Friday, September 29, 2006

FINAL 3 SAUCIER STOPS & TONIGHT, A BANQUET

Tonight we have another go around with feeding a full restaurant, banquet-style, about 70-75 people all at once. It's constant motion and a different method of plating, assembly-line style, and there's an added pressure but it was a lot of fun last Monday and also when I helped plate the desserts for a banquet at work on Tuesday. That said, I'm sick and I'm not feeling at peak performance. High pressure for a while and an easy night afterwards sounds pretty good. Time to break out the Dayquil.

More Sudafed and Tylenol Sinus after class and on the jump...

DISH: Sautéed Tenderloin of Beef With Forest Mushroom Sauce, Medaillon De Boeuf Sauté, Sauce Aux Champignons Des Bois

RECIPE:

Meat and Sauce
8 Piesces Fillet of Beef, 100-G for Dinner
Meat Trimmings, Cleaned of Fat
100 G Carrot, Mirepoix
100 G Onion, Mirepoix
100 G Celery, Mirepoix
3 L Rich Brown Veal Stock
60 G Dry Porcini Mushrooms, Cleaned & Soaked
500 G Mixed Exotic Mushrooms, Eminces
100 G Butter
200 G Shallots
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
100 ML Brandy
200 ML White Wine
Corn Oil, for Sautéing

The Spätzle and Garnish
230 G All-Purpose Flour
3 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
1 Scant Teaspoon Salt
Pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
150 G Carrot, Jardinière
150 G Zucchini, Jardinière
4 Tablespoons Butter

Procedure:


MEAT AND SAUCE Portion and trim the meat. The medallions may be tied individually to achieve a circular shape. Refrigerate them until needed. Make an enriched stock with the meat trimmings, the mirepoix, and the brown veal stock. Émincez the porcinis and set aside. In a poële or sautori, sauté the different mushrooms separately with a total of 75 G of the butter until they are golden brown. Combine the mushrooms in one pan and reduce the heat. Add the shallots and cook slowly until translucent and with no coloration. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the excess butter, increase the heat, and flambé with brandy. Deglzze the pan with white wine and reduce by seven-tenths. Add the enriched brown stock and cook slowly for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, bring to a simmer, and montez au beurre. Keep the sauce warm for service.

SPÄTZLE AND GARNISH Place the flour in a bowl and add the eggs, salt, nutmeg, and 140 ML of cold water. With a wooden spoon, stir the liquid ingredients vigorously into the flour until small bubbles form and the mixture no longer sticks to the spoon. The paste should be soft. Stir in the parsley. Bring a large marmite of salted water to a boil. Add the oil to the water and place a colander over the pot (there should be a few inches of clearance). Put the mixture in the colander and press on it with a rubber spatula or plastic pastry scraper, forcing it through the holes and into the boiling water. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until the noodles rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon or strainer and refresh, and then drain again thoroughly. Cook the vegetables separately à l'anglaise, keeping them a bit underdone or slightly crunchy. Set aside.

FOR SERVICE Season and sear the medallions in the corn oil to temperature over medium high heat, trying to brown the exterior well. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter until hazelnut-colored. Add the noodles and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Melt the remaining butter in another pan and reheat the reserved vegetables. Mix the spätzle and vegetables together and season lightly. Arrange the medallions on hot plates flanked by the spätzle. Nap each medallion with a portion of sauce and mushrooms and serve.

BREAKDOWN:

FULL POST...

Thursday, September 28, 2006

MENU REDESIGN (V1.9)

The final project is due next Friday. I've studied the criteria, experimented on dishes in school and out, decided on a theme, meditated on a complete menu, searched for plates to fit the its style and bought the shoot materials. I've been posting drafts of the menu for the final project with the precis, continually tweaking things until it's finalized and the running count is now nine dishes down, one to go. Unfortunately, I've left one of the most complicated dishes, a soup, for last. I have to make a marmite and a clarified broth.

There are more ambitious plan for six additional dessert dishes and a homemade beer. The beer is fermenting but things may get reined in because I have to pull the whole thing together with costing and a bound book. It's crunch time.

See the menu on the jump now with pictures next to the finished dishes and links to the posts which described how each was made and conceived.

