Week 2 (Not Really...)

Weeks past class has been great so here I write posthumous. Or ex post facto, either way the experience is no longer "live" The first week was great! So I tell myself and others. Twelve weeks later and I can't remember what I wrote. What I made. What I did. I know I learned. I improved. But putting memories to "online" is difficult. I mean we know it's difficult. We know physical interaction improves memory. Pen & Paper over Text and Terminal. But here I go. Tip tapping typing to a screen. Hoping I'll remember this too. Anyways! Class! It was great! Week 2 was all about sauteeing. I got this nifty ruler (I make money if you buy that, which is also nifty). And it was a nice week. I turned zucchini into sticks, smashed down some chicken, and made pomme puree. The fancy version of mashed potatoes. To be honest, it was fancy. It was lovely too. I didn't realize that culinary school would be a culinary delight. Odd to say right? It should have been obvious to me I would enjoy the results of my "homework". My family does too. Pureed, not mashed. Batonneted, not sliced. Tenderized chicken, flattened to a beaut. Though, I did much better later for the final plating assignment. In retrospect, or now-spect... Doing this all after the fact let's me foreshadow. One of my favorite literary tools. SO maybe... it was a good thing I procrastinated. But hey let's get on that too. Did I "procrastinate"? I have a career. I have two kids (and a dog, two cats too). I cook for the home. Oh and I like to live life and share time with my family. So really, I think... many times what we call "procrastinating" is prioritizing. I've finished my first class. I've adapted to the workflow. So now here I am, adding another priority. Making it fit. Making it work. And it's good. But time will tell. Oh and did I mention I'll kill a debt on the 31st? Yeah I did that too (after some financial missteps along the way).

So, the food...

Sauteed Chicken

Look at that mise en place...

Beautiful!

You'll see here some flattened/tenderized 1/2 inch thick chicken, a bowl of flour, salt and pepper, some shallots brunnoise, white wine (for deglazing), and some hot chicken stock.

The basics?

Oil the pan, medium heat. While the pan heats, dredge the (mostly dry) chicken. When your chicken is dredged, start cooking!

Needs a bit more "dredging". Definitely more pepper. And a touch more salt.

Ah well, things we learn.

And so you cook. And cook. And cook again. Until your chicken is done!

This is a terrible job! But hey, it's cooked. It needs more browning, so what does this mean for you? It means wait. Really let that pan get hot before you put your protein down.

Now to deglazing, chuck that brunnoise shallot mixture you have on there.

Sweat it out. Get a nice glisten, but don't brown it. Then add the wine, let it go au sec (mostly dried). Next? Chicken stock! Dump it in there (again, hot not cold). Reduce to sauce consistency (clings to the spoon). Take off heat, swirl some butter, serve atop.

Oh, and leave the shallots. They're delicious.

Leave a comment if you want the potatoes too. The zucchini is simple, make some sticks, put them on the hot pan. Serve.