This was our first "menu-based" class. Instead of cooking foods just to get techniques down, we would try to put together a 3-course meal.
We prepared grilled asparagus and spinach salad with caramelized shallots and orange vinaigrette.
For the main course, we piled gaufrette potatoes on a plate, added a 1/2 Florentine-marinated grilled Cornish Game Hen on top and reduced sweet marinade drizzled on top.
To finish the main course plate we flanked the bird with grilled pears with figs and grape-leaf wrapped roasted, spiced goat cheese.
For dessert we made tuoille cookies (tulipe shaped), kind of like slightly soft fortune-cookie dough in a bowl shape. On top we added scoops of chocolate and mascarpone ice cream and criss-cross drizzled it with caramel sauce. In fact, if you dry it out a bit and fold it differently, you can make your own fortune cookies, that would be a kick!
For drinks, we enjoyed a red Zinfandel and an Italian Primitivo (considered the origin of the Zinfandel grape) with it.
Today's premiere moment was probably learning the pastry stuff, because there are so many secrets to getting it right. The best grilling tips included how to cut apart the game hen so it could stay whole, but lay flat for great grilling.
We learned about vinaigrettes and marinades -- and why, if a bottle says it is both, that's impossible. Basically, a vinaigrette needs 4 parts oil/fat, 1 part acid (vinegar, wine, citrus) and salt to taste. After that it's up to you... If you like a more acidic flavor, try 3:1 oil:vinegar on the vinaigrette.
BTW - A marinade is the opposite, approx. 4 parts acid and 1 part oil.
In today's world (as opposed to when our grandparents cooked), brand is sold over what the actual product is. So, when the chefs said to use bleach and water for cleaning, someone had to ask: "Is Clorox okay?"
Yes, of course it is, but we're so used to thinking of the brand Clorox that we've distanced ourselves from the fact that it's simply bleach.
Same thing with all these sauces and marinades and creams and dessert toppings (i.e. Creme Anglais). Once you understand the base for all of these (such as the vinaigrette described above) then you can start to make your own professional-quality stuff, and spice it however you like. You save money, and get better products.
Store-bought salad dressings, for example, can often contain up to 1/2 water -- so you're paying $4/bottle for water. Mmmm.... that's expensive.
Posted by BilFish at February 26, 2004 09:07 AM