The culinary journey at L’Academie has reached an exciting, yet bittersweet, milestone: our 21st week! This significant marker means we’ve officially embarked on our final month of intense training before transitioning into the professional kitchen environment of our externships. With this new phase comes a fresh set of challenges and opportunities, including new partners (I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin), new station assignments, and a daily rotation of innovative dishes designed to push our skills to their limits.

This concluding month is meticulously structured to elevate our culinary prowess, placing an even greater emphasis on precision, speed, and efficiency. It’s a critical period for fine-tuning every technique, perfecting every plate, and mentally preparing for the rigorous, yet immensely rewarding, “real world” of professional cooking. The anticipation for our externships is building, and rest assured, I’ll be dedicating a detailed post to that experience very soon.

A Day of Culinary Exploration: From Delicate Starters to Innovative Desserts

Crafting the Perfect Beef Carpaccio

Our culinary day commenced with the artful preparation of beef carpaccio. This classic Italian appetizer features impeccably thin slices of raw beef tenderloin, served with a vibrant Dijon dressing, briny capers, finely minced red onions, and accompanied by a fresh arugula salad nestled in a delicate Parmesan tuile. For those unfamiliar, carpaccio showcases the exquisite flavor and tender texture of raw beef, meticulously pounded to an almost translucent thinness. The accompanying acidic and salty components – like the tangy dressing and capers – are crucial. They cut through the richness of the beef, providing a harmonious balance that elevates the dish beyond its simple components. While not my personal favorite, the execution was undeniably excellent, highlighting the importance of balancing bold flavors.

The integrity of beef carpaccio relies heavily on temperature and presentation. We learned the critical importance of keeping the beef *very cold* to maintain its freshness and prevent oxidation, which can cause the meat to turn an unappetizing brown. Our strategy involved pounding the tenderloin ahead of service, carefully placing each delicate slice between layers of plastic wrap, and refrigerating it right up until the last possible moment before plating. This meticulous approach ensures the beef retains its pristine color and texture, offering a truly premium dining experience.

Seared Salmon with a Unique Cucumber Cream Sauce

For our main course, we focused on expertly seared salmon, complemented by an intriguing cucumber cream sauce. The sauce itself was a masterclass in building flavor: we began by sweating aromatic shallots and earthy mushrooms, then deglazing and reducing a rich fish fumet (a concentrated fish stock). Cream was gradually incorporated, and the mixture was meticulously strained to achieve a silky-smooth consistency. The final touch was the addition of precisely tourneed (turned) and cooked cucumber pieces. While the sauce itself was lauded for its depth and richness, the inclusion of cooked cucumber sparked some debate among us. It was an unconventional pairing that challenged our perceptions, underscoring the innovative spirit often encouraged in professional kitchens.

Despite the initial surprise of the cooked cucumber, the dish exemplified how a chef’s creativity can transform familiar ingredients into something new. The crisp, flaky salmon provided a beautiful contrast to the smooth, savory cream, creating a dish that was both comforting and thought-provoking. It was a valuable lesson in understanding that not every element on a plate will be universally adored, but every component serves a purpose in the chef’s vision.

Mastering German Spätzle: A Rustic Delight

To accompany our seared salmon, we prepared a classic German spätzle, essentially a rustic egg noodle that provides hearty comfort. The dough is delightfully simple, composed of just 8 ounces of all-purpose flour, 5 eggs, a hint of nutmeg, and salt, all combined effortlessly in a stand mixer. The traditional method of forming these distinctive noodles is surprisingly hands-on: we literally pressed the soft dough through the perforations of a hotel tray directly into a pot of vigorously boiling water. This technique yields irregularly shaped, yet charmingly rustic, little noodles.

Once cooked through, the spätzle was immediately shocked in an ice bath to halt the cooking process and maintain its chewy texture. During service, these delightful noodles were then sautéed in rich butter, adding a golden crispness and an irresistible flavor that perfectly complemented the salmon. As a dedicated enthusiast of anything resembling pasta, this dish was an absolute winner in my book – a testament to the power of simple ingredients prepared with care.

