Developing and Refining One's Sense of Taste - week 8

The room buzzed with energy. Students were glad to be back in class after the  previous week's cancelled class. Chef  lectured and demonstrated how to: fabricate and render duck fat, cook, duck leg confit, roast a chicken, roast a brined chicken, pan sear duck breast, and make chicken breast roulade. Chef lectured for 3.5 hours. He showed the class how to cut up a chicken, cut up a duck, and truss tie up a chicken as part of his lecture and demonstration.

Quote for the night: "If it's on it, it's in it"


What I learned

• While duck is poultry it is treated like beef . Duck breast is cooked medium rare.
• Every 20 minutes bacteria grows exponentially, especially between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Basting is the ultimate way to roast chicken
• Brine poultry for 1 hour per pound of poultry
• The tab on the base of the chicken is sometimes called the "pope's nose"
• Moisture flows from the source of heat. The higher the temperature, the higher the pressure inside the meat. Hence the reason to let meat rest before cutting.
• Caramel and acid = gastrique
• Butcher salt has nitrates. It is used to help meat maintain its color
• Let meat rest  1/3 of the cooking time before cutting
• A poultry fork is designed to go around the spine of the chicken
• Three reasons to truss a chicken
• to give it good shape
• to hold moisture in



duck confit with endive and blueberries

• to provide webbing to hold the poultry together

Observations

• Food grade plastic wrap is essential to make the chicken roulade.
• Chef asked everyone in class to cut up a duck  before leaving.
• Before the lecture began Chef reminded the class that next week is Market Basket. Chef  jokingly told the class to think of it like "Chop'd". We'll have two hours to produce two dishes - one for presenting to Chef to taste and another for the class to taste. 
• My primary task in helping with classroom prep was to make  mirepoix "all day". Angie explained that "all day" is a restaurant term meaning "the total amount". I made 2 quarts mirepoix, which cutting 2 quarts diced onion, 1 quart diced onion, and one quart diced celery. 

Self -reflection

• I arrived to class tired and got sleepy during the lecture. The lecture was interesting, but the level of exhaustion was finally catching up with me. I cut up the duck left.  So did Marl. 
• Preparing the chicken roulade requires using a meat tenderizer (a small hammer with a smooth side and dimpled side).  It reminded of the cooking class where I was assigned to flatten the chicken breasts. It has been a long day at work- I suppose I was too vigorous  in pounding the chicken breasts. One of the class assistants took the meat tenderizer from my hand, smiled and said "I think that's enough". I need to add meat tenderizer to my wishlist of kitchen utensils. I think using the hammer or mallet in my toolbox would destroy the food. 
• After tonight's class I'm adding a poultry fork to my utensil wishlist.
• I think I will try making duck confit and cooking duck breast at home. I've already check my nearby supermarket for duck.  I didn't see any on the shelves, so I'll be  shopping around. I think the confit, endive and blueberries would be a great dish to serve  at home and pack as a lunch.
• Because each team is presented with a mystery basket I won't be assisting with class setup next week.  I'm grateful for the break.
• I've heard that in the past students don't show up for Market Basket night. I'm determined to show up and do my best. 

Tonight: Market Basket.

Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by Ink +LLC