butter (Creamy fish flavor with a hint of wine & lemon)
Allemande Sauce = White Veal Veloute + tempered liaison (egg yolks whisked with cream) + lemon + s&p (veal/beef flavor, creamy with a hint of lemon)
My partner & I did pretty well. We were please with all of the results & when chef tasted them she thought the flavor profiles were prominent. The key was tasting it throughout the process & then deciding should this simmer longer, does it need seasoning, more thickener, etc. We also got a private lesson about salting. We were conservative with the salt & she explained very well that you should always salt near the end, let it incorporate, taste again & then salt again, if nec. Keep salting & tasting as long as the salt is bringing out more of the sauce flavors. As soon as you think the salt is about to go over the edge & start to make it taste salty, don't salt again. Push the flavors all the way to the edge & then stop salting.
All of these sauces were easy to make & very worth the effort. There are only a few ingredients in each sauce because the focus is to bring out the primary flavors of the stock. Heating, reducing & thickening with the roux concentrates those flavors. If you want to try any of these sauces don't be intimidated. I will try to get recipes posted by the weekend. If there's anything specific you want to know, please let me know.
-CLG
It was a lot of work & a whole lot of cleaning, but if you paid attention, stayed organized & took seriously what you were doing, it was not hard. We worked in teams of 2 & had to produce 4 variations of 2 of the mother sauces then turn those 4 into 4 small sauces. I know that was confusing but hopefully I can explain it in simple terms.
The 5 mother sauces are Bechamel (White Sauce), Espagnole (Brown Sauce), Tomato, Hollandaise & Veloute. Tonight we made Bechamel & Veloute. We made three types of Veloute - Chicken, White Veal & Fish.
Bechamel = Milk + White Roux (roux is equal parts clarified butter & flour combined & cooked to a creamy peanut butter consistency & then used to thicken liquid - cooking it shorter or longer determines the color from White, Blonde to Brown or even darker in New Orleans - Brick)
Chicken Veloute = Chicken Stock + Blond Roux
White Veal Veloute = White Veal Stock + Blond Roux
Fish Veloute = Fish Fumet (Mirepoix & Fish bones sweated in wine & then water added to make into a stock) + Blond Roux
Once we made the 3 veloutes & the bechamel then those were turned into 4 small sauces:
Mornay = Bechamel + Gruyere & Parmesan (like Alfredo but better)
Supreme = Chicken Veloute + tempered cream + lemon + s&p, finished with a little butter (Creamy chicken sauce with a hint of lemon)
White Wine Sauce = Fish Veloute + 1/2 reduced wine + tempered cream + lemon + s&p, finish with a little butter (Creamy fish flavor with a hint of wine & lemon)
Allemande Sauce = White Veal Veloute + tempered liaison (egg yolks whisked with cream) + lemon + s&p (veal/beef flavor, creamy with a hint of lemon)
My partner & I did pretty well. We were please with all of the results & when chef tasted them she thought the flavor profiles were prominent. The key was tasting it throughout the process & then deciding should this simmer longer, does it need seasoning, more thickener, etc. We also got a private lesson about salting. We were conservative with the salt & she explained very well that you should always salt near the end, let it incorporate, taste again & then salt again, if nec. Keep salting & tasting as long as the salt is bringing out more of the sauce flavors. As soon as you think the salt is about to go over the edge & start to make it taste salty, don't salt again. Push the flavors all the way to the edge & then stop salting.
All of these sauces were easy to make & very worth the effort. There are only a few ingredients in each sauce because the focus is to bring out the primary flavors of the stock. Heating, reducing & thickening with the roux concentrates those flavors. If you want to try any of these sauces don't be intimidated. I will try to get recipes posted by the weekend. If there's anything specific you want to know, please let me know.
-CLG
Monday, February 15, 2010
February 15, 2010
Today I went to school early to study for the finals for a couple of hours. There were a few people there from my class but I really needed to sit alone & go through things on my own. After a while I noticed they weren't studying they were filling out a scantron and going through a test booklet. Come to find out an email was sent out this weekend (that I did not get) saying we should come to the library early to take our finals & then go on to our new class at 7:00. So the two finals I was supposed to take, that count for 25% of the grade, were combined into one scantron, multiple choice test. The spice, herb, oil, vinegar test was virtually thrown out because you can't identify any of those things in black & white pictures. There were some pictures of fresh herbs that we had to identify with multiple choice, but that was about it. It was super easy, but I was a little annoyed that I studied as much as I did for a test that was so lame. Oh well, at least I know I did well & should be making A's for this term.
