Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #27

Of the 90 – or so – recipes that we learned during Basic Cuisine, 10 have been chosen for the final exam. One of which must be prepared in two and a half hours.

Today’s sea bream marked the tenth possible exam dishes. Dishes taught after today will still be graded in practical, but will not show up on the exam. That relieves a little bit of pressure for the balance of Basic. Pulling our focus on the ten chosen dishes. And away from what is yet to come.

Sea bream, or daurades, is usually a saltwater fish. Although some freshwater varieties exist. Sea bream is actually a general term for six or seven different species. Generally speaking. Small. White fish. Tempered flavor. Allowing for versatility.

Quickly pan fried in olive oil. Today’s sea bream was served with an anise-flavored, butter sauce. Garnished with slowly stewed fennel and dill.

Chef Lesourd – in good form – also prepared guinea fowl with cabbage. A rustic, one-pot, dish. Onion, carrot, garlic, slab bacon, and sausage accompanied the title’s ingredients. Covered. And roasted for an hour and a half.

The items were decomposed and individually layered into a buttered soufflé dish. Covered and baked for an additional thirty minutes. Turned upside down to unmold. Layers exposed.

Dessert reminded me of McDonald’s apple turn-overs. Our version. Pears sweetened with pear brandy. But. Deep-fried nonetheless. Served with raspberry and apricot coulis.

Instruction #27

• Sea bream fillets with fennel
• Guinea fowl with cabbage
• Fried pear filled puffs