Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #5; Practical #5

Place a mound of flour on a cold marble surface. Sprinkle with fine salt. Add some melted butter that has been tempered with cold water. Mix slowly with index finger, incorporating the dry ingredients with the liquid. Once a resemblance of dough takes place use hands, (a scraper, a spatula, anything you can grab onto), to form a ball. Slightly knead. Wrap in plastic. Flatten. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Any clues as to what is being made so far?

While the dough chills measure out dry butter – butter with at least an 82% fat content and subsequently much less moisture.

When the dry butter and the dough have become the same consistency it’s time for the next step.

How about now? Do you know what it is?

Form a ball with the dough. Cross the center with a knife. Roll the four sections into a four-leaf-clover. After the dry butter has been smashed with your hands place it in the center of the dough. Starting with the top “leaf” fold the sections over in a clockwise fashion – sealing the butter inside.

Using a vertical motion, roll the dough into a long rectangular shape. Brush excess flour. And fold in thirds.

This is called the first turn. Roll again in the same manner for the second turn.

Wrap with plastic. Chill for another 20-30 minutes.

Roll the dough two more times for turn number three and four. Wrap with plastic. Chill for up to 4 days.

After the long rest two final turns of the dough, number five and six, will complete the rolling process. Then you can cut it and use it.

Have you figured out what we’ve made?

To the French, pâte feuilletée. To Americans, puff-pastry.

______________________________________________

We also learned how to make short-crust pastry (pâte brisée salée) which was used for quiche Lorraine and wild mushroom quiche.

I went directly from instruction to practical today which was a bit overwhelming as I didn’t have a chance to review my notes. During practical, Chef Cotte changed the sequence from what we had learned in instruction. This threw me for a loop and caused some confusion at the beginning, but once I got my bearings down I was able to get through with a, “très bonne.”

This happens often. We are taught one thing in instruction and the presiding chef of practical tells us another way. Such is true for the professional world though.

We have heard a handful of times from Le Cordon Bleu that when we leave we are expected to remember everything while forgetting everything.

What that means is that we should retain the knowledge and skills, but expect to do everything in a different manner according to the chef we are working for. And so forth. With every job change comes a new chef – and a different way of cooking.

____________________________________________

Instruction #5 – Commonly Used Doughs – Part 2

• Savory short dough: Quiche Lorraine
• Wild mushroom quiche
• Puff pastry preparation