REMINAGINED CLASSICS FROM GLOBAL DHABAS

Dhabas are homey restaurants found along the highway in India that serve local cuisine. Between attending the French Culinary Institute and working at the Dining section at The Times, I've eaten some good food in some of New York City's trendy restaurants and enjoyed haute cuisine. But some of the food I've enjoyed most during this time and overall are still the simple standard dishes I find at local haunts. Two of my favorite upscale restaurants that I've visited since January are A Voce and Momofuku Noodle places that serve meatballs and soup. The idea is to upscale standard comfort dishes you'd find in cozy, down-home, hole-in-the-wall restaurants of different cuisines.

MENU

APPETIZER

Frozen Caprese

Homemade Mozzarella Ice-Cream, Tomato Ice-Cream, and Basil Ice-Cream with Balsamic Vinager Watercolor and Fried Basil Leaf

or

Bul Go Gi

Rib-eye steak, rice kimchi paste, romaine lettuce and seaweed wrapped in rice paper, served with kimchi and sugar-soy dipping sauce

PASTA

Pierogi In Seven Bites

Seven Pierogi: Potato Dandelion, Roast Garlic, Beef With Almond Paste and Raisins, Sauerkraut and Bacon, Potato and Cheddar, Saffron Mushroom Duxelles, and Wasabi Yams, Accompanied by Apple Sauce With Chili Peppers, Beet Chevre, Horseradish Sour Cream and Broccoli Sprouts in a Grapefruit Vinaigrette

or

Pho

FISH

Seared Gravlaks

Citrus, Salt and Tequila Cured Salmon Sauteed, with Korean Flaked Chili Pepper Mashed Potatoes and Braised Arugula

or

Stoplight Ceviche

Cod With Lime Juice and Cucumbers; Shrimp In Lemon Juice With Green Peppers; Scallops in Grapefruit Juice With Yellow Peppers, Tuna In Orange Juice With Orange Peppers; and Cod, Shrimp, Scallops and Tuna in Pineapple Juice With Red Bell Peppers Served in Fried Plantain Scoops; Accompanied by Roast Corn, Tomato, Avocado and Pineapple Salad and a Shot of "Tiger's Milk," a Mixture of Ceviche Juice and Vodka.

ENTREE

Murgh Makhani

Cornish Game Hen 'Butter Chicken-Style,' Spicy, Butter-Tomato Cream Sauce; 'Saag Paneer,' Spinach With Homemade Paneer Cheese; Indian Naan Bread; & Cucumber-Radish Raita, Yogurt

or

Steak Frites

Pan-seared Filet Mignon Au Jus, With Sauteed Granny Smith and Dried Apples, Oyster, Cremini and White Mushrooms, and Light Greens with Orange Vinaigrette and French Fries Sprayed with Framboise Lambec Reduction served with Chili-Pepper Aioli

DESSERT MENU

Kha Niao Man with Cha Yen Ice Cream

Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream with Coconut Sticky Rice and Fried, Wonton-Wrapped Banana Slices With Chocolate Ganache Trimming

Navajo Frybread Fruit Taco

Frybread with Fresh Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Champagne Grapes Drizzled With Blueberry Honey

Peach Cobbler

Gulab Jamun, Fired & Iced
Warm Gulab Jamun, lightly dressed with Honey Ice Cream

Crepes

Frozen Tiramisu

Chocolate Snowballs, CookieX1, CookieX2, CookieX3

Take Home Treat
Cinnamon Roll

FULL POST...

DISH #9 BUL GO GI WRAPS

I love Korean food and one of the first dishes through which I was introduced to the cuisine was Bul Go Gi, most memorably by the mother of my best friend from college, Jason Kwon. During college, once a year or so sophomore year through the end of college, J's parents would come to visit. When they did, his mother, Jeong-Hee Kwon, would make a feast of Korean food for us. Mrs. Kwon would feed about five or six college guys who hadn't eaten a home-cooked meal in months, walking in the door with a rice cooker, electric cooktop, and bags and bags of rice, beef, lettuce and kimchi. We'd eat until we were beyond stuffed but very, very happy.

