I find that while the content of Culinary I seems limited at times, there is so much that can be learned going back to square one and that I come away every week with new knowledge, better technique or just a better understanding of basic culinary principles.
As usual, Chef was a wealth of information and tips - things learned from years in the food service industry producing massive dinners for 600 diners at a time, so he has lots to share with us. We made a nice simple but perfect roast chicken, Zucchini Provencal and the best damn gravy I have ever turned out. I probably will never go back to my old way of making gravy again, because this was just so delicious, and simple.
Chef also made us a bread dressing to serve with the chicken which I think I will try next time I do a turkey or chicken like this. The new thing for me was that it contained chicken livers. Normally I do not eat anything that contains organs or glands but given where I was, I figured I had to try it. And amazingly, I liked it. I would never have thought that blanched and chopped chicken liver could add such depth to a stuffing, but it did.
Incidentally I learned that the difference between a dressing and a stuffing is just that one goes in a pan and is baked alongside the protein, while the other is, well....stuffed inside the protein. Go figure.
We also learned how to properly truss a chicken and then at the end of class after we were all done, Chef did a demo on how to bone a chicken. That inspired me so much to try myself, that I just got back from Costco with a bag of 3 chickens to experiment on! Once I get good at it, I will maybe even film it for you...photos at a minimum.
As usual, my directions are not as written in my class manual but based on my notes as how Chef told us to execute the dishes instead. The two are not the same. I guess it is the difference between cooking and following a recipe. One is step by step and attentive, while the other is fluid and intuitive.
Roast Chicken with Gravy
Incidentally I learned that the difference between a dressing and a stuffing is just that one goes in a pan and is baked alongside the protein, while the other is, well....stuffed inside the protein. Go figure.
We also learned how to properly truss a chicken and then at the end of class after we were all done, Chef did a demo on how to bone a chicken. That inspired me so much to try myself, that I just got back from Costco with a bag of 3 chickens to experiment on! Once I get good at it, I will maybe even film it for you...photos at a minimum.
As usual, my directions are not as written in my class manual but based on my notes as how Chef told us to execute the dishes instead. The two are not the same. I guess it is the difference between cooking and following a recipe. One is step by step and attentive, while the other is fluid and intuitive.
Roast Chicken with Gravy
1 roasting chicken
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, washed and diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, washed and diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups rich chicken stock or brown stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry your chicken well. Sprinkle generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Truss with a piece of butcher twine.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a roasting pan or large oven safe sauté pan, and heat. Add chicken, breast side down and brown for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn chicken back over and place in preheated oven and cook for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, chop your mirepoix (onion, celery and carrot) if you have not done so. Remove chicken from oven, lift, and layer the mirepoix under the chicken. Return to cook for about a further 30 minutes or until the temperature reads 175 degrees. Remove chicken from the pan and cover with a dish cloth or return to the oven in a different pan to keep warm.
Meanwhile place your roasting pan over medium heat. You will notice that the pan drippings, comprised of chicken fat and juice will appear cloudy. Cook the mixture of vegetables and pan drippings over medium heat until the oil clears and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Once this happens, sprinkle flour over the vegetables and combine.
Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any nice brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Slowly add in the stock a bit at at time being sure to incorporate. The gravy will thicken nicely and should be able to coat the back of a spoon.
Zucchini Provencal
2 large zucchini, cut in large dice
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2 small or 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Herbs to garnish (parsley, rosemary, thyme and basil)
Directions:
Cut zucchini in half and then dice. Heat oil in a sauté pan and add onions. Sauté about 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add garlic and cook 5 minutes longer. Add tomato paste and combine. Add zucchini and cook for about 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and herbs and cook for about 2-3 more minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.
Looking forward to next week....in addition to Beef Stroganaff we will be learning Spätzle!
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