On to Culinary 2. Forget the remedial, stand around & watch demos, now it's time to get cooking. The only part about it that feels overwhelming is working in a commercial kitchen and producing such large quantities. Tonight we were divided into 4 groups (6 or 7 in each group) & told to make Brown Stock. Something everyone in the room should know how to do if you paid attention & took good notes in the first term. We use veal joint bones to make the stock because the veal has more cartilage & collagen in the joints than the older cows. Something else that is interesting, using beef is not the reason the stock is brown. You can actually make a white stock with veal bones. White stock doesn't just mean chicken. What makes a stock brown is browning the bones & the mirepoix (50% onion, 25% carrots, 25% celery) before making the stock. Another hint is to spread tomato paste over the browned bones about 30 minutes before they are finished browning. All of this creates a very rich flavor and color and this stock serves as a base for so many fantastic sauces that will come later.
My group finished preparing our stock first (it has to simmer all night) so we asked what else we could do since there were still 45 minutes left in class. Chef said, "Oh sure, see all those cutting boards in the sink over there? They've been soaking in bleach all weekend you can wash them." There were about 30 boards, very slimy, very gross. So I have come home tonight smelling like bleach & burnt bones. Yuck! (But I had fun!)
Brown Veal Stock:
(The sauces you can make with this stock are worth the time & effort it takes to make the stock. Measurements are ratios according to weight)
50% veal bones (knuckles & joints)
100% cold water
10% mirepoix (50% onion, 25% celery, 25% carrots)
Sachet (Black peppercorns, thyme, parsley stem, bay leaf)
On a sheet pan brown bones in 400 degree oven until brown, coat with tomato paste when almost browned, brown until caramelized. Brown mirepoix separately, best if done with no oil, because you will get better color. Add mirepoix to stockpot. Drain fat from bones and discard. Add bones to stockpot with tongs. Deglaze the pan the bones were cooked in with read wine. Add deglazing mixture to stockpot. Add sachet. Add enough COLD water to cover bones completely. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 6-8 hours. Do not stir, season or boil. Check regularly & skim (fr. term: depouillage) impurities & scum off the top of the stock. When finished use tongs to extract bones. Ladle out large chunks of mirepoix & then strain stock through a chinois or a colander lined with cheesecloth. You now have rich, flavorful brown stock that can be used for a variety of sauces. Cool to 70 degrees in an ice bath within 2 hours & to 41 degrees within 4 hours. Don't cover until cool & don't just throw it all in the fridge. Not a good idea for many reasons. It will stay good in the refrigerator for 3 days & freeze well for a while.
On to Culinary 2. Forget the remedial, stand around & watch demos, now it's time to get cooking. The only part about it that feels overwhelming is working in a commercial kitchen and producing such large quantities. Tonight we were divided into 4 groups (6 or 7 in each group) & told to make Brown Stock. Something everyone in the room should know how to do if you paid attention & took good notes in the first term. We use veal joint bones to make the stock because the veal has more cartilage & collagen in the joints than the older cows. Something else that is interesting, using beef is not the reason the stock is brown. You can actually make a white stock with veal bones. White stock doesn't just mean chicken. What makes a stock brown is browning the bones & the mirepoix (50% onion, 25% carrots, 25% celery) before making the stock. Another hint is to spread tomato paste over the browned bones about 30 minutes before they are finished browning. All of this creates a very rich flavor and color and this stock serves as a base for so many fantastic sauces that will come later.
My group finished preparing our stock first (it has to simmer all night) so we asked what else we could do since there were still 45 minutes left in class. Chef said, "Oh sure, see all those cutting boards in the sink over there? They've been soaking in bleach all weekend you can wash them." There were about 30 boards, very slimy, very gross. So I have come home tonight smelling like bleach & burnt bones. Yuck! (But I had fun!)