These days, I've ventured beyond this gateway dish when eating Korean food, but it still remains a favorite dish. The components are simple: rice, beef, lettuce, cabbage and making the dishes aren't that complicated but it does take one thing if you're going to make the dish from scratch, time. Kimchi takes at least a day, maybe three to marinate properly depdending on your taste preference.

As much as I love this dish in it's own right, I've always thought that it could be slightly improved upon in one respect, it's presentation. The rice, seaweed, kimchi and beef are loosely wrapped in lettuce making for a Korean lettuce taco of sorts. It's delicious, yet messy. For my appetizer, I have tried to present the flavors of the dish within a cleaner, crisper format, a wrap, one that stays true to Asian ingredients. I wanted the wrap to stay Asian and I still wanted the beautiful ingredients to be fully visible so I had the idea of wrapping the bul go gi in some form within rice paper.

The dish needs to begin with the kimchi because while simple in method of presentation it takes at least a day to make.


Jeong-Hee Kwon's Kim Chi
1 Medium-size Nappa or Chinese cabbage
3-4 Tablespoons Sea Salt
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped finely
3 Shoots Green Onion, Chopped finely
2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce (I prefered 5 Tablespoons)
1 Tablespoon Hot Red Asian Pepper Flakes (I prefered 3 Tablespoons)
1 Teaspoon Sugar, Optional (Mrs. Kwon prefers it without)

Slice the cabbage into the size poritons you want the kimchi to take (I like them bite size). Wash the cabbage well three to four times. After washing take three to four tablespoons of salt and sprinkle it over the cabbage. Let it mix in and sit for 20 minutes. The water is going to seep to the bottom of the bowl-- throw it away. Rinse the cabbage once and leave it in a strainer 10-15 minutes to soften the cabbage.

Chop the garlic cloves and green onion shoots very finely. Add fish sauce, hot red asian pepper flakes (three tablespoons) and sugar with the chopped garlic and green onion to the cabbage. If you find it too salty add sugar if too bland add fish sauce. Obviously if it's not spicy enough add more pepper flakes. Put the cabbage in a jar, close it and leave it out overnight at room temperature. If you want it softer and more sour leave it out for 2-3 days (I left it out for two days). If crisper leave it out for a night and then put it in the fridge (Mrs. Kwon likes it crisper so she leaves it out for one night and then puts it in the fridge).

Mrs. Kwon's Bul Go Gi
1 LB Rib Eye Steak
Marinade (per LB Steak):
1½ Tablespoon Soy Sauce
3 Teaspoon Sugar (1 tablespoon if you want it sweeter)
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Garlic Clove, Chopped fine
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Accompaniments
1 Onion, Chopped Long
1 Green Onion, Chopped Fine
1 Red Bell Pepper, Macedoine

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, chopped garlic and freshly ground pepper. Throw the strips of meat in the bowl with the marinade and mush it together with your hands. Marinate for 10-30 minutes (she does 10 minutes). Jason says his mom cautions against marinating the meat any longer than an hour because it won't taste as good. Stir fry the steak in the marinade with one chopped onion, long slices, not diced. Mrs. Kwon uses a wok but you can use frying pan. Lately she's been adding, spring onion, asparagus and red bell pepper.

Follow Mrs. Kwon's recipes above for kimchi and bul go gi. For my adaptation I added the red bell pepper macedoine, the rice paper, the seaweed and a kimchi paste as well as a dipping sauce made from the same ingredients as the marinade.

Toro's Bul Go Gi Wraps
Steak
1 LB Marinaded and Cooked Rib Eye Steak

Rice
1 Cup Korean or Japanese Sticky Rice
1½ Cup Water

Garnish
8 Pieces Rice Paper
8 Pieces Seaweed
8 Pieces Romaine Lettuce
4 Tablespoons Kimchi, Ground into Paste
1 Tablespoon Asian Red Pepper Flakes

4 Tablespoons Kimchi, For Garnish
Red Bell Pepper, Julienne (8 Julienne)
8 Sesame Leaves (2 per plate)

Dipping Sauce
1½ Tablespoon Soy Sauce
3 Teaspoon Sugar (1 tablespoon if you want it sweeter)
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Garlic Clove, Chopped fine
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Procedure:

Once the beef is marinated get the rice going. Cook rice for about 20-25 minutes until soft. In a food processor make a paste of the first kimchi adding the flaked pepper. Lay out a piece of seaweed and spread out a layer of rice over it. Spread the kimchi paste on the rice then put the cooked bul go gi meat on top and roll it up. Soak the rice paper in some water-- be gentle. Wash the romaine lettuce and dry it very well. Carefully but tightly, wrap the seaweed with the lettuce. Lay out the softened rice paper and wrap the lettuce/seaweed/bul go gi wrap in it and press gently but firmly. I used clothespins to keep the roll in place until I was ready then I cut off the ends and sliced each wrap in the middle.

Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together over a low flame and serve with the wrap. Garnish the plate with a tablespoon of kimchi and red pepper julienne.

I was very pleased with the way this dish resulted. Not only were all of my favorite bul go gi flavors present but the wrap was neat and easy to eat. It made for a perfect appetizer, plenty of enticing flavors yet light and crisp. I hope Mrs. Kwon would approve.

FULL POST...

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

NEW MENU, FOR REAL THIS TIME

So I'm two dishes away from completing my final project (barring a flash of dessert activity) and that's a good thing because I'm stretched pretty thin between work (I know, this is a major development I've completely neglected to elaborate on) and school and Kitchen Toro even scaling back the daily features. Let's just say that I spend almost as much time in the two kitchens where I work as I do at home these days and when I am home I'm either cooking or sleeping. As much as the final project may be dominating my attention right now, we still have class and at school we're starting on a new menu.

Tonight's dish is a fillet of bass with, you guessed it, fennel, caramelized this time and served with lobster sauce. It's back to the usual method tonight after Monday's banquet but I've heard that Friday we may have another assembly-line production to tackle.

More about caramelized fennel after class and on the jump...


DISH:
Sautéed Fillet Of Bass With Caramelized Fennel In Lobster Sauce, Filet De Bar Sauté Au Fenouil Caramélisé, Sauce Homardine

RECIPE:

Fish and Marinade
8 Portions Bass Fillet, 100-G portions for Dinner, Scaled
250 ML Blended Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon White Peppercorns, Mignonette
2 Garlic Cloves, Émincés
4 Sprigs Thyme
2 Oranges, Thinly Sliced

Sauce Americaine
800 G Blue Crabs or Lobster Shells
80 G Carrots
20 G Shallots
80 G Onions
40 ML Vegetable Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
40 ML Brandy, Flamed
80 ML White Wine
200 ML Fish or Chicken Stock
400 G Tomatoes
40 G Tomato Paste
1 Bouquet Garni, with 2 Sprigs of Tarragon

The Liason and Herb Flavoring for Sauce
240 G Butter
40 G Flour
10 G Chopped Chervil
10 G Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
520 ML Cream (Optional)

The Fennel
2 Medium Heads Fennl, Trimmed
A sachet of ½ Tablespoon Fennel Seeds and 2 Star Anise Points
3 Tablespoons Marinade Oil
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

The Finish
50 ML of Marinade Oil, For Sautéing
Fennel Fronds

Procedure:

FISH AND MARINADE Prick the skin and flesh of the fish all over with the point of a paring knife. Place the fillets in a hotel pan, and pour over the oil. Sprinkle on teh peppercorns and add the garlic and thyme. Arrange the orange slices on top, cover and refrigerate overnight. If possible, turn the fillets over in the marinade two or three times during the marination, keeping the oranges on top.

SAUCE AMERICAINE Clean the crabs by cuting them in half lengthwise from head to tail. Remove the hard top shell from each half. Remove the apron, any fibrous tissue, and the swimmerets. Rinse the sections, brushing off any diret and debris. Reserve the orange coral. If using lobster shells, be sure to remove the mouth parts. Chope the carrots, shallots, and onions in a small mirepoix. Heal the oil in a rondeau, add the pieces of crab, and sauté until they turn orange. Add the mirepoix and the crushed garlic cloves. When the mirepoix starts to brown, after about 5 minutes, add the flamed brandy, white wine, stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, and the bouquet garni. Cook the mixture for about 30 minutes at a slow simmer. During the cooking, break up the crabs with the end of a rolling pin. Strain the mixture through a china cap with large holes and return it to the heat. Reduce until the sauce has a full flavor. Discuss the liason with the chef. If desired, make a roux or a beurre manié with 40 G of the butter and the flour. Otherwise, us the optional cream, which can be reduced by half until it has the proper consistency. It is also possible to use a combination of these methods. Finish the sauce by mounting with the remaining butter. Strain the sauce through a fine chinois. Taste and adjust the flavors with brandy, salt, and pepper, and add the chopped herbs at the last minute. Keep the sauce warm in a bain-marié during service.

