Developing and Refining One's Sense of Taste - Week 1

Seventeen  students sat quietly looking at the notes on the whiteboard.. We were waiting for the 18th student to show up. Chef  Brian Patterson looked at the clock and determined it was time to start class.

The class is 75% female, and mostly under the age of 40. Three assistants (Mary Joyce, Sue, and Michael)  and a sous chef (Angie)
will assist Chef Patterson in making sure the students have access to the ingredients that they need and answer questions. 

Chef begins with housekeeping items. The class format will be a combination of lecture, hands on practice and lecture. Students with long hair should tie their hair up. Students should consider cutting their nails short. No open to shoes or high heels in the kitchen if you are working.

 Tonight's topic is stocks and knife skills. What's the difference between stock and broth? Stock is made from uncooked bones and veggies cooked at a low temperature for hours. Broth is made from cooked bones and water. Chef shows  the class how to make veal stock (brown stock), chicken stock (white stock), and fish stock (fumet).

A mirepoix is a combination of vegetables that help to flavor the stock. The classic ratio is 3 parts onion: 2 parts carrot: 1 part celery. Parsley, thyme, bay leaf, crushed peppercorns and/or cloves may be added as aromatics.

Chef  Patterson demonstrates how to hold a knife and how to cut carrots, onions and celery. He informs the class that we will receive our knife sets tonight and to be very careful as the blades are at their sharpest. Before the class concludes for the evening approximately 25% of the class has been cut. Chef also instructs the class to label the their knives so they are recognizable when in the kitchen.
 
After the lecture we move to the kitchen to put our newly acquired lesson to the test- we're making chicken stock. Each group is provided vegetables to cut, and chicken backs to clean in preparation for making the chicken stock. Once the chicken stock is on the stove we return to the classroom to learn about the difference between seasoning (adding salt) and flavoring (adding, herbs, spices, and aromatics).  Chef gives the class a homework assignment- make chicken stock. The first night of class ends.


I did my homework - I made chicken stock from scratch. I used chicken necks that I purchased from a nearby international supermarket. I made approximately 6 cups of stock. Some of the stock was salted, some unsalted and I used a portion to make a chicken pot pie from the vegetables used to make the stock, with peas an potatoes added. The recipe for the chicken pot pie I found on  the allrecipes website. If I make the pot pie again. I will definitely modify the recipe.

Tonight - soups.

Be well,

Technicolor girl