COMPOST COOKIES, EGGS, BISON TARTARE AND STUFFED CHICKEN....JUST ANOTHER WEEK IN CULINARY SCHOOL!

SO AS YOU READ THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG POST, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT THE HELL WENT ON AT SCHOOL THIS WEEK.  AM I RIGHT?  WELL, LET'S JUST CALL IT A SMORGASBORG OF CULINARY DELIGHTS.

TO START, WE MADE PAUPIETTE DE VOLAILLE, OR SIMPLY PUT CHICKEN THIGHS STUFFED WITH SAUSAGE AND WRAPPED IN CAUL FAT.  CAUL FAT, IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING IS THE THIN MEMBRANE THAT SURROUNDS THE STOMACH ORGANS OF ANIMALS SUCH AS SHEEP, COW, AND PIGS.  IT HAS LITTLE POCKETS OF FAT AND IT IS COMMONLY USED TO WRAP FOOD TO KEEP IT MOIST WHILE COOKING.  WHILE IT MAY SEEM OFF-PUTTING TO THINK ABOUT, IT IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS AND EFFECTIVE AS A WAY TO KEEP FOOD FROM DRYING OUT.  AFTER WE ROASTED OFF THE CHICKEN, YOU HONESTLY COULD NOT TELL IT HAD EVER BEEN WRAPPED IN THE CAUL FAT.  IT RENDERED OUT WHILE COOKING AND MADE THE CHICKEN ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

PAIRED WITH STUFFED MUSHROOM, ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO

PAIRED WITH STUFFED MUSHROOM, ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO

ONCE AGAIN I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE MANY OPPORTUNITY THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER OFFERS AND ATTENDED A CHEF DEMO WITH CHEF IGNACIO MATTOS OF ESTELA IN MANHATTAN.  CHEF MATTOS LEARNED UNDER SOUTH AMERICAN GRILL MASTER FRANCIS MALLMAN AND ALICE WATERS OF THE LEGENDARY CHEZ PANISSE.  CHEF NOT ONLY SHOWED US HOW HE MAKES HIS POPULAR BISON TARTARE, BUT TAUGHT US TO BE MINDFUL OF EVERY STEP IN THE COOKING PROCESS.  TAKE THE TIME TO SEE WHAT WORKS AND WHEN, SUCH AS WHEN TO SEASON WITH DIFFERENT SPICES, ETC.

INSTEAD OF CAPERS, HE USES PICKLED ELDERBERRIES AND FRIED SUNCHOKE CHIPS TO ADD CRUNCH.

INSTEAD OF CAPERS, HE USES PICKLED ELDERBERRIES AND FRIED SUNCHOKE CHIPS TO ADD CRUNCH.

OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, OUR CLASS HAS DEFINITELY GROWN CLOSER TOGETHER.  WE TRY AND HIT UP THE LOCAL WATERING HOLE AFTER A THURSDAY CLASS EITHER AFTER A TEST NIGHT OR AT LEAST EVERY OTHER WEEK.  IT HELPS US UNWIND FROM THE RIGORS OF CLASS AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER A LITTLE MORE.  AND LAST WEEK WE WERE DISCUSSING CHEF CHRISTINA TOSI OF THE MILK BAR AND NOW MASTER CHEF JUDGE.  HER BAKERY MAKES THESE COOKIES WHICH SHOULD CARRY A WARNING REGARDING THEIR UTTER DELICIOUSNESS.  WELL LOW AND BEHOLD, SAM (STUDENT IN OUR CLASS) BRINGS EVERYONE A COOKIE THE NEXT CLASS!  WE ALL SHARED THE COMPOST AND CORN COOKIES AFTER OUR EXAM, WHICH PROVIDED A MUCH NEEDED BOOST TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF CLASS.

AND THEN CAME ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE INGREDIENTS EVER.....EGGS!!!!!  EXTREMELY POPULAR IN FRENCH COOKING, WE LEARNED MANY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES INCLUDING THE SIMPLE YET DIFFICULT FRENCH "ROLLED" OMELETTE WHICH REQUIRES NO COLOR AT ALL.  NOT AN EASY TASK!  AND WHILE WE MADE SEVERAL KINDS OF DISHES, WE ATE THEM SO QUICK I ONLY HAD TIME TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE "CEUFS FARCIS CHIMAY" OR STUFFED EGGS, CHIMAY STYLE.  BASICALLY A FANCY DEVILED EGGS STUFFED WITH A MUSHROOMS, EGG YOLK FILLING, THEN TOPPED WITH A MORNAY SAUCE (BECHAMEL BASED), MORE GRUYERE AND BAKED IN THE OVEN.  DECADENT TO SAY THE LEAST!!!

STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEKS RECAP.....WORD ON THE STREET IS THERE WILL BE ICE CREAM.....
Posted on June 12, 2016 .