Lock, Stock and Barrel- Week 1

Back in February, I started a Tafe Certificate III in Patisserie. Day 1 of what has fondly been described as "Baking School", and I packed my tool box, complete with some serious knives (personal protection for my trip to Regency Park) and assorted piping nozzles and pastry cutters. I had ironed my very flattering uniform and was ready to start baking cakes to my heart's content. Alas, what I found upon arrival was a timetable that indicated that the first 5 1/2 weeks of the course would contain a commerical cookery module. To summarise- stocks, soup, cutting vegetables, and preparing meat dishes. Needless to say, this was not the stuff my dreams are made of.

The first lesson of the week consisted of a kitchen orientation, making Chicken Stock, and a Salad of Julienne Vegetables with a Capsicum Vinaigrette. I remember this lesson as being a completely overwhelming one.  With a chef watching over my shoulder, I suddenly found myself doubting my ability to hold a knife. Had I been cutting vegetables wrong my whole life? Was I supposed to use a different knife to cut a carrot as opposed to a cucumber? As it turns out, no, you can use the same knife for both, don't fret!

The next day was a complex affair! We were to prepare of plate of not one variety of cut vegetables, but three! These were a Mushroom Duxelle, Pommes Marquis and Cucumber Spaghetti with Beurre Fondu. My plating up was slammed by the judges, but hey, early days. The only way is up!

Vegetable extravaganza!

Thursday rolled around, and more stock was on the cards for the students of Cert III Patisserie. Joy of joys! Time to cut up more chicken carcasses and roll up herbs into bouquet garnis. This was, however, the first day of real "meal" cooking! On the menu was Pumpkin Soup and Damper with Buerre Maitre d'Hotel and Pumpkin Chips. To the uninitiated, this consisted of pumpkin soup with easy-peasy basic bread with lemon and parsley flavoured butter and a garnish of deep fried slices of pumpkin. An excellent dish in my opinion, and one that looked great, especially seeing as there is no photographic evidence to dispute this. 

To wrap up week one, we created a Beef Consommé, and French Onion Soup. Two soups that utilised the beef stock that we had made earlier in the week (and that I've forgotten to mention until now). The consommé, being fiddly due to the egg white raft provided satisfying end results, when the raft had done its job and cleared the flavoured stock of impurities and left a beautiful clear soup. We finished the soup with some julienned vegetables. The French onion soup was also a winner- rich and filling due to the hefty amount of onions that made up the soup, and the crouton and cheese topping. Those French really know what they're doing. 

Stay tuned, more soup stories to come! xx