FENNEL Cut the fennel bulbs lengthwise in quarters, and then each quarter in at least 4 wedges approximately ½ inch thick at the widest part. Simmer the fennel in enough chicken stock to cover, along with the sachet, for approximately 12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well and discard the sachet. Heat the marinade oil in a nonstick sauteuse and sear the fish on the skin side. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the fillet until almost cooked through. Turn the piece over and cook the other side just long enough to remove any rawness. Reheat the fennel and then drain well. Serve the fish with a portion of the fennel fanned out alongside and accompany with some lobster sauce. Garnish with a fennel frond.

BREAKDOWN: Wow, I think we're all pretty tired. We got things done but it wasn't pretty-- last second details meant rushing even though we didn't have that many orders. Some fish which wasn't properly seared (I'll take blame for at least one), two fish fillets dropped on the floor (yeah, I'll take full blame on that one), burnt orange slices meant to be used as garnish, miscommunications with Level Three and their plating.

The dish, at left (cellphone picture, sorry), tasted pretty good, though I'm not sure the orange slices were the best compliment to the lobster cream sauce. We did orange slices on top of the fish, folded in half with an orange supreme topped with fried parsley. Overall, while the sauce had a nice flavor the dish kind of felt a little flat to us-- it may be that because we're being tested on the old menu for the final we're just not that motivated to get attached to this new one. I'd detail the ingredients but things were done a little bit by the eye tonight so there's little I can add to the recipe above beyond saying that we used both crab shells and lobster bodies, not one of the other.

And with that, our time at the Poissonier Station at the French Culinary Institute comes to an end. We won't be back this way again before the final and, hopefully, graduation. Next stop is the meat station, Saucier, and Friday we'll be doing another banquet, similar to Monday night. It's kind of fun.

FULL POST...

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

MENU REDESIGN (V 1.8)

The final project is due next Friday. I've studied the criteria, experimented on dishes in school and out, decided on a theme, meditated on a complete menu, searched for plates to fit the its style and bought the shoot materials. I've been posting drafts of the menu for the final project with the precis, continually tweaking things until it's finalized and the running count is now eight dishes down, two to go.

There are more ambitious plan for six additional dessert dishes and a homemade beer. The beer is fermenting but things may get reined in because I have to pull the whole thing together with costing and a bound book. It's crunch time.

See the menu on the jump now with pictures next to the finished dishes and links to the posts which described how each was made and conceived.

REMINAGINED CLASSICS FROM GLOBAL DHABAS

Dhabas are homey restaurants found along the highway in India that serve local cuisine. Between attending the French Culinary Institute and working at the Dining section at The Times, I've eaten some good food in some of New York City's trendy restaurants and enjoyed haute cuisine. But some of the food I've enjoyed most during this time and overall are still the simple standard dishes I find at local haunts. Two of my favorite upscale restaurants that I've visited since January are A Voce and Momofuku Noodle places that serve meatballs and soup. The idea is to upscale standard comfort dishes you'd find in cozy, down-home, hole-in-the-wall restaurants of different cuisines.

