BANQUET AT SAUCIER, AGAIN

This is the third and final banquet (I think) we'll have done at school in a two week period. They've been good experience but it means we're done pretty early and we've got final project stuff to do at home so I think most of us are kind of over participating in them. Some of the Level Three students didn't come to class on Monday (in a form of protest, I guess) thinking that was the day of the banquet.

LOTS of pictures on the jump...

We smoked the meat. How? First, get the charcoals going on the stove.





Then place the burning charcoals in a six-pan under the meat in the oven. Close the door of the oven and let the meat pick up that smoky flavor. You can use different woods for different flavoring. Pretty cool.


Garnish prep work on a silpat before they go in the oven for a little while to harden. One of Chef Roger's creations. They'll peel off pretty easily and then can be placed artistically on the food at interesting angles.





Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...






Skimming off the impurities, the albumen and all the nasty gray stuff from the....





...wonderful jus that will dress the plate, simmering.







The finished plate before it goes out...thinly sliced, dressed in the jus with some drizzled on top. Garnish, artfully placed.





Seared fish, with carmelized fennel dressed in a sauce.








A chaos of tomfoolery followed the banquet which ended our class early. It gave us all a chance to take pictures of each other and with the chefs. A brief respite from the bustle of the kitchen and studying for the upcoming final.

We all wanted to take as many pictures as possible. At right, Sam, who hates having her own picture taken, trying to shield herself as she does her own click-and-run.



Sam, showing off her handiwork to Chad.






Kenny in the background has made out like a bandit...he has wrapped up leftovers for tomorrow's lunch in the tinfoil. I'm fairly sure we've all made off with some leftovers or another. Good food shouldn't go to waste.

Marguerite admires her own pictures.






Me with Chef...