A long, tiring but fun day with Chef Jean-Jacques Paimblanc. No time to take a breath or a bathroom break! I swear some of these French older chefs have more energy than i do. Chef JJ is a charismatic man with a vast of knowledge and experience. Not only does he speak with authority and a French accent but he engages people with his comical and daily life stories. Watching him cook, makes cooking seem seamless and natural. Today was all about braising and stewing. I knew the terms stewing and braising, but never really understood the meaning of each and how to differentiate them. I knew a stew had more broth and braising i associated with larger meats. We spent the morning learning about braising a brisket and then in the afternoon we made a seafood stew, a lamb curry, braised Belgian endives and a Ratatouille ( a vegetable stew - not the movie).
Key concepts:
-stewing and braising can relate to fish, chicken, meat and vegetables
-always USE the right size pan. too much space will burn your food, too cluttered will steam your food.
-why do restaurants have pots and pans hanging over the stove? because the pots and pans heat up and when they need to be used they take less time to reach their desired temp.
-Short sauce is a GOOD sauce. Having too much sauce and not using it all, means that you left flavor in your pot. Reduce it! Never waste flavor.
-if the meat has a gamy flavor, place in cold water and bring it to a boil and drain. the gaminess will be less intense.
-alot of oil is not needed when browning meat and sweating veggies
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| Fish Stew Base - needs more tomatoe, but yummy |
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| Brisket |
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| Chef JJ |
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| Ratatouille with poached eggs and cheese |
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| Ratatouille - can cut in small or medium pieces |
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| Fish Stew completed |
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| Brisket sandwich |
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| Lamb Curry |
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