First thing this morning, Corey and I started the wood burning stove, then mixed up our French Bread dough and let it proof. We did our Mise En Place for our bread tomorrow-more French Bread and for Corey, dinner rolls. Me, I'll be making Sweet Raisin Challah bread.
Our lectures today covered Bisque and Foie Gras. But not before we finished our chocolates we started yesterday. Paula and I made a white chocolate ganache then flavored it with Amaretto. We put a dried cherry into the center of our chocolate shell, then filled it with the ganache. Once that was done, we tempered more chocolate and put a bottom layer on the chocolates then let them sit. Everyone got to chose what filled they wanted to use. We then had them for lunch. They turned out great! Everyone did a good job!
Chef Pete talked about making a Bisque, which is a thick soup made using a concentrated essence (lobster bisque, asparagus bisque). It is classically thickened with rice. There are 8 steps to making bisque:
1. Make your base (using mirepoix, bouquet garni, lobster shells, etc)
2. Flambe, then add other liquids (flambe with brandy, then add stock and/or wine)
3. Add rice, cook til tender (1/2 cup for 6 servings)
4. Puree (using a blender, food mill, food processor)
5. Strain using a chinois
6. Finish with reduced cream
7. Double check your seasoning (add salt, pepper, herbs)
8. Serve and garnish
Foie gras means "fat liver" and is made from duck or goose liver. The discovery of Foie gras is believed to have occurred in Egypt around 2500 BC when hunters noted that the goose liver was significantly larger during the period just prior to the annual migration. Upon tasting this delicacy they decided to improve upon its qualities and availability by inducing the natural inclination of the animal to store feed in controlled daily forced feeding. There are hieroglyphic records of this procedure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
The ducks (the best being from the Moulard Duck) used for their livers are fed twice a day with a special corn meal mash made with fat. By the time they are 12 weeks old, their livers can weigh as much as 1-1 1/4 pounds! There are three grades of Foie Gras, Grade A, Grade B, Grade C. Prices start at $30 for grade C and go up to $50 a pound for Grade A. There are two producers in the USA: Hudson Valley and Sonoma Saveurs, who treat their birds humanely and keep them in an open and clean environment (unlike many chicken farms).
Common cooking methods for Foie Gras include a terrine (cold), a Torchon (cold), poached or roasted whole (cold or hot), pan fried (hot) and mousse (cold).
Lunch today was Lobster Bisque, followed by Tournedos Rossini (very haute cuisine!). This is a round piece of buttered toast, topped with a round of beef tenderloin, a round of seared Foie Gras and topped with a shaving of black truffles. Oh, and did I mention the Sauce Perichord? Yummy!! And you already know about chocolates for dessert....
Home to the B&B to bake Molasses Cookies. Carl is going out of town for 5 days, so his daughter, Bailey, will be running the B&B. Carlos will be cooking breakfast and I will be doing the baking. We should be ok, although I will miss Carl!
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