Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #28; Practical #28

Chef Philippe Clergue is one of the most beloved chefs at Le Cordon Bleu. At the end of instruction #28 the class basically gave him a standing ovation. Loud claps. And a couple whistles. Made Chef blush.



Instruction #28

• Warm goat cheese salad with bacon
• Veal escalope à la viennoise, fresh pasta with tomato sauce
• Chocolate and orange mousse

To continue the joy. When I walked into practical this morning Chef Philippe stood there ready to proctor. I was happy.

We first prepared the pasta dough – to ensure ample resting time. Flour, semolina – preventing elasticity – salt, egg, water, and olive oil combined. Briefly kneaded. Covered to rest.

Brown salt slab bacon to start the sauce. Sweat onions and carrot. Add bouquet garni, flour, and tomato paste. Cook slightly. Deglaze with tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded, and diced. Add some garlic. Top with chicken stock. Sugar for the acidity. And salt and pepper for seasoning. Once the liquid comes to a boil. Cover. And finish in a 180 degree Celsius oven for about 20 minutes. Strain and reduce.

The sauce was straight-forward and simple. In general, I liked it. The Italians were all up in arms today. Pointing out the erroneousness. Need I remind them that we are in France? At a French cooking school?

Veal escalopes accompanied the pasta. Lightly breaded and pan fried in clarified butter.

The ensemble à la viennoise – hard boiled eggs. Capers. Parsley. Black olives. Anchovies. And lemons. Decoratively passed on the side.

The starter – warm goat cheese salad with bacon – is a common French dish. Baguette slices with broiled goat cheese and crispy bacon would make anybody’s mouth water.


Crottin de Chavignol was today’s goat cheese choice. Hailing from central France’s Loire Valley. Although produced in an A.O.C. region the rules are a bit loose. Allowing for frozen curds to be used, for example. Taking away some of the genuineness. Nonetheless, this is a quintessential, French chèvre.

Chocolate and orange mousse book-ended the other side of today’s veal. The key when melting the chocolate is to use a spatula and not a whisk. This will prevent light coloration. Retaining a rich, chocolate color. Orange salad and candied orange peel make for a great accompaniment.