LCB Notes

We've had all these demos so far.
Taking notes - not transcribing them. No time.
Studying for tomorrow's final exam..
La Tee Dah

The blogging of my notes from class has fallen way off - -but they're really just for me so that's not such a big thing. I'll promise myself to do a rework on this later.

Meanwhile they've given us the list of 9 candidate recipes for the final exam. We won't know which one we end up doing until the actual day. Exam is done with 1) the recipe page and 2) no notes; from memory.
I'll be studying - a lot.

The winners are:

1. Paupiettes de Veau Bourgeoise
2. Tronçons de Colin Pochés, Sauce Hollandaise
3. Suprême de Volaille Farci, Sauce aux Champignons
4. Filet de Barbue Duglere & Pommes Anglais
5. Blanquette de Veau á l'Ancienne & Riz Pilaf
6. Filet de Daurade Poêlées au Fenouil & Pommes Anglais
7. Côtes de Veau Grand-mére
8. Cannette Rôtie aux Navets
9. Poulet Rôti, Jardiniére de Légumes

One of those plus: 2 Merlans a lever en filets

Wow, it's flying by! The notes for the last coupl of days are way behind - but we're doing 3 session every 2 days so the pace is pretty brutal. That's my only excuse.
I'd better try to keep up.

No secrets here - again, a pretty simple technique

Consommé:

• Salt the bouillon before mixing w/ the clarifying stuff
• You need something acidic in the mix too (e.g. tomato)
• Mix sinks to bottom, forms "raft" floats to top.
• Break through w/ ladel where bubbling/boiling appears to be coming thru
• After nn minutes, stop & let sit 20 min or so - raft will start to sink again
• Skim off clear clear consomme!

French Onion Soup:

• Carmelize onion (accroding to color desired)
• some prefer chicken stock, or consomme
• Pain must be dry to float

Soupe de Poisson Façon Marseillaise

• Not w/ salmon, tuna, sardine (red &/or oily fishes)
• Yes, swimming crabs, langosinta heads (add late in the cooking process)

That's is.
Soup is easy.

Seems simpler - soups.

Dubarry: things that are with cauliflower
Argente: with asparagus

Bouillon (for lesson 17):

• cooks at 100-110 for 3-4 hours
• Put vegs in in bundles for easy retrieval
• A clove or 2-3 Max
• Burn onion & garlic to color the boullion
• = Patrelle
  
• Tomato (opt) may help to calify; colors the stock)
• Simmer "as low as possible" 10-120C

Creme Dubarry:

• Thickeners - laison - often used in soup = creme & egg yolk mixed
• pour creme, add yolks, whisk - not on the fire & fridge 'til needed
• Do not boil soup after adding this - it will coagulate the eggs - heat w/out boiling
  
• Keep warm over water bath

Potage Cressonniere:

• Use only leaves for soup
• remove yellow leaves
• Save some leaves for searing later (for presentation)

Bisque d'etrilles (crab):

• they have almost no meat - lotsa flavor
• really v. simple
• rice flour (mixed w/ wtr) to do final thickening
  

Salmon:

• Cooking fish w/ lotsa bones in Sorrel - the acidity of the sorrel softens/disolves little bones - a good combo
• Sorrel turns sorta black when cooked
  

Mayo

• 1 egg yolk can hold/support a liter of oil
• Putting mustard in is a relatively new invention
• All ingredients at same (room) temp
• If it doesn;t thicken try adding some warm water (a la saboyon)

Green sauce:

• Colors the mayo (or forcemeats)
  
• Make chlorophyl from salad greens (perejil, chervil, cresson, estragon, spinaca)
• sans stalks
  
• Robo & squeeze through wet towel (this is chlorophyl cru)
• pour/squeeze thru cloth again - but saving solids
  
• If cooked will coagulate like blood (think: Plant Blood) (chlorophyl cuit)
• put 1 T into mayo: gives dots & color

Fumet: Max 20 mins cooking (goes to tasting bitter)

Never give a lemon with a fish served w/ sauce

Poached Hake Steaks
Today's tricks are about the Hollandaise of course.

