Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #6

Risking explosion. Let’s talk about instruction #6.

Chef Caals. Tall. Slender. Fit. Handsome man. Indeed. Teacher. Dedicated. Aligned with LCB. Not.

The poor attitude started the night before in practical #5. While Chef was overseeing our group (actually preparing some food for another class) he started to complain. Rattling off how the menu of lesson #6 was disgusting. Boring to prepare. And just a disappointment all together. Reflected so by his performance – and attitude – during such instruction.

His demanding, militaristic personality is not off putting. Nor is Chef’s cocky, I am the center of the world, attitude. These traits are to be expected from a chef – especially a French one. It is his unwillingness to help (a.k.a. teach) and lack of respect. His put-downs on the LCB program makes me second guess my culinary school decision. Thinking that I have chosen a boring, worthless institution to spend a truckload of money at. Hoping for a decent education.

Throwing away black olives during demonstration. In front of students. While ranting about the poor quality and how he would never – ever – put them on one of his plates. Is unprofessional. His disappointment should be taken up with the school. Away from students.

With that said…

Instruction #6
· Chicken salad with apples and walnuts
· Stuffed sea bream fillet wrapped in lettuce leaves
· Praline cake, crème anglaise with pralines and orange flower water

Poaching chicken breasts in chicken stock until the center reaches 62 degrees Celsius is the first step of the salad. Placing the breasts in cold stock until they reach a simmer should accomplish the desired temperature.

Oak leaf lettuce, mushrooms, and Granny Smith apples are cut into small batons – sticks. Using mayonnaise – either store bought or preferably homemade – mix each prepared component. Coating well.

At this point Chef prepared the elements on slices of toasted bread. Creating a club sandwich of sorts. Tossing everything together with walnuts, chives, and chervil would make a fantastic salad. The options of presentation are countless.

Intermediate seems to be stuffed with farce – ha! no pun intended. Farce – forcemeat stuffing – of jumbo shrimp, cream, egg white, shallots, ginger, black olives (unless you’re temper- tamtrum-ing Chef Caals), sesame oil, and chive are mixed together.

Once filleted, the sea bream bones and jumbo shrimp carcasses – including the heads – begin the fumet. Shallots, ginger, tomatoes, garlic, and white wine help to perfume.

Lining a baking pan the sea bream fillets are layered with farce. And wrapped in blanched lettuce leaves. Fumet fills the pan covering half the fish – to be poached for 5-6 minutes in a 180 degree Celsius oven.

Reducing the poaching liquid to a syrupy consistency, then creaming. Transforms our fish stock into a sauce.

The plate was finished with a puree of Jerusalem artichokes.

If you like pralines – candied almonds – then you’ll love the dessert. Making a brioche-type dough pralines are mixed in. Crème Anglaise – yolks, sugar, vanilla, and milk – is further flavored with orange flavored water and more pralines. Passed underneath the cake.

Practical is this afternoon – preparing as I type. Curious to see if Chef Caals will proctor our group once again. And what else he may have to say. Assuming LCB does not kick me out for opening my disappointed mouth, I’ll be back to report.