Today we had two practicals. We did a turkey rollup this morning where we opened up a turkey breast into a flat sheet, stuffed it with more ground up turkey breast mixed with saffron and almonds, rolled it up, tied it, browned it, braised it and served with a really delicious couscous that had dried fruit and cilantro in it. I didn't take a photo of that. Sorry. But I did eat it for dinner tonight. Then we made another trout this afternoon, but this one we could actually eat, meaning it wasn't jellified. This was deboned but left whole (not easy and involves much crouching and squinting) and stuffed with wild mushrooms and shallots and baked. We also made noodles to go with it. And it was with the noodles that my life changed...
...We had Chef Daniel, who usually teaches the superior level, but seeing as a bunch of chefs are visiting and travelling around to other schools, we had him for demo today. He was AMAZING. Watching him make pasta honestly changed my life. We've made pasta about 3 times so far and every single time it's rubbery and impossible to roll out. It's always super thick and chewy and almost oily and dry at the same time. Well today we watch him make it and he just like, how to describe it....fluffed the ingredients together and it was supple and soft and rolled out like a dream. So I did it just like him in practical and it was magical. The clouds parted and the culinary light shone down on me. Magical. I can actually see making ravioli or tortellini with it. Past pastas we've made? No way. But this, this was a life-altering. Aren't they a beaut? (Beuts?)
Here's a picture of the inside stuffing. Doesn't look so appetizing, but it was mushroomy and deelish.
So there wasn't a bunch of kneading of the pasta dough? Usually, they want you to knead it until it's smooth and elastic, to develop the gluten and give it texture.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Brian, one can really appreciate the colourful inside of this trout: a maggoty, wormy-looking mixture... Yum! I looooove mushrooms!
ReplyDeleteNo, they don't want you to develop any gluten at all in "french" pasta dough. You honestly just fluff it around a bit and then "fraiser" a bit with the palm of your hand so it comes together and voila! Let it rest briefly and you're cooking with gas. It's strange. The more you develop the gluten the more elastic it is and then it's IMPOSSIBLE to roll out by hand (not to mention in the 2.5 hour time limit) I think it's a different story if you're able to use a pasta roller..
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