Make calrified butter in the smallest saucepan possible (for easy separation)

• The saboyon - add water to egg yolks (don;t forget) - whisk.
• Whisk//mix in form of an 8 or S
  
• Sayboyon & clarified butter at the same temp; warm; 60C
• Whisk in like mayo (some say: gently) round

• Hold over (not touching) water bath
• 2-3 hours Max

• If it breaks (because of being to hot at some point usually) recover by wisking broken suace into (same temp) warm water
  

Court Bouillon

• highly aromatic broth
• with very fine (noble) fish omit vinegar from court bouillon
• "Nage" is a court bouillon with the veggies left in. If so, decorate the vegs
• e.g. channel carrots, rondels of onion or shallot
• can cut mini carrots (w/ stem) vertical in 1/2; if so round/smooth the sharp edges
  

Sole

• Pieces at 300 gr Max

Belvue: A serving of fish whole, cold, on a platter, looking beautiful

Hake: Cook whole with bone (removing before serving)

• Tie sloppy ones with string (or modern variant... plastic wrap)

Turning: Carrot - cut each one in 3 or 4 vetical - - all same length

Chateau potatoes: turned w/ 7 sides; usually larger (e.g. 10 cm)

Sole - cooking:

• put a little slice of potato under the tail to prevent (way) overcooking
• "ready" when the littel bone protudes forward in the front/neck area & a good golden brown
  

Sole Meunière: Butter sauce: cook nut brown - not burnt but gold - add lemon juice and pour over fishy

I changed methods of making my notes and they're now longer than before (although perhaps better organized). I'm getting behind on transcribing them. They're part of my method of studying - - so it means, that I'm "studying" less (& less effectively). This could be a bad sign. Although panic has not yet set in.

Rabbit day.

Fewer notes as this all gets easier to understand
but still, i need to better catch the instructions of the recipe.

Chef Bruno Stril
Most important:

1. how well it is cooked
2. how well seasoned

Bain Marie: paper (e.g kitchen pap) in bottom to prevent splashing

Petite Pots de Crème: Vanille, Thé, Caramel
Caramel: "Dry Caramel": Heat sugar (only, no water, no cream) in pan. Do not put in a spoon, nor spatula, no ladle, nada. Shake pan to stir. When melted spatula's fine.
Cooked too much becomes bitter.
Help to clean pan by boiling water in it (dilution)

When mixing eggs & sugar: sugar onto eggs & mis/stir/whisk immediately - prevents sugar ctystalization on top

Artichauds Poivrade à la Grecque aux Légumes Printaniers
Young Artichokes "à la Grecque" Style with Spring Vegetables

New onions: divide big ones into 4, medium into 2
carrot: leave 2-3 cm green - cut in 2 pieces
keep things equal sized for equal cooking time
tomato: skinning: blanch 10 sec max: cool 1 min (v. cold water)

De-germ garlic - for dijestive reasons

Do not cover when cooking; colored dishes lose color when covered.

Lapin à la Moutarde, Pommes Sautées à Cru
Use rosemary stem as a brochet for liver & kidney - edible decoration
Must brown meat to develop flavor
Put shallot in after browning starts to avoid burning it
Standard temp for Roasting/Braizing is 200C
White meats (e.g. rabbit, chicken) must be cooked & not pink (exceptions: veal, pork - slightly pink in center)
When sauteing potatoes do not season - they'll stick
- be v. gentle when they're near cooked - they're fragile
- parsley at last minute & remove from heat - it'll lose color

Stuffed Chicken Breast & Mushroom Sauce

Not capturing the sequence well.

Do not wash mushrooms you're going to turn (too slipery); use lemon juice to avoid discoloring

Special order poulet supremes from 'butcher'.

• skin 'em, debreast - keeping wing bit on; remove end of joint & push back meat (mini drumstick style)
• remove filet mignon & tendon in it - flatten to use a cover for stuffing pocket
• 2 ways to open
  

1. start at thinner side & make horizontal pocket
2. slice down center of fillet & horizontally each way from center (with flattened filet mignon on top) <== preferred - gives bigger pocket
   

• degorge carcass to make stock (using prior stock as a cooking liquid)

• cut other 'shrooms in 6 vertically thru stem (clean up the stem 1st)
  

• grind or chop meat prior to couping
  
• robocoup minimally to avoid heating (especially the cream could separate)
• pipe farce - don't overstuff
• shalots in pan
• sweat, thyme bayleaf
• chick on shallots; warm up
• into oven 5 mn, turn 2-3 mn; out - on top
  
• wh wine in pan, boil away
• strain stock in
• cook chick to correct temp (will be quick)
• set aside - cover w/ foil
• add chamignon juice!
  
