So this is the real first week of my culinary adventure, the ice is broken, students mingled and familiar, 3 students dropped out already, skill building has started. The instructor has the lesson plans worked out and we have begun to really get into the text book, and full-on projects. Week 1 was just an ice breaker to ease everyone into the kitchen and so she could see what she is working with.
overall week 2 topics covered; Basic principles of cooking and food science, heat & food, carbs, proteins, fibers, fats, flavor components, heat transfer methods, heat management, cooking methods & all their temperatures, poaching, simmering, boiling, steaming, braising, roasting, baking, broiling, grill, griddle, pan-broil, saute’, pan-fry, deep fry, pressure fry, sous vide cooking, molecular gastronomy, building flavor profiles, difference between seasoning & flavoring, Spice & herb profiles, knifes, knife skills, styles of cuts, stocks, sauces, spice sachets, bone blanching.
The Main focus this week:
The Chef Knife - We viewed two videos about chef knives, selecting the perfect chef knife for the right tasks, how they are constructed, different styles and materials, and how to maintain a sharp edge.
We also worked on KNIFE SKILLS, different styles of cuts, there procedures and uses, and safety during cutting.
We were given a sheet pan full of vegetables; tomatoes, onions, green onion, garlic, leeks, carrots, potatoes, parsley, celery, etc. and we were instructed to execute the different styles of cuts we learned then present them to the chef. A task much harder than one would think.
we presented the six basic vegetable cuts
Julienne ( 1/8 x 1/8 x 1-2 inches), Fine julienne ( 2 x 1/16 x 1-2 inches),
Rondelle (round cuts/bias, varied diameter), Large dice (1/4 x 3/4 x 3/4),
medium dice (1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2), small dice (1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4), bruinose ( 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8),
tourne (2 x 1/4 x 7 sides, flat end, football shape)
I also tried the following cuts for practice: Fermie’re (quarter circle irregular cut), Lozenges (diamond shape cut), Oblique (also called the roll cut, for long cylindrical vegetables such as carrots)
So having a full class of 12 students cutting up all those vegetables, what to do with them? make STOCKS & SOUPS!
we reserved all the cut vegetables and we learned the basics for all our stocks & soups. Of course starting with Mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery). We were each assigned a soup to construct from a recipe and using the basic stocks and vegetables we cut up the previous class. I was assigned Consamme’ and I was pretty excited because I have heard about this a lot but never cooked or eaten it. This was a long grueling process, the Mise en place (meez on plahss) alone was tedious. But with a little guidance from the chef I was on my way. I had 3 hours to make something that normally takes all day, so after I got my mise en place ready I had only 1 hour to simmer. I prepped, cooked, simmered, and strained the Consamme’ 6 different times to release the oils from it, finally realizing that I had to use a fatty beef in the recipe because lean meats are not on the class budget! but overall it came out great, and the Chef was impressed. I decided to saute’ up some chicken that I cut into small bias pieces, with asparagus & carrots. Normally Consamme’ is brought out to the table at a restaurant and poured over a vegetable and protein right in front of the customer for presentation purposes. In my case I just wanted to have a nice clean presentation, that was tastey and executed perfectly. which for my first time cooking this recipe I believe I accomplished.
Consamme" over Sauted chicken & vegetables
Another great class, great experience and further recognition that cooking is truly what I want to do. Creating something, and something delicious, out of nothing is amazing. I am a creative, curious person and It’s part of a good cook’s personality: to be curious. and curiosity-coupled with a streak of perfectionism-is the road to developing your own style.
Thanks for reading, stay tuned for next weeks post. This week we are studying and crafting salads, dressings, and more!
Good post! When you get a chance can you describe why you would chose one cutting form over another (besides presentation)? I didn’t realize there were so many, abd am curious whyat they each ‘bring to the table’ hehe.
Good luck next week with the salads and dressing.
PS the photo of your completed dish was really well done, and begs to be tried!
Thanks for the post. much appreciated and makes me very happy that you took the time to read the article and ask questions. As for the answer, the main reason for the cuts are Presentation- Not just for french cuisine, but for any dish plating is super important. We eat with our eyes first!
Texture for certain recipes- even though you eat something and it tastes like what it is, the texture and shape play a role in the overall taste as well.
and finally-Cook time: The certain shapes & sizes will determine how quickly & evenly the vegetables cook down whether in a stock or being sauted. For quicker flavor release a chef will use the small dice ( or other small cuts) to release the flavor quicker. Whereas if you are simmering a stock for a long period of time your mirepoix can be cut into large dice or even rough cuts because the flavors will take longer to release and they will hold up longer.
Other examples: Julienne cuts, typically used for slaws, salads, garnish, they are pleasing to the eye, easy to pick up with chop sticks or other utensils. Julienne also used when you cut up potatoes for fries.
Thanks again for the post, hope you signed up by email so you can see all the posts to come.
If those are the 6 basic vegetable cuts, how many other cuts are there? My head is just spinning from trying to figure out what the last 4 cuts even look like!
Props to you, Scott!!!
So far… 17 that I have studied. Most you may know, the names do not really lend help to what they look like, but some do. its insane! but i so LOVE it. I finally found something other than playing drums that I love to do! thanks for the post!