TRIFECTA: NEW MENU, NEW DISH, BIG PARTY

We're on the fish station again and we're working with new menus. We have a party of 70 tonight (the largest we've ever done) and we've never done this recipe before. It seems as though tonight is going to be a lot of fun.

More on the jump after class...

DISH: Sautéed Fillet of Bass in a Fennel and Tomato Broth, Filet De Bar Sauté Au Jus De Fenouil Et Tomate

RECIPE:

The Tomato Fondue
500 G Tomatoes
50 G Shallots
½ Garlic, Germ Removed
2 Tablespoons Blended Olive Oil
Bouquet Garni

The Fennel
1 Large Fennel Bulb
250 ML White Wine
125 ML Pernod
500 ML Fish Stock
Bouquet Garni with Fennel Seeds
3 Dozen Littleneck Clams
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

The Garnish and Fish
8 Baby Bok Choy
8 Portions Bass Fillet, 100-gram, Skin on
125 ML Blended Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Minced Tarragon
Note: Wild striped bass may be substituted according to the season.

Procedure:

FONDUE Prepare the tomato fondue in the usual manner. Remove the bouquet and garlic and transfer the mixture to a large sautoir.

FENNEL Trim the fennel and cut vertically into 24 slices. Add the fennel to the tomatoes along with the wine, Pernod, fish stock, and bouquet garni. Add the clams and cook just until open. Remove them from the pan and discard any that did not open. Continue cooking the fennel until it is tender.

GARNISH AND FISH Cook the bok choy à l'anglaise and refresh. Cut lengthwise in 3 pieces and set aside. Season the fillets with salt and pepper; salt lightly on the skin side. Heat the oil in a wide sauteuse and sear the fish for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the skin turns golden. Place the fillet in a pan and ladle the broth and vegetables around them, making sure the liquid just comes to the edge of the fillets. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until the fish is cooked through, adding the clams at the last few moments to warm them. Place a portion of the bass in the center of a wide-rimmed shallow bowl and arrange 3 alternating pieces ecach of bok choy and fennel. Place some clams around, ladle on a bit of the broth, and sprinkle with the minced tarragon.

DISH: Roast fillet of Beef With Braised Lettuce, Stuffed Vegetables, and Roasted Potatoes, Filet De Boeuf Rôti Richelieu

RECIPE:

The Meat
1,200 G Trimmed Beef Fillet, In One Piece
Corn Oil, For Sautéing
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

The Tomatoes
4 Plum Tomatoes
Salt

The Duxelles
400 G Button Mushrooms Plus 8 Large ONes
A Few Drops of Lemon Juice
60 G Shallots
40 G Butter
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

The Lettuces
4 Heads Boston Lettuce, or 8 Heads Bibb Lettuce
50 G Butter
A Combination of Chicken and Veal Stock

The Potatoes
4 Idaho Potatoes
Corn Oil, For Sautéing
25 G Butter

Procedure:

MEAT Prepare the fillet and use the trimmings to reinforce a sauce, preferably an Espagnole. Refrigerate the meat until needed.

TOMATOES Mondez the tomatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and some of the ribs, trying to keep the tomato's structure intact. Season the interiors lightly with salt and invert them over a rack to drain.

DUXELLES Remove the stems from the 8 large mushrooms and chop them, along with the 400 G, and proceed to make duxelles in the usual manner with the ingredients and amounts listed. Cook the large caps à l'étuvée with a touch of water, butter, lemon juice, and seasoning, covered with a parchment-paper lid. When they are cooked and cool, stuf them and the tomato halves with the duxelles and set aside.

LETTUCES Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove any unsightly or bruised exterior leaves from the lettuces. Wash them and blanch them for 2 to 3 seconds in lightly salted boiling water. Refresh them in an ice bath, and gently squeeze out the excess water. Divide the lettuces in 2 or 4 pieces lengthwise and tuck them neatly in a buttered sautoir. Cover them with stock to come halfway up the sides, and bring to a boil. Season them with salt and pepper, cover with parchment paper, and cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender. (The lettuce could also be cooked with a matignon garnish for added flavor.)

POTATOES Turn the potatotes and blanch them for 2 to 3 minutes, starting in cold water. Air-dry them for the final preparation (rissoler). Set aside.

FINISH AND ASSEMBLY Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Season the meat well and sear in a very hot and wide pan. Transfer to the oven and roast for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F. Bake the mushrooms and tomatoes. Rissolez the potatoes. Serve the beef sliced with vegetables alongside and a bit of sauce.

BREAKDOWN: So it turns out there was a misunderstanding-- we didn't switch to the new menu for the party. Instead we prepped the Wednesday fish dish (above, bass) from the old menu for a party of 70 or so who basically rented out the restaurant for a special occasion. I heard it was Cooper Union but really, does it matter? I mean, we're supposed to be striving for excellence no matter who the guests are.

Anyway, the way it broke down, Levels Three and Four worked together to prep one meat dish (above, tenderloin) and one fish dish. Level Three worked on the garniture while we prepped the rest of the dish. There weren't many changes to the recipe-- well, strike that-- it was more mass production-like. Instead of doing the tomatoes in the traditional method, boiling them briefly, icing them, peeling the skin, seeding them and chopping them, we used parmalat chopped, boxed tomatoes for the fondue-- much, much quicker.

We mass-sauteed the fish as well, searing off about 70 portions and then storing them in hotel pans in the broth. They lost some of the crispness this way but the positive is that the flavors of the tomato, fennel, and Pernod, had more time to infuse in the fish. I had a little trouble keeping the skin of the fish intact while frying on about four pieces which was frustrating. Most likely the problem was that the pans I was using were uneven so the oil flowed down to the sides. The question? To shake the pan repeatedly while the fish is frying or not to shake? I shook and lost the four pieces of fish. When I didn't shake but used the even pans, there were no problems.

The lesson? Good tools make the meal. We set up a line for plating en masse. We plated the fish dish first, Level Three and Level Four together on two sides of the station (I ended up placing the roasted tomato petals on top of the fish and the fried thyme on top of the petals while trying to clean the rims and move the plates to the waiters' staging area). Afterwards, though we hadn't prepped the steak dish, we helped plate it in the same manner, both Levels working together in assembly line fashion. I played the part of slicing the beef about a third of an inch thick.

It was an advantageous position to be in because it meant in the end that I was the closest person to the leftover medium-rare steaks. Being as though we didn't get to eat family meal until about 9:15 p.m. it was indeed fortunate that I had first access to some delicious steak. In the end, there was a half a piece that someone else gave to me that I couldn't finish I was so full and I could swear I felt my arteries working a little harder.

The most interesting thing about tonight, beyond watching our chef's create a different system and methodology of serving the dishes, was the garnish which accompanied the steak dish: I believe it was called pommes souffle. It's a blown up piece of potato. It was pierced by a bouquet of herbs tied together by a chive-- very clever.

We were finished very early and there was a little goofing around, like Philip drawing a moustache on his face, one that paid homage to the one that Chef Dom sports. I also learned a new expression in French that I may be butchering a little, "Il ma merde," which essentially translates to, he's busting my chops, or more literally, he's giving me shit. It was a good experience all around to learn how to plate banquet-style.