• add heated/warmed cream - reduce - (opt. blend &/or color with ciboette)
  

• mushroom cap heads, white only, slicing across top (maybe 2 slices per)
• bruinoise shallots, garlic, shroom tops, ham
• cook ém
  
• grind meats
• add vegs to stuffing, mix
  
• add cream, crumbs, mix
• armagnac, mix
• beat veal bien & thin ('tween plastics)

• wash fatback a bit
• strips, belts +/- 3cm (to go around rolls end to end

• Spoon onto veal, roll (cut off excess, do not overlap veal excessively [feels tough])
• Close w/ lard over end to end
• Tie both ways - not too tight; just to hold
• season sel ppr <- before flour (to allow to penetrate veal)
  
• flour a bit <- promotes color for veal
  
• pan, oil then btr in, brown em (the veal will, the fat wont)
• remove meat, degrease pan (pour off), mirepoix in
• garlic, trimmings
• veal on to of vegs
• (just) boil arnagnac, flambe
• add veal stock to 1/2 way
• & mushroom debris
• tomatoes deseeded (mayne copped); tom paste
  
• season, simmer
• turn veal
• into hot oven
• small pan, lid not fitted
• to 75-70 or 72 degrees

even better when reheated by the way - cold too

• remove; destring
• chinoise w/ fine sieve; press for some veg purée
• heat sauce - even boil - - skim
• deglaze onion pan too & back into sauce
• reduce sauce to thicker than you think

leave lard on or not (better not I think)

toss veal in sauce to reheat at last moment

Terrine de Canard aux Pruneaux et a l'Armagnac : Duck Terrine with Prunes and Arnagnac

This was Barbary duck

Weigh things for this recipe

• de-fiber 'tween the livers, separating them (clean and no green(bile))
• in case of bile... toss the livers out - clean real well the inside of the duck
  
• de-skin duck in 1 piece starting at the back - use small cuts w/ tip of knife
• clear the legs, then the wings, then the breast
• fat goes with the skin
• dislocated hips - remove legs with oyster
• cut away the scapula (shoulderblade) - dislocate, cut
• fillet breast - de-nerve (can be ground), de-tendon (cannot be ground)
• retrieve meaty bits from wings & legs
  

• breast meat & foie are hole in terrine
• use 15% more foie if ising only chicken foie instead of duck or duck + chicken
  
• breast meat into strips - slightly cook (generous oil & btr, sel ppr) quickly to firm meat up a bit & bring out flavor
• also the foies w/ some shallots

• grind bits with fat & lean from recipe (put both fat & lean thru at the same time to premix)
• mix in foies (maybe the prunes)
  

• line terrine w/ fatback skin thing (look up word later) on long sides
  
• then duck skin (trim it)
• fill with stuffing
• alternate layers stuffing w/ strips of breast meat (& prunes/foie (in same layer as meat) if applicable)
• some laurel thyme on top (remove before serving)
• lap barde de lard over top
  
• top w/ foil
• bain marie (heat on stovetop 1st)
• 1 1/2 hrs

keeps 1 wk in frigo; 2 wks unmolded & cryovac sealed
rest (min) overnight, or (better) 2 days before tasting

Plating:
Pour gelitinated milk, or stock, or water onto plate, chill
Decorations with veggies must be fine, tiny to get OHs and AHs

Grilled Salmon: crosshatch on the grill (darkly - lightens later); finish in oven; don't ovecook

Butter Sauce: A means of emulsifying butter with lemon juice and a little water (and whatever). Normally butter and water and not friendly and don't mix well.
We boil the water and drop in cold little chunks of btr, which stops the boiling, stir, melt that btr and bring back to just nboiling - add more butter. Lather Rinse and Repeat.

Pommes Byron: 1) DO NOT add bechemal to the potatoes!
Boil potatoes lightly so they dont smash into each other and self destuct. Dry out very very well in oven. Better yet, for this dish, bake them.
Mix potatoes (add butter when hot), roll in parchment as a cylinder & chill, flour a knife & cut slices, dimple - make a well; top w/ bechemal & cheese - bake

Roast Ribs: clean ends of ribs; remove string done by butcher, replace with string to just hold it together, not tightly.
If not browning after a while rub w/ some butter (& make sure you remembered the salt)
Test with trussing needle in meaty part, wait, touch tender skin - too hot to leave there? It's done.
Resting, post oven, is as important as baking. Turn while resting to assure even moistness.
Parcée is the word - not whatever I wrote before.