MENU

APPETIZER

Frozen Caprese

Homemade Mozzarella Ice-Cream, Tomato Ice-Cream, and Basil Ice-Cream with Balsamic Vinager Watercolor and Fried Basil Leaf

or

Bul Gol Gi

PASTA

Pierogi In Seven Bites

Seven Pierogi: Potato Dandelion, Roast Garlic, Beef With Almond Paste and Raisins, Sauerkraut and Bacon, Potato and Cheddar, Saffron Mushroom Duxelles, and Wasabi Yams, Accompanied by Apple Sauce With Chili Peppers, Beet Chevre, Horseradish Sour Cream and Broccoli Sprouts in a Grapefruit Vinaigrette

or

Pho

FISH

Seared Gravlaks

Citrus, Salt and Tequila Cured Salmon Sauteed, with Korean Flaked Chili Pepper Mashed Potatoes and Braised Arugula

or

Stoplight Ceviche

Cod With Lime Juice and Cucumbers; Shrimp In Lemon Juice With Green Peppers; Scallops in Grapefruit Juice With Yellow Peppers, Tuna In Orange Juice With Orange Peppers; and Cod, Shrimp, Scallops and Tuna in Pineapple Juice With Red Bell Peppers Served in Fried Plantain Scoops; Accompanied by Roast Corn, Tomato, Avocado and Pineapple Salad and a Shot of "Tiger's Milk," a Mixture of Ceviche Juice and Vodka.

ENTREE

Murgh Makhani

Cornish Game Hen 'Butter Chicken-Style,' Spicy, Butter-Tomato Cream Sauce; 'Saag Paneer,' Spinach With Homemade Paneer Cheese; Indian Naan Bread; & Cucumber-Radish Raita, Yogurt

or

Steak Frites

Pan-seared Filet Mignon Au Jus, With Sauteed Granny Smith and Dried Apples, Oyster, Cremini and White Mushrooms, and Light Greens with Orange Vinaigrette and French Fries Sprayed with Framboise Lambec Reduction served with Chili-Pepper Aioli

DESSERT MENU

Kha Niao Man with Cha Yen Ice Cream

Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream with Coconut Sticky Rice and Fried, Wonton-Wrapped Banana Slices With Chocolate Ganache Trimming

Navajo Frybread Fruit Taco

Frybread with Fresh Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Champagne Grapes Drizzled With Blueberry Honey

Peach Cobbler

Gulab Jamun, Fired & Iced
Warm Gulab Jamun, lightly dressed with Honey Ice Cream

Crepes

Frozen Tiramisu

Chocolate Snowballs, CookieX1, CookieX2, CookieX3

Take Home Treat
Cinnamon Roll

FULL POST...

DISH #8 SEARED, CURED SALMON

Ever since Chef Bobby cured a salmon in class back near the beginning of Level One I became fascinated with the process-- this interest in processes has led to me making my own cheeses and beer and inspired a developing interest in jarring, smoking, brewing sake and infused vodkas.

About four months ago I cured a half a salmon with citrus, salt and vodka. By letting it sit in the salt and juices for three days I probably overcured it but I couldn't tell that from the taste-- it was pretty darned good. Sliced thin and accompanied by capers, lemons, bread and various dairy spreads the cured salmon was delcisious and so buttery it wasn't to be believed. I knew I wanted to do some kind of cure for my final project and originally planned to do it as an amuse bouche, a mini-bagle with gravalax.

Then about two months ago a classmate at school, Jane, introduced me to one of her cookbooks, "Blue Ginger," by Les Huynh, and I came across a recipe for "Fried Smoked Salmon With Green Mango Salad," and my curiosity was piqued. Fried smoked salmon? I'd never thought of that. What would it taste like?

Then my own inspiration hit. Hey, wait a second, could you sear gravlaks too? Why not? It was in this way that this dish came to be. Now I've only been to Norway once, with my folks when I was about seven years old because they were considering moving there as part of my father's job (as I've described, we eventually settled in Hong Kong) and I've never been on a vorspiel or a nachspiel but I do know that both smoked and cured salmons are staple specialties in Scandinavia.

I'll admit to making a bit of a jump here in my project because I haven't been to a kafé and haven't had the cured fish prepared for me in a traditional manner. That said, I'm giving myself a break (and looking for one) because I'm going to say it's a lot easier to find something like a trattoria, dhaba, pho, taqueria, etc. or something like it in the US, specifically, New York, than a Norwegian kafé and we can all agree that cured fish is more than likely something you can find in the Norwegian equivalent of a trattoria.

That said, the first step would be to try searing smoked salmon to see what the taste and texture would be like.

