LCB Notes

Rustic Vegetable Soup

Be systematic
Peel (& wash) all veggies first
then
Chop / cut all veggies (except potatoes)


Peeling: carrots: thick end to thin end; peeler slightly angled
green beans; snap off top & tail manually. Do Not line up a bunch and cut end off w/ knife (amateur)
Peel nabo w/ knife, not peeler, dues to thick skin
Peel celery (that will be eaten) convex side out to remove fibers

Wash vegs in large bowl - add a drop of vinagre (anti-bugs)
Rinse
Lift out into other bowl (leaving sand behind)
Rinse in 2nd bowl

Leeks: 1/4 top green part and rinse out sand


Mirepoix: is a concept, not a size
a large dice; to cook faster; to add flavor
Onions: in 1/2 lengthwise; then 1/4s or 1/6s
No need to peel celery (will not be eaten directly)
Jullienne: thin strips (1mm x 4-5cm)
Leeks: cut in 1/2 lengthwise, remove center bit (to allow flattening), flatten - then cut
Brunoise: 3mm cubes
1) square up real well
2) 3cm slabs
3) 3cm sticks
4) 3cm cubes
Paysanne: triangles (or sticks); thinly sliced (3mm) (or more v. thinly in our case)
Ciselés: chopped
Émincés: cut very fine (e.g. onion, shallot)
Hachée: chopped up; chop over and over (normal fashion)

Paysane: carrot:
square up
cut slabs 1cm ! cm not mm
cut longways into long triangles (of 1 cm)
slice into paysanne

Bacon: poitrine de porc: cut off rind - always away from you
cut slabs the long way (horizontal layers of meat/fat/meat/fat)
then crossways once (into slices, not little cubes)
cut all te way down to the board

Shallots: after émincés (mincing) the shallots to preserve (for 1 or 2 days); rinse; wring 'dry' in a towel - prevents blackening (which shallots will do quite readily)