The Art of Salmon Butchering: A Hands-On Skill

Before our classes even began today, I had the incredible opportunity to engage in a crucial foundational skill: breaking down a whole salmon. Under the expert guidance of Chef Michel, I learned the intricate process of filleting and preparing the very fish that would later become our main course. While the sight of a whole salmon can appear daunting, the process itself, though tricky, is immensely rewarding. The challenge lies in efficiently removing the skin and bones while preserving as much of the delicate flesh as possible. It requires a steady hand, a keen eye, and a deep understanding of fish anatomy.

This hands-on experience underscored the importance of practical skills in the kitchen. It’s one thing to cook a fillet, but another entirely to transform a whole fish into pristine portions. Achieving mastery in fish butchery is a testament to a chef’s skill and commitment to minimizing waste and maximizing quality. It’s clear that becoming even remotely proficient at this technique will require a significant amount of practice, but it’s a skill I am eager to hone.

A Culinary Surprise: The Unique Crepe Cake Dessert

Our day culminated in the creation of a truly unique and memorable dessert: a multi-layered cake crafted from crepes. However, this was no ordinary crepe. The batter deviated significantly from traditional recipes, incorporating folded-in egg whites that resulted in crepes almost as thick as pancakes. This dish is challenging to describe but demands a fair amount of advanced technique, meticulous attention to detail, and a willingness to embrace unconventional cooking methods.

Crepe Cake – mid-way through the assembly process

The assembly process is a testament to patience and precision. Each “crepe” is cooked individually and then carefully stacked, with a delicate sprinkling of sugar between each layer. What truly sets these crepes apart is their cooking method: unlike a typical pancake, which is flipped and cooked evenly on both sides, these crepes are cooked *only on one side*, and to a degree that might initially appear “black and burned.” This intense cooking is, in fact, controlled caramelization, a vital step that imparts a profound depth of flavor and a beautiful visual contrast, while also subtly cutting through the overall sweetness of the cake. Achieving a perfectly straight stack is also an art in itself; one misstep, and you quickly find yourself with a leaning Tower of Pisa!

We crafted nine distinct layers, which were then enveloped by one final, significantly larger “crepe,” creating a seamless outer shell. This culinary creation was then transferred to the fridge to chill and set, allowing the layers to meld and the structure to firm up. The final layer was purposefully placed cooked-side up, showcasing the rich, caramelized surface that we had meticulously developed. While it might sound unconventional, trust me when I say the final product was nothing short of delicious.

Once the cake had sufficiently chilled and set, we completed its transformation. A generous dusting of powdered sugar adorned the top, and the cake was then elegantly sliced, revealing its intricate layers. It was served with a luxurious coffee crème anglaise (a truly delightful pairing!) and a simple, fresh strawberry coulis. Each slice showcased the beautiful stratification, a testament to the careful stacking process.

The flavor profile of this crepe cake was truly extraordinary. It tasted like an incredibly moist and rich pancake, elevated into a sophisticated cake form. The harmonious combination of the coffee crème anglaise and the bright strawberry coulis evoked the comforting essence of a gourmet breakfast. Several of us even remarked that it bore a delightful resemblance to a jelly donut, thanks to its sweet, fruity, and slightly custardy notes. It was, without a doubt, one of my favorite desserts crafted in a long while—simple in its fundamental components, yet complex and utterly delicious in its execution.

Reflections on a Journey Nearing Its End

Overall, the day was a resounding success and a fantastic way to inaugurate our final month at L’Academie. It’s genuinely difficult to believe how quickly time has flown! Phase II, despite its moments of intensity and occasional overwhelm, has been an immense period of growth. I’ve absorbed an incredible amount of knowledge and honed countless skills, far beyond what I imagined possible.

The journey through culinary school has been a transformative experience, pushing me to new limits and revealing the endless possibilities within the culinary arts. I am eagerly looking forward to continuing to share the remainder of this incredible adventure with you all, especially the upcoming externship experiences that promise to be both challenging and immensely rewarding.