I'm currently taking Introduction to the Culinary Arts. It's pretty easy, especially since all of the practical work we've "learned" are things that I have already learned at work. Basic knife skills, recognizing herbs and spices, how to make a concasse.
-a concasse /con/cah/say/ is the easiest thing to do, but can be wonderfully tasty. Take some tomatoes (romas) and place them in boiling water for 15 seconds then immediately cool them in ice water. Then you can peel and quarter the tomatoes. Give them a nice rough chop, you can medium or small dice if you like (depends on what you're going for texturally). Put them in a pan with some olive oil, salt, pepper, your choice of herb(s) and simmer - how long depends on how much. Perfect for pasta-
But because intro has been so easy thus far there is a little weight on my shoulders. I'm one of three people in the class with culinary experience. We are oft looked upon to know what everyone else should be doing and if they are doing it right. I don't mind, since it makes me look pretty stellar in front of the chef professor.
Restaurant Meat Cutting is a bit tricky. Prior to the class the only experience I have had is cleaning whole chicken breasts with rib meat. But now I have cleaned whole chickens, veal loins, pork loins, round and flat fish. This week we are doing a little charcuterie - I'm excited - we are going to make sausage. I don't know what kind yet.
Meat cutting is hard, there is so many things to remember about the primal and sub primal cuts in each animal. It takes a keen eye to recognize some of the parts and a very strong but delicate hand to make the massively precise cuts.
I devastated my first chicken on the first day. Barely skinned my fish. But I cut some killer chops.
I'm really enjoying it, can't wait to graduate in two years. Then I can't wait to get all certified up in this piece.
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