"Jus" becomes "sauce" by the addition of a thickening agent.

Profiteroles: Dead easy. # of eggs depends on weather, the flour, the eggs and the process. The test: draw straight line in masa - if walls fall slowly... it's ready.
Egg wash would be good. Bake until feather light.
When piping stuff the back hand applies pressure & the front hand steers

See also Chef Simon.

use lemon juice - to prevent blackening

cook in un blanc - to prevent blackening

cover with paper when cooking - to prevent blackening

no sharp corners/edges when you're finished - curves is the key

to cook:

1. boil water (blanc)
   
2. add 'chokes
3. boil again
4. add salt

are ready when choke removes easily - you will burn your fingers - hot hot hot
remove choke w/ spoon
when cooked let cool in the liquid <== I forgot & ice-watered them (which seeme to work anyway)

reheat chokes w/ butter in a saute pan (cover w/ parchment)

Artichokes: Probable exam item
Filleted Merlan (whiting) also (almost always)
Exam is sans notes

Poulet is 1,8 kg = 1hr 1, 5 kh = 45 mn (estimates)

Sequence: (I'm getting better at noting sequence I hope)

• Trim/clean
• Truss
• Pan
  
• Butter it
• On burner - 1 mn
• Oven (look frequently)
• Baste
• Vegs - jardiniere
• Cook separate - 2 pans - white 1st
• Un Blanc - liquid for artichokes
• "Turn" 'chokes
• Cook 'em
• Prep vegs for reheat
• Salt skin (for crispness) - add mirepoix
• Snip string
• Remove
  
• Brush
• Rack 'im
• Farcée (sp?) jus
• Reheat vegs
• Cok jus
• Strain
• Plate

Mirepoix goes in for last 10-15 mn of roasting. Very little; it's not a vegetable jus.
1/4 carrot
1/4 onion
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
Maximum 25% of weight of trimmings (not the chicken)

Cleaning & trussing chicken:

• remove wishbone using only the tip of the knife
  
• remove oil sac/glands (yellow) at tail end (if any) (taste funky)
  
• trim fatty edges of tail bit
• remove fat globs under skin at head & tail ends
  
• remove any guts/lungs left inside (lungs leave funny taste)
  
• cut off sticking out neck (if any)
• if it's got feet trim off all but longest toe (leaving a tapered look)
• foil feet to prevent burning

• Truss with needle
• instructions to follow (complex)

Other notes -

• into pan w/ salt - no pepper (leaves specks on skin)
• toss in trimmings (and extras if you've any)
  
• start on its side
• should, after a bit, make some sizzling noise (else raise heat a coupla degrees)
  
• lower heat is over-browning/coloring
  

• vegs: Terrien likes them shorter than I did - maybe 4-5cm - watch the length!
  
• boil water then add vegs
  
• veggies: kill cooking w/ ice water - then into standby (a pan)
  
• reheat w/ btr, 4 drops of h20 + 1/2 t sugar

• snip string before finish to let it loosen up
• brush off bits of skin that dont look good (would have been way too much on mine)
• brush on butter a little - carefully
• drain/rest breast side down - so juices go there - covered w/ btr'd paper (not foil)
  

• Jus: Farcée (sp?) slowly. to remove water from jus pan; fat will go clear
• drain fat
  
• v. important that bottom of pan is browning (for later deglazing) avoid burning
  
• deglaze - transfer all to smaller pan
• just cover with h20 (I forgot)
• cook briefly (all the work for the jus [flavor] has been done earlier while cooking the chicken)

This is sort of a barbecued rib.

You can scrape the end of the bone clean or leave it (looks nice cleaned)
In any case trim fat (save for baking pan later)

• Marinade - trés simple - oil, laurel, thyme - fridge it for a while

do sauce now or maybe later

• Meat: hot grill - turn 90 degrees to hatch - just for a minute
  
• thick meat has to finish in oven
• place in pan on top of trimmings
• oven it
  
• take out and then rest
• reheat ribs in oven after resting
  

Sauce Bordelaise:

• Does not include any juices from cooking (which strikes me as odd)
  
• shallots trés fin - sweat/steam to light brown (no more than that)
• wine - reduce to syrup (thicker than you think)
• fond de veau -
  
• may add thickener at this point
• thickening: we mix potato starch and cold water - cold to prevent lumps
• Caution - Really thick sauce is "unpleasant"
• finish with Vanner = shake in some butter
• whisking or (hand) blender the butter will lighten a sauce; shaking in a pat of butter will not

And the demo had

• Tomatoes Provençal (familiar - no tricks)
• marrow (don't overdo and melt out the marrow - it's gotta be intact)

Marinade was yesterday.
This is made with shoulder meat.

