Intermediate Food Preparation

As a part of this class our students do some sour dough cookery including French Bread.
The picture below is from last nights class.  It is just an outstanding example of what bread should be.
I hope you enjoy.

Until next time:
Bon Appetit Ya'll
Chef Leslie Bartosh

Herb Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

Basic Food Preparation is over but I wanted to share a photo and recipe
with you of a dish we do as a part of the class.  This is the first complete meal our students make.  Herb Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy, Pureed Potatoes and vegetable.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

Yield: 4 servings

1 ea                  3-½ pound young chicken

2 Tbsp             Herbs, mixed (thyme, rosemary, savory, tarragon, oregano, basil)

                        Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

⅔ cup              Mirepoix, small dice

4 ½ Tbsp         Flour

3 cups              Chicken stock

Wash chicken and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

The dryer the skin is, the crisper the skin will be.
Season the cavity and exterior with salt, pepper and herbs. 

Truss the bird.

Place bird breast side up on rack and place into a 425° oven

Roast for 60 minutes and remove from oven to check internal temperature.

To check the temperature, place thermometer in the middle of the thigh.

Roast until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.

Return to oven to finish cooking as needed.

Allow the chicken to sit, covered with aluminum foil, for at least 20 minutes before carving.  This allows for carry over cooking and for the juices to retract back toward the center of the bird.

While the bird is resting, make the gravy.

Place the roasting pan on the stove and allow the pan juices to boil gently for about 2 minutes.

Remove all but about 4 tablespoons fat.

Mix in flour and stir with a spoon.

Cook stirring until the flour starts to brown.

Add the mirepoix and cook stirring for about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock (cold) all at once and whisk until smooth.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat so gravy simmers.

You may wish to transfer the gravy to a small sauce pan to finish cooking.

Simmer for 20 minutes, and strain, if desired.

Adjust seasoning and serve with portioned chicken.

There you go.  A nice meal for a cool rainy day/evening or anytime for that fact.

I hope you enjoy.

My thanks to one of my students for the photo.

Until next time.

Happy Cooking and Eating

Chef Leslie Bartosh

Bon Appetit Ya'll

Saucier Class

As a part of Saucier, we make salad dressings.  Yes, I know that they are not a traditional part of the duties of the Saucier but.............it makes sense to do them here in addition to a couple of other classes.
Last night the class produced a stacked salad that was plated with green goddess dressing.
Here is the plate and the recipe for the dressing.
I hope you enjoy.

Green Goddess Dressing

Yield: 2 qt

1 oz                 Parsley, flat leaf

2 oz                 Chives, chopped

2 Tbsp             Tarragon, fresh chopped

1 oz                 Rice wine vinegar

1 oz                 Lemon juice

1 pint               Mayonnaise

12 oz               Sour cream

1 Tbsp             Garlic puree

1 oz                 Anchovy fillet, pureed

                        Salt, to taste

                        Pepper, white, to taste

                        Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Rinse and chop parsley, but don’t dry.

Puree all fresh herbs in a blender with vinegar and a little water, if necessary.

Blend until smooth.

Combine herb puree with remaining ingredients.

Season to taste.

Chill.

Until next time.

Happy Cooking and Eating

Chef Leslie Bartosh

Bon Appetit Ya'll

Fall Cooking part three

It dawned on me that some of you may be interested in the recipe for the bread dumplings that accompanied the Bavarian Roast Pork with Root Vegetables.  So here it is.  This recipe also came from Saveur.  Saveur is, without a doubt, one of my two favorite food magazines.

Semmelknödel

(Bavarian Bread Dumplings)

Yield: ABOUT 14 DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS

5 kaiser rolls (about 1 lb.), thinly sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 cups milk
¼ cup minced parsley, plus more to garnish
¼ cup flour
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hot pork gravy from roasted pork recipe for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 325°. Spread sliced rolls onto 2 baking sheets, and bake until slightly dry, about 12 minutes; transfer to a large bowl, and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the bread, and set aside. Add milk to the saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat, and pour over bread. Add parsley, flour, nutmeg, and eggs; season with salt and pepper, and using your hands, mix until evenly combined.

3. Bring an 8-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Moisten hands with cold water, and form bread mixture into 2" balls (about 4 oz. each); set aside. Working in batches, add balls to boiling water, and cook until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain briefly on paper towels, and transfer to a serving platter; sprinkle with parsley, and serve in bowls surrounded by gravy.

Notes: If this recipe produces too many dumplings for your household, cut all ingredients in half except for the egg.  Add two of the eggs and increase the amount of flour by 1 - 2 Tablespoons.

I hope you enjoy.

Until next time.

Happy Cooking and Eating

Chef Leslie Bartosh

Bon Appetit Ya'll

Fall cooking continued

For the fun of it, I thought I would post a picture of what the finished plate looked like with the Bavarian Roast Pork with Root Vegetables.  The plate includes the pork, root vegetables, gravy, bread dumplings and braised cabbage.  Yes, I know the colors are almost all brown. But in this case, they go together well.  I hope you enjoy.

Until next time.
Happy Cooking and Eating
Chef Leslie Bartosh
Bon Appetit Ya'll

Fall Cooking

It is fall and the temperatures are getting cooler.  I know, this is Texas, it isn't that cold.  but, the temps are down at least 3 degrees, okay?  so, where was I?  Oh yes, cooler temps lend themselves to heartier meals.  I want to share a dish I saw on the Saveur website.  My wife and really enjoyed it.

I could not find some items at my local grocery stores; so I omitted the juniper berries; and substituted some celery in place of the celery root.  My pork was also two pieces that I had packaged up in my freezer so I did not have the opportunity to butterfly it and roll it.  But it came out quite well indeed.  I also did not have to thicken the sauce.  The starches from the root vegetables and reduction during the cooking did the job for me.  I am thinking about adding this to my International Cuisine Class.
Here is the recipe as printed on the Saveur Website.  I hope you enjoy.

Schweineschmorbraten mit Rübengemüse  

(Braised Pork Roast with Root Vegetables)

 

INGREDIENTS

1 (5-lb.) boneless pork shoulder, butterflied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. whole juniper berries
4½ tsp. caraway seeds
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
8 strips bacon
¼ cup olive oil
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1" chunks
½ cup dry red wine
1½ cups chicken stock
6 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°. Season pork with salt and pepper, rub with juniper, caraway, and garlic, and lay 4 strips bacon across pork, parallel to short sides and spaced about 2" apart. Starting at one of the short edges, roll pork into a tight bundle, and place seam-side down; lay remaining bacon lengthwise across the top of the roast, and tie securely with kitchen twine at 1" intervals. Season outside of pork with salt and pepper, and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large roasting pan set over two burners over medium-high heat. Place roast, bacon side down, in pan, and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 25 minutes. Push roast to one side of the pan, and add parsnips, carrots, potato, celery root, and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Add wine, and cook, stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan, until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock, thyme, and bay leaves, and using tongs, arrange roast on top of vegetables. Cover with foil, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 165°, about 2 hours.

3. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and let rest for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme, and arrange vegetables on a large serving platter; slice pork, and arrange over vegetables.

4. Bring roasting pan with pan juices to a boil over high heat. Mix cornstarch and 2 tbsp. water in a bowl. When juices boil, whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook until gravy is thick, about 2 minutes more. Strain gravy through a fine-mesh strainer, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper; serve alongside roast.

Bread dumplings make a great accompaniment to this dish.

Until next time.

Happy cooking and eating

Chef Leslie Bartosh 

Bon Appetit Ya'll