Now I know I went overboard by doing seven different types of pierogi, each less than an inch in size but I'm not certifiably crazy I wasn't going to smoke my own salmon just to see how it would work when what I really wanted to do was sear a cured salmon so I went to my local supermarket and bought some smoked salmon. I patted it dry and seared it up with a little butter and oil.

I wasn't dissapointed. There was that smoky flavor, still flaky but now there was an added crispness that I found enjoyable. So now for a seared, cured salmon. Sure the texture of the fish inside would be different from a smoked salmon but the salt and citrus cure would give the fish an interesting flavor and searing it would crisp the outside and presumably the inside (which I wouldn't want to be dry) which would be cured could cook slightly through during the pan-sear. I experimented and was very pleased with the result, crispy outside and still tender and not dried out inside (though not a straight cured texture anymore) and the flakes did not fall apart but separated with ease.

Fair warning, the salmon was a little on the salty side but I like that and with the right accompaniments, I was convinced that a tasteful balance could be achieved. With the recent problems with spinach I opted for a different vegetable, a green on which to place the fish, arugula (because I like it's slight bite), and decided to braise it. I chose to flash the arugula in vegetable oil then cook it with some homemade chicken stock I'd frozen in my freezer with a little freshly grated nutmeg and pepper but underseasoned saltwise to compensate for the fish. To flesh out the dish I added a chili pepper mashed potato which echoes the chili pepper in the salmon cure and adds a subtle, slow-burn to the taste buds to accompany the fish, tamed slightly by the arugula's braising liquid. The recipes follow:

Toro's Pan-Seared Salt, Citrus and Tequila Cured Salmon
2 ?? Salmon Fillets
Salt to Cover, (about 8-10 Tablespoons)
Chopped Chili Pepper
2 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Grapefruit Slices, Thin
4 Orange Slices, Thin
4 Lemon Slices, Thin
½ Cup Tequila

Mix the salt and sugar together. Lay out plasticwrap and layer two slices of each fruit in an area the size of the fish in a baking pan or receptacle. Sprinkle some salt/sugar mixture in that same area so that there is a relatively even layer of it over the fruit slices. Place the salmon skin-side down on top of the salt/sugar mixture and fruit slices. Scatter the chopped chili pepper over the top of the fish and cover it with the remaining fruit slices. Sprinkle the remaining salt/sugar mixture over the fruit slices to completely cover the fish.

This next part, the wrapping will be a little messy so it's best to be near a sink and to have several long pieces of plasticwrap laid out and ready. Arrange the edges of the plasticwrap so that when you pour the tequila in it won't spill out and then add it. Wrap up the fish tighty in both directions, consecutively and repeatedly until you have a plastic fish-bundle which doesn't leak. Put it in a bowl in the fridge for one to two days and then remove and unwrap (the result at left).

Brush off any remaining salt and pat the fish dry. Pull off the skin and slice off any of the grey part that sticks to the fish beneath the skin. Slice the fish in the manner in which you would like to present it. Heat a pan with oil and a touch of butter and sear the sides of the fish.

Toro's Mashed Chili-Pepper Potatoes
5 Idaho Potatoes
5 Tablespoons Butter
3 to 4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Korean Red Chili Pepper Flakes
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Peel potatoes and slice then boil in salted water until tender then remove and mash, preferably with a pastry-scraper through a sieve. Add butter, cream and mix well until smooth and creamy. Add chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper and make sure the seasoning is well integrated.

Toro's Braised Arugula
1 Bunch of Arugula
Vegetable Oil
1 Teaspoon Butter
½ Cup White Wine
½ Cup Chicken Stock
Freshly Ground Pepper
Freshly Ground Nutmeg
A Pinch of Salt

Cut off the ends of the arugula and wash well. Heat a pan with oil and a touch of butter and when it's hot add the arugula. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add chicken stock and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes then season, going easy on the salt if it's a sidedish to accompany the seared cured salmon (which in this case, of course, it was).

To Order: Pipe the potatoes in the back of the bowl and place the braised arugula in front of it in a circle with a little of the braising liquid but not enough to surround the mashed potatoes. Place the seared, cured salmon on top of the arugula and sprinkle some coarse salt and chopped chives on top of the fish. Stick two strands of chive in the mashed potatoes and serve.

The result is a light, flavorful dish, which is actually relatively simple, even the curing process.

