Mastering Culinary Arts: A Day of French Patisserie, Savory Delights, and Advanced Techniques
Apologies for the slight delay in my Thursday update, but I’m thrilled to be back with all the exciting details of what was truly an immersive and highly productive day in the culinary school kitchen. Thursday’s menu was **packed** with a diverse array of new dishes and challenging techniques, making for quite a hectic but ultimately rewarding experience. The kitchen buzzed with activity, yet we managed our time remarkably well, a testament to our growing organizational skills. I also had the pleasure of working alongside Tasha for the second time, which always adds an element of fun and collaboration to the intensive learning environment.
Our day began on a sweet note with a surprisingly simple yet elegant dessert. We delved into another classic **petits fours sec** in the form of delightful PALMIER cookies. These iconic “elephant ear” pastries are traditionally crafted from leftover puff pastry trimmings, ensuring no delicious scrap goes to waste. The pastry is generously coated in a mixture of granulated sugar and fragrant ground cinnamon. Because we had a good amount of leftover trim from previous preparations, making these was incredibly straightforward and efficient. The process commenced with rolling out our puff pastry dough to a uniform thickness, then liberally sprinkling both sides with our prepared cinnamon-sugar mixture, ensuring every surface was coated.
Once coated, the pastry was carefully rolled inwards from both ends, creating a distinctive **scroll**-like shape where the two rolls meet in the middle. This scrolled pastry was then precisely cut into 1/2-inch widths, which, when baked, unfurl into those beautiful, crispy little butterfly or heart-shaped cookies we all recognize. These delicate creations were then transferred to the oven for approximately 20 minutes, with a crucial step of flipping them halfway through to ensure even caramelization and a perfect golden-brown crispness on both sides.
Upon emerging from the oven, they were perfectly golden and flaky, as seen above! We elevated our Palmier cookies by serving them with a luxurious sabayon, a classic Italian wine custard, often referred to as Zabaglione. This exquisite accompaniment is created by meticulously whipping egg yolks, sugar, and (in our case) a delicate sherry wine over a bain-marie. The gentle heat of the water bath is essential for slowly thickening the mixture to a rich, airy consistency without scrambling the eggs. Once sufficiently thickened and beautifully aerated, a very small amount of freshly hand-whipped cream was carefully folded in, adding an extra layer of lightness and indulgence. This sabayon was then delicately spooned over a vibrant mixture of fresh seasonal fruits and briefly torched, giving it a beautifully caramelized finish and a hint of smoky sweetness. It was incredibly good, though undeniably very rich and decadent, a true celebration of textures and flavors.
Transitioning to our main course, we prepared a sophisticated seared chicken dish, elegantly served with a rich and savory **mushroom Madeira sauce**. The preparation for this dish began with a fundamental skill: breaking down whole chickens. This involved carefully separating the various parts, specifically removing the breast with the wing bone still attached. This particular cut is known as an **airline** breast, a term originating from its traditional service on airplanes, where the bone acts as a convenient handle and helps retain moisture and flavor during cooking. Keeping the wing bone on an airline breast not only enhances presentation but also contributes to a richer flavor profile during the searing process.
We thoughtfully reserved the remaining chicken legs for a future culinary application, maximizing our use of the whole bird. Meanwhile, we finely chopped the spine and back of the chicken into small, manageable pieces. These were then seared vigorously over high heat to extract maximum flavor, creating a deeply caramelized fond at the bottom of the pan. Once the bones were removed, we deglazed the pan with a classic mirepoix (a mixture of diced carrots, celery, and onions) and, staying true to a recurring theme, Madeira wine (notice a theme indeed?). Deglazing is crucial for incorporating all those flavorful browned bits into our sauce base.
At this critical juncture, we introduced reduced veal stock, a foundational element for a deeply flavored sauce. The seared chicken bones were then returned to the pan, and this entire mixture was allowed to slowly reduce and develop its complex flavors in the oven. This long, gentle reduction process concentrates the essences of the chicken bones, mirepoix, Madeira, and veal stock into a profound and aromatic sauce that would perfectly complement our seared chicken.
Our chicken breast itself was cooked to order, a technique that proved to be quite tricky and demanding. Achieving a perfectly cooked chicken breast requires a specific method to ensure all parts, particularly the thickest portion, are cooked evenly without any part becoming overdone or dry. This involves constant attention, skillfully maneuvering the pan to maximize heat on the thicker sections of the breast and carefully adjusting for thinner areas. The goal is a crispy, golden skin and a juicy, tender interior. This particular dish is slated to be a key component of our **second practical exam**, so the pressure to perfect it is considerable. I’m determined to practice this recipe extensively at home to ensure flawless execution. While ours turned out quite well, it was, regrettably, slightly overcooked on this occasion – a valuable lesson learned.
Accompanying our exquisite chicken, we prepared **POMMES RISSOLEES**, yet another testament to the incredible versatility of potato dishes in classic French cuisine. These are beautifully “tourneed” potatoes, meaning they are skillfully carved into uniform, seven-sided oval shapes – a technique that not only enhances presentation but also ensures even cooking. The process involves lightly blanching these tourneed potatoes to soften them slightly before they are sautéed in clarified butter. The goal is to achieve an even, golden-brown crust on all sides, resulting in a delightfully crisp exterior and a tender, creamy interior. We also served a simple side of plain steamed broccoli, which I always appreciate. It’s refreshing to have green vegetables at lunch that aren’t drenched in butter, providing a fresh, healthful contrast to the richness of the main course.
