Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #5; Practical #5

Already into the second week of Superior. I can’t believe it. I booked my return flight to the US this morning. The reality that the end is nearer than the beginning is starting to settle in.

For the last time in Superior, Chef Lesourd guided us through demonstration. Lesson #5 was tagged, contemporary cuisine. Hinting toward the candied orange peel and lobster foam.

Instruction #5

• Foie grad and oven roasted vegetable terrine
• Lobster chartreuse with candied orange and lemon, frothy jus
• Light tiramisu-style mousse and sugared raspberries

Most terrines bake for around one to two hours. Then are pressed overnight. Before serving. We watch Chef prepare and assembly layers of eggplant, cognac and port macerated foie gras, artichokes, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Drizzling gelatin glazed chicken stock from time to time – this is what binds the loaf together.

We’ll get to see the final project and taste the terrine in our next demonstration.

Lobster chartreuse is not the lime-green color of the dish. But rather. A ramekin-molded layered mousse. Layers of boiled lobster and leek rounds sat between whiting mousse – bonded by egg white and cream. Decorative daikon radish and carrot lined the mold.

Sautéed spinach and candied orange and lemon peel accompanied the plate. The contemporary aspect was clearly the lobster foam. Jus made of lobster carcass, shallot, tomato, tomato paste, garlic, white wine, fumet, onion, milk, whipping cream, and soy lecithin – a foam stabilizer. Was boiled, reduced, drained, and finally whipped with a hand mixer. Creating crustacean-flavored foam.

Pretty cool I must say. This opens lots of ideas for the final exam. Foam. Hmmm.

I suppose it was the mascarpone in the dessert that suggests tiramisu. Italian meringue – 118 degree Celsius sugar mixed with egg whites – was folded into mascarpone, sugar, yolks, gelatin, and cream. Piped into a martini glass. And flavored with layers of raspberry coulis and fresh, whole raspberries.

Practical came on James’ last night in Paris. I was eager to get finished and home to him. Apart from burning some decorative orange peels, everything went great. In fact, Chef Stril looked up from my plate and gave me a confident, superb. Très, très bonne. All along practical I was thinking that my focus was too pulled to James. I guess not.