WE HAVE GOT A LOT TO COVER FROM THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS....LEVEL 2 HAS BEGUN AND IT IS DEFINITELY HEATING UP IN THE KITCHEN.
TO START, MY CHEF INSTRUCTOR IS NOW CHEF JOSE MENENDEZ. HE HAS WORKED AT EL BULLI, WHEN IT WAS OPENED THE BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD, AND WORKED ALONGSIDE WITH CHEF JOSE ANDRES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE HAS EXPERIENCE IN THE KITCHEN. AND NOT JUST THAT, CHEF JOSE IS A CULINARY ENCYCLOPEDIA AND HE IS PASSING ON THIS KNOWLEDGE TO US WHILE ENCOURAGING US TO LEARN ON OUR OWN.
AND NOW FOR THE FOOD! THESE TWO DISHES REQUIRED US TO BOIL/SIMMER THE MEAT. SOMETHING I NEVER DO AT HOME OR WORK....AND IM GLAD I DON'T. THE ONLY REASON WE DID IT IN SCHOOL IS BECAUSE THE RECIPES NEED A "COLORLESS" MEAT TO GO WITH THE WHITE "COLORLESS" SAUCE AND BROTH. A SIMMERED BEEF SHORT RIB DISH WITH SAUCE RAIFORT WAS WHAT I WOULD CALL DECENT. THE SAUCE IS HORSERADISH BASED WHICH WENT WELL WITH THE BEEF BUT IT JUST WASN'T MY CUP OF TEA I GUESS.
THE VEAL BLANQUETTE DISH LACKED COLOR....AND EVEN A LITTLE FLAVOR. IT ALSO DIDN'T HELP THAT MY PARTNER AND I SIMMERED THE VEAL TOO QUICKLY AND IT DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO BECOME AS TENDER AS IT SHOULD BE.
THE NEXT TWO DISHES WERE MORE MY SPEED. THE LAMB SHANK WAS VERY FAMILIAR, AS IT REMINDED ME OF AN ITALIAN DISH CALLED OSSO BUCO. THE USE OF RED AND WHITE WINE ADDED DEPTH OF FLAVOR, WITH THE COUS COUS SOAKING UP ALL THE DELICIOUSNESS.
THE NEXT DISH NEARLY HOPPED OFF THE PLATE! ALRIGHT THAT WAS A CORNY JOKE, I WILL ADMIT. BUT IT WAS DELICIOUS! I HAVE HAD RABBIT ONCE BEFORE BUT DID NOT REMEMBER HOW GOOD IT WAS. THIS RABBIT RAGOUT IS SIMILAR TO A CHICKEN CACCIATORE WITH IT'S INGREDIENTS AND RUSTIC QUALITIES. BUT CHEF JOSE LET US GO A LITTLE CRAZY AND PLATE IT NON-TRADITIONALLY WHICH IS AWESOME!
THIS IS OUR CHEF'S PLATE.....CLEARLY HE HAS DONE THIS BEFORE.
AND CHEF JOSE DID HIS OWN RABBIT DISH CALLED SALMOREJO, WHICH WAS ADDICTING! IT WAS GARLICKY, SALTY AND A LITTLE SOUR FROM THE VINEGAR.
ON TO THE OFFAL!! FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM, IT USED TO REFER TO ORGAN MEATS. AND WHILE IT MAY SEEM A BIT WIERD I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING ABOUT THIS STUFF. I HAVE HAD SOME OFFAL, LIKE BEEF HEART, TRIPE (LINING OF ONE OF THE STOMACHS IN A COW), AND MY NEMESIS LIVER.
BUT THIS DISH SURPRISED THE HELL OUT OF ME....SWEETBREADS. THESE ARE EITHER THE THYMUS OR PANCREAS GLAND OF VEAL, LAMB AND PORK. CRISPY AND PAN-FRIED WITH A BROWN BUTTER CAPER SAUCE, THESE REMINDED ME OF A VERY TENDER VEAL CUTLET.
WHENEVER I SEE LENGUA TACOS ON A MENU I ORDER THEM. THESE TONGUE TACOS OFTEN FREAK PEOPLE OUT, BUT TONGUE IS DELICIOUS IF PREPARED PROPERLY. IN CLASS WE MADE A LAMB TONGUE DISH WITH A WARM POTATO SALAD AND VINAIGRETTE. THE TENDER LAMB TONGUE WAS THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO THE SHARP MUSTARDY VINAIGRETTE AND SALTY POTATOES.
AND FINALLY WE HAVE STELLA ENJOYING SOME LEG OF VEAL, COMPLIMENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER!
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT RECAP!!! I CAN TELL YOU THIS.....THERE WILL BE EGGS!!!