FULL POST...

Monday, September 25, 2006

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.

FULL POST...

MENU REDESIGN (V 1.7)

I've looked over the criteria for the final project, experimented with a dish for the menu, decided on a theme, come up with the rest of the dishes, searched for plates to fit the menu's style and bought the materials with which to shoot the food. From here on out I'll be posting drafts of the menu for the final project with the precis, continually tweaking things until it's finalized.

The running count is seven dishes down, three to go. As I've already noted, my more ambitious plan entails six additional dessert dishes and a homemade beer. The beer is fermenting but the other deeserts aren't crucial because I have already completed two desserts. We were recently told that the real due date for the final project is Friday, October 6th.

I've eliminated the amuse bouche which seems redundant now that the fish dishes have been more fleshed out.

See the menu on the jump now with pictures next to the finished dishes and links to the posts which described how each was made and conceived.

REMINAGINED CLASSICS FROM GLOBAL DHABAS

Dhabas are homey restaurants found along the highway in India that serve local cuisine. Between attending the French Culinary Institute and working at the Dining section at The Times, I've eaten some good food in some of New York City's trendy restaurants and enjoyed haute cuisine. But some of the food I've enjoyed most during this time and overall are still the simple standard dishes I find at local haunts. Two of my favorite upscale restaurants that I've visited since January are A Voce and Momofuku Noodle places that serve meatballs and soup. The idea is to upscale standard comfort dishes you'd find in cozy, down-home, hole-in-the-wall restaurants of different cuisines.

MENU

Appetizer
Frozen Caprese
Homemade Mozzarella Ice-Cream, Tomato Ice-Cream, and Basil Ice-Cream with Balsamic Vinager Watercolor and Fried Basil Leaf

or

Bul Gol Gi

Pasta
Perogi In Seven Bites
Seven Perogi: Potato Dandelion, Roast Garlic, Beef With Almond Paste and Raisins, Sauerkraut and Bacon, Potato and Cheddar, Saffron Mushroom Duxelles, and Wasabi Yams, Accompanied by Apple Sauce With Chili Peppers, Beet Chevre, Horseradish Sour Cream and Broccoli Sprouts in a Grapefruit Vinaigrette
or
Pho

Fish
Seared Gravalax
Citrus & Salt Cured Sauteed Salmon, Korean Flaked Chili Pepper Mashed Potatoes and Braised Arugula
or
Stoplight Ceviche
Cod With Lime Juice and Cucumbers; Shrimp In Lemon Juice With Green Peppers; Scallops in Grapefruit Juice With Yellow Peppers, Tuna In Orange Juice With Orange Peppers; and Cod, Shrimp, Scallops and Tuna in Pineapple Juice With Red Bell Peppers Served in Fried Plantain Scoops; Accompanied by Roast Corn, Tomato, Avocado and Pineapple Salad and a Shot of "Tiger's Milk," a Mixture of Ceviche Juice and Vodka.

Entree

Murgh Makhani

Cornish Game Hen 'Butter Chicken-Style,' Spicy, Butter-Tomato Cream Sauce; 'Saag Paneer,' Spinach With Homemade Paneer Cheese; Indian Naan Bread; & Cucumber-Radish Raita, Yogurt

or

Steak Frites

Pan-seared Filet Mignon Au Jus, With Sauteed Granny Smith and Dried Apples, Oyster, Cremini and White Mushrooms, and Light Greens with Orange Vinaigrette and French Fries Sprayed with Framboise Lambec Reduction served with Chili-Pepper Aioli

DESSERT MENU

Kha Niao Man with Cha Yen Ice Cream

Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream with Coconut Sticky Rice and Fried, Wonton-Wrapped Banana Slices With Chocolate Ganache Trimming

Navajo Frybread Fruit Taco

Frybread with Fresh Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Champagne Grapes Drizzled With Blueberry Honey

Peach Cobbler

Gulab Jamun, Fired & Iced
Warm Gulab Jamun, lightly dressed with Honey Ice Cream

Crepes

Frozen Tiramisu

Chocolate Snowballs, CookieX1, CookieX2, CookieX3

Take Home Treat
Cinnamon Roll

FULL POST...