An interesting link about Boeuf Borg. at LES TECHNIQUES DE BASE EN CUISINE

Traditional garnishes are turned potatoes, glazed pearl onions, sautéed mushrooms, and lardon

The key here is - always strain everything whenever it's changing pans
Important points:

• Never ever ever let the meat boil, not before the oven, nor in the oven, nor afterwards
• makes it tough
• Use peanut oil to sear meat - very hot
• if it stops browning it's too wet; or gets liquidy in the pan; drain it and re-oil & continue searing
• brown it 'til really good and brown and maybe you think it's burnt
• remove to a bowl (you'll flour it later)
  
• do veggies in same pan (sweat - don't brown)
  
• deglaze (w/ fond) & put in sauce
• prepare sauce - e.g. tomato paste but not too much! makes it acidic later
  
• Boil wine/blood juice sauce to remove the blood effect - skim (straining later will finish skimming the last of the scum)
• Roast the flour (get rid of gluten / gluey taste)
• veggies into oven pan, meat into pan, sauce over meat; top up with fond to cover (at least 90%)
• rind of the lardon goes into the estouffade and any cartaledge from trimming the lardon
  
• into oven to only simmer - never boil (200c / 1 hr)
  
• out of oven; pick out meat (put on standby); strain vegs (toss 'em); boil & skim sauce
• adjust seasoning

Note: Fats get/capture flavor first (e.g. in sauces); then gives it up to water later - and the fat can be skimmed off
this works real well in long cooked things like Beef B.

The marinade - 24 hrs in advance

• Trim meat - reserve trimming for some other dishes meat sauce/jus
• size of mirepoix is moot (due to 24 hr factor)
• bouquet garnis in loose due to strainer factor
• 2-3 € wine is fine; do not use corked or vinegared wine
• careful w/ cognac else will taste of alcohol
• alll into a pot - cover w/ wine - film - fridge
  

Marinade can be cru (raw) as here or cuit (cooked) which will reduce the marinade time (by 1/2)

Aiguillette de Boeuf : Braised Beef Shoulder
Demo only, no practical

• Trim / clean membrane & fats
• Lard this meat
• Freeze lard (a little) prior to inserting
• Needle empty 1st & work it around
• Onions & carrots (glazed) in one layer in pan
  
• 1/2 cover w/ H2O, btr
  
• 1/2 t sugar
• salt pepper
• in this case glaze carrots; slightly brown onions
• could use stock instead of water for carrots
  
• Meat: Hot pan = meat wont stick
  
• brown (incl trimmings) - coarse salt - maybe 1 minute
• Pour off fat ('cause garnishes would absorb it now and spit it out later - unattractive)
  
• add garnishes (mirepoix) to pan & brown
  
• add foot, return trimings; add tomato
• top w/ main meat & cognac (wine? - I forget & dont have recipe here now)
• reduce (reducing wine makes it less acidic)
• cover w/ liquid - boil - once boiling goes to oven 200-225
• cook in oven; remove; rest main meat (rack?)
• press sauces through strainer into sauce pan
• meat back into pan
• calf's foot cut into cubettes & into sauce w/ meat

Foot with porcini mushrooms is very especially good

Plate w/ glazed carrots & onions.

