What a long, information-packed day! I’ll save the full recap for tomorrow, but first I want to share Wednesday’s Day Eight class.
It was our first official day cooking protein. Up until now we’d trimmed and broken down hundreds of pounds of chicken, but hadn’t actually cooked any. Although I don’t eat much meat at home, studying butchery and meat cookery has been one of the parts of culinary school I most looked forward to—there’s so much to learn.
Yesterday also delivered my favorite meal so far in the program—delicious and memorable.
The main course was LE POULET ROTI AU JUS (Roasted Chicken with Jus). We didn’t roast it in the classic, straightforward way; the method required more technique but produced an incredibly juicy, flavorful bird (it tastes better than it photographs!).
For this preparation we completed the following steps:
- Removed the wings and saved them to use in the jus.
- Trussed the chicken—tying the legs and tightening the body to protect the breasts, improve presentation, simplify carving, and promote even cooking.
- Seasoned the bird with salt and pepper and stuffed it with mirepoix—chopped carrot, onion, and celery.
Then came the most interesting part: we seared the whole stuffed bird in a hot skillet with clarified butter. Using kitchen forks to hold and maneuver the chicken, we focused searing on the legs and lower portions to render fat, develop color, and help ensure all parts finish moist. After searing, we added more mirepoix to the skillet and transferred it to the oven at around 375°F. We roasted until the juices ran clear; in our case we removed the chicken while the meat was still slightly pink so we could carve it and reheat for service without drying it out. While roasting, we basted the bird with pan juices every 15–20 minutes to keep it moist.
When the bird came out of the oven we did the following:
- Reserved the cooked mirepoix from the skillet and skimmed excess fat from the pan juices.
- Removed the legs (which we reserved for another menu) and carefully carved off the breasts whole—similar to breaking down a raw bird, but hot and more pliable.
- Added the stuffing’s mirepoix to the skillet mirepoix.
- Hacked the backbone and spine, along with the reserved wings, into pieces and caramelized them in a hot sautoir. Bones add a lot of flavor, so we always use them—this technique is called pincer.
- Seasoned the mirepoix with thyme, garlic, and bay leaf.
- Deglazed the bones with chicken stock, added the mirepoix, and simmered. We then passed everything through a chinois to strain out solids, producing a dark, flavorful jus which we finished with a small pat of butter (monte au beurre).
We served the chicken with a rice pilaf that was excellent. I’ll describe the pilaf technique soon: we don’t use traditional lids and finish it in the oven, which yields a lovely result.
We also made LA SOUPE D’AUBERGINE ROTIE—Roasted Eggplant Soup—which I absolutely loved. A good soup plus a well-made roasted chicken is hard to beat.
The soup was straightforward: halve a whole eggplant, rub it with olive oil and toasted, ground cumin, then roast until very soft. Scoop out the flesh and reserve it. Meanwhile, sauté celery and onion, add stock, canned diced tomatoes, the roasted eggplant, and seasonings including cayenne and cilantro. Simmer, then blend until smooth. I’ll be making this at home soon and may share a recipe—simple and delicious.
For dessert we made crème caramel, a classic custard with caramel sauce, and les petits fours sec—light, crisp cookies piped in the shape of langue de chat (literally “cat’s tongue”). Crème caramel is elegant and surprisingly simple: a vanilla- and citrus-infused custard poured over a dark, bitter caramel. The custards bake gently in a water bath at low oven temperatures so the eggs remain tender; when inverted, the caramel becomes the sauce that coats the custard.
To add to the temptation at lunch, pastry students brought additional treats—beautiful little confections that rounded out the meal.
Overall it was a successful, delicious lunch that I enjoyed making, learning from, and eating. My partner Turner and I were among the first to plate on time, which felt great.
The afternoon lecture covered food costing, a topic I find very interesting and practical. It’s mostly straightforward math to determine the true cost of a dish in ingredients so you can set menu prices. Generally, restaurants aim to keep food cost below about 30 percent. I’ll share more on this as I learn.
Tomorrow night I plan to make the roasted chicken at home for Connor—to practice and to prove how good it was. Now I just need to buy some kitchen twine.
Back soon with Day Nine and the end-of-week three summary!