Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #20; Practical #20

Happy Cinco de Mayo. There seems to be little hoop-la about this holiday in France. I wonder why…

Moving fast through our busy week, practical #20 immediately followed instruction. Typical to Le Cordon Bleu’s poor scheduling skills. This week is jam packed full. Next week? Three classes in total. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are completely free of cuisine classes. [Yawn]

Tan. And energized. Chef Caals was back from his sun-bathing vacation. And in rare form. Spatting off egotistical comments to his assistant.

I’m back! And. Let’s go, go, go. I am not your typical chef.

Funny how all his cockiness caused him to be late. Incomplete a dish. And poorly present dessert.

With. That. Said. I need to look up the day’s area. Chef neglected to teach us.

Instruction #20 – Loire Valley

• Warm salad with lightly smoked pike-perch
• Rabbit tournedos with prunes, potatoes filled with cheese
• Anjou-style fritters filled with orange cream

Remembering French Wines #1 – Loire Valley. This lesson pairs wonderfully.

The entrée – the dish that didn’t get completed – was caught in the Loire River. The source of all fish of the region. Additionally, salmon, carp, and trout are harvested.

The Loire’s fertile soil and healthy climate not only produces some fantastic wines. But also melons, peaches, apricots, strawberries, and pears. Wild mushrooms, asparagus, celery, endive, lettuce, leeks, and beans can be found on the earth’s savory side.

Studded with forests throughout. Game is more common than livestock. While pigs and chickens do roam the yards. It is the hunted venison, hare, pheasant, partridge, quail, lark [pictured], and wild duck that are sought after.


The idea of today’s entrée was to slightly smoke pike-perch over wood chips. And pass along with a salad of cooked green beans. Tossed with spinach, baby red chard leaves, and oyster mushrooms. Drizzled with chive, mustard, shallot vinaigrette. Instead the fish was quickly pan-seared.

Chef told us that he would serve the smoked fish in our next demonstration.

Dressed rabbits will always have their heads. True for the States as well. This way you know that you have a rabbit. And not a cat, or dog. For some. This can be disturbing as its little tongue is usually dangling out. For convenience, the ears are chopped off.

Once we segmented the lapin into four pieces. Two thighs, and two halves of the saddle – the torso section, including the large back muscles. The balance of the hare was cut up for the sauce.

Theme of the day was stuffing. Thighs stuffed with prunes. Saddle with its liver and kidneys.

The thighs were placed on the sauce – garlic, onion, chicken stock – and braised for about 45 minutes in a 160 degree Celsius oven. While the saddle was lightly pan seared.

Once the braising liquid was strained. And reduce. We finished with butter and cream.

Mashed potatoes with goat cheese and sautéed mushrooms garnished the plate. The former being heavenly divine.

Chef Stril gave me an overall parfait. Nothing to complain about that.

Fried choux pastry – similar to éclair dough – was the base of the dessert. The intention was to fill each ball with an orange cream. Like Italian bomboloni. Here the pudding was spread on the plate. And topped with les pets de nonnes.