Rôties, Braisées, Marinées : Roasts, Braising, Marinades
Techniques: Jus, Pommes Mousseline : Jus,. Puréed Potatoes

Cœur de Contrefilet Rôti : Roasted (Center) Sirloin Fillet

• Trim the meat - de-skin, de-fat; be aggressive - save the trimmings (discard fat/skin (we dont put fat in sauces) keep lean & mixed meat); remove and black (air) bits (won't brown)
  
• 1/3 of raw weight is waste
• tie it lightly to prevent falling apart when sauteeing & roasting
• Hottest burner - peanut oil (not olive) to max temp; get it cooking
  
• then sling butter in and the meat follows right away
• use no forks
• brown, turn; brown all parts (incl ends)
• no salt until brown; season w/ salt & pepper
• brown well - dont burn (Mayard/meyard/something effect)
• lift meat; put trimmings/scraps in pan; restore meat on top (prevents meat from sticking to bottom)
• Oven 200c 20 mn - blue 25 = rare ; more or less.  Test by feeling
• Turn at 10 mn & baste well (if you have juices - I didnt)'
• After roasting, rest on rack before tasting
• Meanwhile: strain remains/liquid
• back to the pan - brown (v.v.lightly) aromatic garnish
• add back beef trimmings; brown & reduce
• top up w/ stock or stock & water - cook a while
• strain  & press
• That's jus
  

Pâte Feuilletée - Puff Pastry
Tarte aux fruits de Saison - Seasonal Fruit Tart

Chef said to watch more and take less notes - & was pretty insistant about it

Continuing the story of Puff Pastry

Can actually be done all in one day in about 4 hours (including resting times) but that's a minimum

2 more turns; after 4th turn don't roll - rest - wrapped in paper (which might cool better than film) on a baking sheet minimum 30 minutes; preferably 2-3 hours

Later: roll to 2-3 mm - a rectangle - we'll be making about 10cm squares & need about 6 of 'em. cut straight edges
roll up onto pin; roll onto sheet; cover w/ paper under & over; fridge 15 minute minimum - better 1/2, 3/4, 1 hour
Then: use a pattern (square paper); cut a +/- 10 cm strip; fridge to balance
cut the 2-3-4 squares; triangle them; cut part way from base to point inside each edge part; fold out flat onto another sheet w/ paper
fold point outside of point A to inside point B; outer point B to inside of A (yeh, right; you figure it out); press the overlap/joint at C & D.
Decorate w/ back on knife press 3-4 crosses along each edge
Fridge any time they'r getting soft/strechy

Then do the others too.
Egg wash lightly - wash must not touch/drip onto paper 'cause that will prevent puffing
Bake 'em.

Leeks: creamed
An under garnish for the poached egg
200 g white part of leek
20 g butter (to cook leeks)
2 T cream (30 ml?) which I forgot
salt, pepper

Peel outer layers away until you get to breakable leaves (of white part)
5-6 cm; fine fine julienne
Keep covered w/ paper or film at all times - don't want to lose moisture - listen to them
Steam leeks - must not brown at all - 'til completely soft (no crunch)
If cooking too quick add H2O but it disminishes flavor
After they're soft add salt - after to avoid affecting their natural color (which is white)
If not working thru then change leeks to another - cold - pan to stop cooking
add cream - cook
These are really delicious when done right (as I know from sampling others' leeks)

Albufera Sauce
Sauce Supreme w/ beurre manié, diced red pepper, a few drops of lemon
Add beurre manié a bit at a time (like salt, cannot be removed)
thicken to coat ladel/spoon well
Can hold at this point
Later: add cream; salt, pepper
lemon juice gradually (like salt - taste it)
boil
add r. peppers at very end so they don't discolor the sauce

Poached Eggs: put (lots - 20%) vinegar (plain, not wine) in water - Never use salt
slide/tip eggs into boiled (but not oiling) H2O - needs calm water
use skimmer to keep/help whites around yolk
cook 80% then into ice water to stop cooking
keep egg water for reheating later
Later the same day... reheat: boil water; turn down; trim stringy bit & heat egg.

Plating: remove top/tapa/ hat from cener of Puff; leeks inside; egg on leeks; sauce on egg; tapa on a jaunty angle; sauce around; some drops of fond du veau for interest (in the curls of Albufera)

Fruit Tart
Not much notes here -
For the crust make a sable (better a butter to hard than too soft) then add liquids; dont work it
Smeer against marble (max 2 times) to ensure btr/flour is blended - no butter lumps - smeer a looong way
Nappage = Glaze = expensive = use jellies instead
Strawberries - dont wash; brush clean

Pâtes Brisée Salée - Savory Pastry
Cuisson au Blanc - Cooking (Empty) Shells

Quiche Lorraine - is from the Lorraine region of France (not named after anyone)
Defined: A pie/tart with bacon, gruyere and filled with an omelet (more or less)