Brown Veal Stock:
(The sauces you can make with this stock are worth the time & effort it takes to make the stock. Measurements are ratios according to weight)
50% veal bones (knuckles & joints)
100% cold water
10% mirepoix (50% onion, 25% celery, 25% carrots)
Sachet (Black peppercorns, thyme, parsley stem
On a sheet pan brown bones in 400 degree oven until brown, coat with tomato paste when almost browned, brown until caramelized. Brown mirepoix separately, best if done with no oil, because you will get better color. Add mirepoix to stockpot. Drain fat from bones and discard. Add bones to stockpot with tongs. Deglaze the pan the bones were cooked in with read wine. Add deglazing mixture to stockpot. Add sachet. Add enough COLD water to cover bones completely. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 6-8 hours. Do not stir, season or boil. Check regularly & skim (fr. term: depouillage) impurities & scum off the top of the stock. When finished use tongs to extract bones. Ladle out large chunks of mirepoix & then strain stock through a chinois or a colander lined with cheesecloth. You now have rich, flavorful brown stock that can be used for a variety of sauces. Cool to 70 degrees in an ice bath within 2 hours & to 41 degrees within 4 hours. Don't cover until cool & don't just throw it all in the fridge. Not a good idea for many reasons. It will stay good in the refrigerator for 3 days & freeze well for a while.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
February 14, 2010
Life sends you on many journeys you never expected for yourself and this is definitely one I never imagined. Instead of making resolutions for 2010, I've managed to change my whole life. On January 2nd I moved to
Tomorrow I will be finished with my first rotation of classes. This 6 week term included Culinary Foundations 1 & Food Science & Safety. In Culinary Foundations we covered culinary & restaurant history, knife skills, kitchen equipment & usage, stocks, sauces, soups & cooking techniques. Food Science & Safety was all about everything disgusting you never wanted to know about restaurants & food. The symptoms and origins of dozens of foodborne illnesses & the proper handling of food through each stage of preparation. I expected this class to be boring but the gross out factor made it pretty interesting. I will never be able to go out to eat & look at a restaurant the same way again.
Throughout these first 6 weeks we have not been allowed to cook. Instead the chef has demonstrated many techniques & lectured on the fundamentals of cooking. After finals tomorrow I will move onto Culinary Foundations 2 where I will be required to produce each of the dishes and techniques that were demonstrated through the first term. As I move through CF2 I can catch you up on some of the great things that were made & the amazing dishes that come from extracting as much flavor as possible from the ingredients rather than through seasoning. My favorite so far, which I have already tried at home, is Flounder poached in fish stock topped with a Tomato Beurre Blanc (butter emulsified with reduced white wine). Absolutely fantastic! Very easy to do & one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever made.
Thursday night I had my practical exam on knife skills. We were given 80 minutes to complete 8 different knife cuts at varying amounts to precise measurement. After finishing, each cut was inspected & measured for uniformity and graded on a scale of 1 to 10. We were also graded on the amount of product waste that was left on our cutting board, whether or not the waste was separated between useable & non-useable & also sanitation. (Cleaning & sanitizing our knives & boards between each cut & type of product.) The 8 cuts included Paysanne, Julienne, Battonet, Concase (peeling, seeding & dicing a tomato), Ciseler (dicing an onion), Mince (garlic), Tourne (potato or carrot cut into a 2-inch long, 7-sided football shape) & Small Dice. I was happy to make an 86. I had points deducted because I cut myself twice and received anywhere from an 8-10 on all of the cuts. I was very pleased to do this well & thought the chef was being generous since my Tourned potatoes were pretty rough looking. They are by far the hardest to do & everyone in the class was cursing this cut.
Tomorrow, if it doesn’t snow again, I have two more finals. One is a written test covering everything in Culinary Foundations & the other is identifying 50 spices, herbs, oils & vinegars by sight, smell or taste. I am having the worst time with the oils & vinegars. In the practice sessions we’ve had I’ve relied mostly on color. Some of the vinegars you can definitely figure out by taste, others are very hard to discern. The oils are a little easier because of color, but I have a difficult time smelling them. (Too many nose bleeds in
I’m pretty sure I made an A in Food Safety & hopefully if all goes well I will make an A in Culinary Foundations. That one is a little harder to figure out since the knife skills test counted as 30% of the final grade & the tests tomorrow still count towards 25%.
Sorry it took awhile to get this going. There’s been a lot more homework & projects to do than I ever expected. Later I will fill everyone in on the lovely uniform I have to wear everyday & how strange it is to be back in school after all these years.
-CLG
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