Scallops made their highly anticipated debut on our menu for the first time, introducing us to the nuances of preparing these delicate mollusks. In class, we learned about the critical distinction between **dry-packed** and **wet-packed** scallops. Dry-packed scallops are the premium choice and are typically more expensive, primarily because they are harvested and immediately frozen or shipped without any added water or preservatives. This ensures they remain in their natural state, with a firm texture and concentrated flavor. In contrast, wet-packed scallops are generally stored and sold in a solution containing water and often sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), a seafood preservative. While this process extends shelf life and adds weight, it causes the scallops to absorb water, leading to a softer texture and a diluted flavor. Wet-packed scallops are usually better suited for applications like mousses or purees, where their texture is less critical.
The superior qualities of dry-packed scallops make them unequivocally preferred for grilling or searing. Their lower water content means they are far less likely to stick to the pan and, crucially, they won’t “boil” in their own juices when cooked over high heat. This allows for the development of a beautiful, caramelized crust through the Maillard reaction, yielding a perfectly tender interior. Wet-packed scallops, conversely, tend to release their absorbed water, making it difficult to achieve a proper sear and often resulting in a mushy texture. We expertly grilled our dry-packed scallops, rotating them precisely 90 degrees halfway through the cooking process to create those classic, visually appealing crosshatch grill marks. They were served simply with a bed of delicately sautéed spinach and a vibrant beurre blanc sauce, a quintessential French emulsion.
While there are numerous contemporary interpretations of beurre blanc, we focused on mastering the classic method. This intricate sauce begins with a flavorful reduction: combining red wine vinegar, finely minced shallots, white wine, garlic, fresh thyme sprigs, whole peppercorns, parsley stems, and a bay leaf. This mixture is simmered gently until it cooks **au sec** – meaning “nearly dry.” This step is critical, as it concentrates all the aromatic flavors into a powerful essence. At this point, a very small amount of heavy cream is added to stabilize the emulsion, and then, off the heat, cold, cubed butter is slowly whisked in, piece by piece. The constant whisking and gradual addition of cold butter emulsifies the fat into the reduction, creating a smooth, rich, and velvety sauce. The entire mixture is then carefully strained to ensure a perfectly smooth and refined texture. While I appreciate the technical mastery behind beurre blanc, and its status as a classic, I must admit it wasn’t personally my favorite flavor profile. However, I’m certainly curious to explore more modern interpretations that might better suit my palate.
Our afternoon was dedicated to honing more delicate pastry skills, starting with learning how to make **CORNETS**. These small parchment paper cones are indispensable tools in the pastry kitchen, used for piping incredibly fine lines and intricate details with tempered chocolate or icing. They sound simple, but their creation – precise folding and cutting of parchment – is far more challenging than it sounds, requiring accuracy and dexterity. Following this, we embarked on a special trip to the Phase II pastry classroom, where we were treated to a truly magnificent and utterly impressive PETITS FOURS buffet!
The Phase II students had poured their dedication into this monumental task, spending the last three days in intensive production to create this stunning array. That very morning, they had meticulously arranged each petit four, using rulers to ensure perfect alignment and presentation – a true testament to the art of professional pastry. Each student was responsible for crafting several different varieties, showcasing a breathtaking range of techniques and flavors. Just to highlight a few of the delectable offerings, there were delicate baklava, tangy lemon tarts, moist pound cakes, intricately layered mini carrot cakes, and exquisite handmade chocolate shells filled with rich coffee creams. The sheer variety and artistry were overwhelming, in the best possible way.
Honestly, there were almost too many exquisite options to choose from! Each bite was a journey through classic and contemporary pastry techniques, from flaky layers to smooth fillings.
Among these incredible treats, there were also these remarkably special and unique candied fruits (pictured below). According to the instructors, these fruits were dipped in a sugar syrup that had reached a very specific temperature stage – I’m fairly certain it was the “hard crack” stage (approximately 300-310°F or 149-154°C). At this precise temperature, the sugar forms an incredibly hard, clear shell around the fruit. When you bite into it, this shell shatters with a satisfying crack, but the interior remains soft and the texture is completely devoid of any gumminess, which is often a challenge with candied fruits. This particular method has a specific French name, but alas, it has slipped my mind!
These candied fruits were truly very, very cool! They offered a unique textural and flavor experience unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. I particularly adored the candied orange segments, as the natural tartness of the orange beautifully cut through the sweetness of the sugar, creating a perfectly balanced and refreshing bite. It was a fascinating display of sugar work and fruit preservation.
As the week draws to a close, there’s still a significant amount to accomplish before Monday’s classes, including making progress on my second major paper, which is due at the end of this week. This ongoing academic work, combined with the intense practical training, truly makes for a demanding but incredibly fulfilling culinary journey. Every day presents new challenges and opportunities to refine my skills and deepen my understanding of the culinary arts.
I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend, perhaps with a sweet treat or a perfectly seared dish in mind!