Shell 22cm (make a dough)
200 g flour
100 g butter
5 g salt
1 egg
15-30 ml H2O (less in summer 'cause the butter's softer probably)
Make a sable/sand of the flour & butter; make a well & add liquids
Work quickly 'cause your hands heat the batter
Use a cutter & cutter action - avoid "working" the dough
Smoosh down on the marble; pushing away w/ palm of hand; bit by bit; all the dough; to make sure flour/btr is mixed (maximum 2 times)
Ball; flour; flatten a little; wrap; fridge to rest & reduce elasticity

Garnish
180 g lardon (smoked bacon); de-rind; de-cartiledge; cut in 1/2 cm; blanch; strain, then lightly brown, not cooked; discard fats and drain on paper
100 g gruyere; grateed

Filling (mix together)
3 eggs
250 ml cream
salt pepper nutmeg

Butter molds; helps the dough to stick to the vertical sides while baking
Get dough into corners of mold; make an upper lip towards the inside; then flatten that vertically & levelly; decorate/pinch edge
Decoration/crust is more stable if made the day before and fridged overnight; and will shrink less

Trimmings can be collected, wrapped, fridged and reused

Blind bake shell (prebake); really make sure it's in the corners (avoids breakage and leakage)
line raw shell w/ plastic foil! (yes, plastic wrap) generously; fill with haricots/dry beans; close wrap over beans to center. The wrap will shrink (a little) - it won't melt - and you'll be able to pick ot up in one go - easily. The beans are to prevent the sides from sliding down.
Paper or alu foil is also usable but much less flexible.
on wire rack, not a baking sheet
+/- 20 mn @ 140/160 'til a little brown.
Post baking cracks can be repaired with egg (mix one up) and stick back in to coalgulate

Fill w/ bacon, cheees, filling (in this order)
Bake +/- 15 mn; must not puff up; cooked when knife comes out clean

Quiche Champion - Mushroom Quiche
Filling
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
200 ml créme fraiche
salt pepper

Blind bake shell
Shallots, & plenty of them, well cooked in a ltl btr & salt, browned even, are good
Wash mushrooms quickly (to avoid mooshyness)
Shitakes sans salks
Cut them "Cartier" (in 1/4s or segments)
Cook mushrooms separately from each other - 'til dry, no browned
Mix in herbs while mushrooms are hot to bring out the flavor
Keep "pretty" maushrooms (if any) separate to be the last shroom layer

Créme Fraiche - Fresh Cream (unpackaged) is better than "cream" (e.g. UHT) and Créme Presse (pres?) has even a touch more something of a taste that's not is standardized cream. - is interesting for white sauces

Fill w/ 2 mushrooms, then the pretty ones, then the filling
a little chervil on top or flat parsley - - herbs & mushrooms go well together

Pâte Feuilletée - Puff Pastry (or pastry leafs/leaves)

Which is the 1st of 2 days we spend doing this.  Tomorrow continuing the "turns".

Has 4 turns, thus 730 leafs (not 1000).

Detrempe - puff pastry base
300 g  flour      100%
150 ml water       50%
50  g  butter (melt & cool)   17%
6   g  salt         2%

Put sifted flour on board, make a flat well, add salt, cold water, melted & cooled butter
use scraper, do not work
cut together; when stable work w/ 2 hands; holding w/ one and cutting with the other
bring into a ball; lightly flour;
Cut a cross on top 1/2 way through and pull away/up the "ears" a little
film & fridge

Use "dry" butter for puff pastry.  Check your fromagerie; or use hardest available at regular shop - optionally squeeze out liquid with towel/cheesecloth
Beat into a square; maybe 15x15cm - a square square - square up sides (this will go on top of dough ball [w/ ears] later)
fridge butter

Later
take pastry; flour board under & lightly on top of pastery- roll out ears - leave hump in middle
butter square onto pastry over the hump - must fit within center square of pastry; flat ears over to center (overlapping's OK) until butter is not visible; butter must be sealed in
pound/tap flat - keep it square
roll out to 3x length - keep sides & end squared up (us pin to straighten - fold over ends a little if needed); keep it symetrical
Any time it gets soft or gooey or elastic - fridge it - wrap and rest it
brush away excess flour & fold inwards in 3; keep it tight - it will be square again
press edges; press a diagonal cross to make the thing stick together; turn 90 degrees (this is one turn)
Roll out again; fold in again; press; rotate; this is 2 turns

…the saga continues tomorrow…