Lesson 2

Lesson 2

Soupe Villageoise (Country Style Vegetable Soup with Vermicelli)

Escalope of Veau Valle d'Auge (Veal Escalopes with Apples and Calvados)

Crème Renversee au Caramel (Crème Caramel)

Whew, I see some challenges before I even start. Calvados? I know a place in Normandy where I can buy it but here? This might take some doing. Charlotte Mould? Do you suppose that a bundt pan or cake pan would work as well? I guess that we will give it a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Veal- yikes! Meat is really hit or miss at our local grocery chain. The butcher appears to be held captive by the whims of a purchasing group higher in the chain of command. A sad shake of the head is all I get when I question the absence of a specific species.

So…for all you vegetable haters out there, this soup might change your mind. Cabbage and leeks- nothing to it and wow, what flavor! If you can get two picky teenage boys to slurp their bowls, you must be doing something right. The veal? The higher powers at the grocery decided to deny this weeks order of veal. Perhaps if I am truly lucky and the butcher whines and pleads, I may get some this weekend.

Ah, the crème caramel. Let me start by saying that the French are always right. Of course there needs to be a special pan with high sides to cook in a water bath…otherwise your dessert slowly drowns, gasping for breath. Fortunately, caught this faux pas before I had to throw the baby out with the bain marie. Cooking the custard proved to be the easy part…the caramel sauce was a bit tricky. Between cooling too rapidly and having crystals form on the side of the pan..well..I may have lost two pots to Neverland- never to be seen again. Despite my "flipping" fears, the crème caramel landed right side up with a perfect caramel glaze…Voila!

Waiting on the veal….fingers tapping… I did locate a bottle of calvados for $75..do I REALLY want to make this dish??

So the veal finally arrived. This is the second time that I have attempted to use this brand of vacuum sealed veal cutlets and both times it is turned out tough as nails. Is it me? Is it the brand, or the cut? Or perhaps, is it as my chef mentor keeps telling me- cut your own meat as you never know the origin of prepackaged meat. Did all slices come from the same animal or even the same cut? These are things that you really need to know because the cooking times and ultimate results vary accordingly. Zut alors..….but the sauce was out of control good! The combination of sauteed mushroom, crème fraiche and the flambéed shallots was glorious. I made my own crème fraiche using equal parts of sour cream and whipping cream- easy and readily available. I can envision this sauce over grilled rib eye steaks- now that would be a meal!

Size of Alice: normal size

Questions: None? No, that can't be right as it is only lesson two. The secret to caramel sauce? Perhaps, but had I read my notes prior to starting, I would have remembered to have on hand a pastry brush dipped in water to constantly wash down the sides of the pan to prevent crystal formation during carmelization.

Technique:

Bain Marie- the technique of cooking in a water bath .get it? Baby and the bath water? Baby and the Bain Marie? Okay, so I don't have a future in comedy. This method is particularly useful for cooking egg dishes. Essentially, you cook the dish in a larger pan filled with water. The water should be halfway up the side of the dish.

Lesson 1

Concombre a La Menthe (Cucumber Salad with Mint)

Poulet Roti (Roast Chicken)

Petit Pois a La Francaise (Spring Peas with Lettuce, Chervil and Onions)

Salade des Fruits (Fresh Fruit Salad with Cointreau)

Well, I am off to a less than auspicious start. It is 30 degrees in Charleston, SC so local produce stands have no offerings of spring peas, cucumbers or fresh fruits….hmm. Perhaps I shall have to improvise and make do with what is available.. Frozen peas?..check... Imported cucumber?..check.. Hard, unripe fruit?..check...Lets go in the kitchen! Slice and salt cucumbers, mix yogurt and mint- how easy is this? Unfortunately, easy , yes, taste, no. This was more like a bland tzatziki that would be better suited for a spicy lamb dish than a starter salad. Peas? Note to self, do not make this mistake again…frozen peas are not the same as fresh peas. They require less water and a shorter cooking time. My petit pois looked like deflated green orbs floating in slimy green water. Edible, but not memorable. I could have gotten the same result by opening a can of Le Sueur peas. Actually the Green Giant may cook peas better. Now the chicken was another story..the aroma of the thyme roasting inside of the bird was delectable, the skin crispy and brown and the meat succulent. Trussing the bird? How hard can it be to lasso the legs? Well none of the cookbooks tell you that the bird fights back. You get one leg under control and the other pops free. You get both legs roped together and the tail falls out. Is this really necessary??? Won't the bird be fine without trussing- kind of like going braless in your last rebellious act on this earth. I vote to let it all hang out... The fruit salad? Well, a large splash of Cointreau can hide a multitude of sins..nuff said.

Size of Alice: A little stunted

Question: What is achieved by the method of turning the chicken from side to side while roasting, then placing breast side up and adding water? Does this allow the back to brown and add to the flavor of the pan drippings? Is the addition of water to add volume to drippings or to deglaze the pan?

Chef answers: This is a classical method of roasting chicken utilized by both Julia Child and Anne Willen. It facilitates browning on all sides of the bird. It is, however, not necessary. Similar results can be achieved by cooking the bird breast side up the entire cooking time. The water adds to pan juices and allows for enough liquid for a gravy to be made.

Techniques:

Chiffonade: The literal translation is "made of rags." In culinary terms, it is the technique of rolling herbs or leaves into a tight roll then thinly slicing.

Pelar a vif:The process used to peel and section citrus fruits. A slice is taken from the stem and opposing end so that the fruit can lay flat on either side. Using a sharp knife, cut down the outline of the fruit, carefully removing the white pith and skin. Once peeled, hold the fruit in your hand and cut out the segments using the membrane as a guide.