Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #8; Practical #8

The best part of lesson #8 was my parents. They sat with me as Chef Clergue cooked, talked, and prepared the final dishes. They both were enthralled with the complexity and busyness of the kitchen.

Instruction #8

• Shortbread with crab, lime and lemon balm, green mango and lemon grass sauce
• Squab breast wrapped in cabbage, legs stuffed, tartlets with wild mushrooms
• Coconut meringue, yogurt sauce, wild blackberries and parsley coulis

At the beginning of tasting any dish. I try each component by itself. First the sauce. Then the garnish. And finally the center ingredient.

Segregated I didn’t like the entrée. The crab was fishy. The sauce too tart. And the shortbread was overly dry. Together – as an ensemble. It was quite good. Delicious in fact.

This poses the conundrum that some chefs have. Chefs compose plates with the intention that it will be eaten in a particular way. Most of the time this is true. Because of the positioning of items on a plate. Sometimes, though. The diner will look at the dish from a completely different angle. And potentially changing the flavor of the meal.

In honor of Dad’s recent Holland-pigeon visit. We made squab – baby pigeon – for the main course.

This was a great representation of the recipes at Le Cordon Bleu. Mom and Dad were able to see how a jus is made from bones, a few vegetables, water, and a lot of time. They experienced the hallmark farce stuffing that was piped into boned squab legs. And above all. Wrapping meat and stuffing in cabbage leaves just to be steamed was also witnessed.

The final dish was mediocre. Not a big squab fan I passed my liking on the meat and jus. The garnish of shallot, butter sautéed chanterelle and oyster mushrooms was good. Presented in golden baked brik pasty shells.

We were one of the last people out of the demonstration room. As we were waiting for dessert. Meringue has been a common dessert plate item on this trip for Mom and Dad. From corner boulangerie meringue to the famous Pierre Herme macaroons. These were no expectation.

My parents fully enjoyed the slight coconut flavor. Quickly cooled by the yogurt sorbet. and enhanced – not diminished as I suspected – by parsley coulis.

As Mom and Dad wandered Paris I handled the practical. Chef Tivet was pleased with my end results. And if he’s happy. I’m happy.