Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #25; Practical #25

Soups are often forgotten during warm weather. But, if done well, a soup can be enjoyed anytime of year. If nothing else, it can be made cold.

Started Chef Terrien. Commenting just before his note about how he’d move quickly. He was afraid we would fall asleep, or perhaps he would.

The night before our class celebrated the Superior Dinner at the Park Hyatt. A festive event for all. Needless to say, nobody – including Chef – got enough sleep.

Leeks smothered in butter sweat through, giving flavor. Potatoes added for thickness. And water to turn the vegetables into soup. A quick blend with salt and pepper prepared the liquid for the refrigerator. Where it chilled and thickened entirely.

Milk infused with bacon. And whipped cream with herbs garnished the dish. Some simple croutons and dried pancetta plated for decoration.

The soup was very good, but in my opinion, should have been served hot. And I had to stretch my mind to get the bacon flavor from the milk. But, the herbed cream was more than delicious.

The name of the sauce is peppered nage. So I added pepper. Heaps and heaps. Finding the sauce to be too spicy in the end. I blamed the recipe to Chef Maleek. Pointing out that the word pepper is in the title and how I wouldn’t want my clients to be disappointed if they couldn’t taste it. He agreed with me and said it was the recipe’s fault.

Apart from over doing it with the spice. My fish was cooked well, garnish – fennel and onion brunoise – nicely presented, and the flavor of my raviolis was great.

A dash of Madeira to sautéing shallots and mushrooms helped the ravioli shine. Mixed with finely chopped parsley, chervil, chives, and tarragon. And finished with salt.

I would pass on the brill fillets – not my favorite fish. And I certainly will not revisit the sauce. But the raviolis are well worth remaking.

Dough of flour, potato starch, salt, and hot water was a bit sticky in the beginning. A small addition of more flour and potato starch rectified this. Once passed through a pasta roller to the finest setting I mounded the mushroom mixture in the center. Folded and cut in little raviolis. One minute of poaching completed the preparation.

We’ve seen more interesting desserts than today’s pineapple and strawberry mixture. I suppose the most exciting thing on the plate – which wasn’t that good – was the Campari sorbet. Even the crisp fans lacked enthusiasm.

Instruction #25

• Chilled leek and potato soup and creamy smoked bacon foam
• Brill fillet, peppered nage, mushrooms and herb ravioli
• Pineapple and strawberries in syrup with ginger, crisp fan and Campari sorbet