I am a Soup Master!

A week of soup... again. The kitchen is a busy, busy place and it is only going to get busier.

Tuesday was Consomme day. Consomme is stock or broth that has been clarified to a crystal clear and very flavorful liquid. Unfortunately the way to make it is a touch gross. Basically you mix eggs, some vegetables, aromatics, tomato and ground meat (chicken or beef depending on what type you want) and put it into a pot with stock. Then you stir... and stir and stir and stir. When it hits about 120 degrees you stop and then all that stuff that contains protein (egg and meat) coagulates with everything else and forms a "raft" on top. It kinda looks like gross meat loaf but then you wait. And in about 30 minutes you carefully strain it and you have a perfectly clear liquid that is beyond delicious. We did the usual chicken stock in large quantities and that was about it.

Wednesday was a decently fun day... Mashed Potatoes as well as Potato and Leek Soup. Pretty easy stuff, just boiling potatoes and adding milk and butter and seasoning for mashed potatoes. A fun hint, if you make mashed potatoes, heat the cream, milk and/or butter first before adding and it won't get too sticky. The soup is just everything simmered in a pot until it is pureed and cream is added. I was done first and super early (cause I'm awesome) and Chef loved it, "beautifully done" as he said. Good day.

Finally today, Thursday, we did another puree soup and legumes. Puree of Lentil Soup and Black Beans as well as a new stock, Brown Veal Stock. We'll start with that, to make the stock you put the bones in a 500 degree oven until the are deliciously brown and then put them in water into a stock pot and begin to cook. Unlike other stocks that are flavored with plain mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and aromatics, this is done by deglazing the roast pans the bones were in and browning the mirepoix before adding tomato paste and reducing it until its full of flavor. That is then added lastly before being strained.

Then we made black beans which is literally beans, a piece of pork or ham, and some aromatics simmered in water until they are done... and they take FOREVER, literally like 45-50 minutes. Easy but a pain. Lastly we did the soup. Just basically bacon and mirepoix sweated until the lentils and stock are added and simmered. We run it through a food mill once it is done to puree it and then season and serve. Again... "On the Money," which means I'm a good soup maker.

If I don't get an A in this class I'll be upset since I kill it everyday. My knife trays are getting better too and yesterday he had no complaints and today I was just slightly off on one thing. We only have 50 minutes now but I'm down to about 40-45 minutes. Love it here and everyday is exciting.

Tomorrow we do Fish Fumet (Fish Stock) which will be used for Fish Chowder. Pretty easy but it will be a busy day for sure. By now it is clearly defined who the best 3-4 people in the class are ( me being one), who the few decent people are, and the 6-7 AWFUL people who will apparently are in every class and will clearly struggle when we get to the big time.

One more day before the weekend. Get pumped.

Chef Werblin

ps. Literally ate the best dessert I've ever eaten here yesterday. Like a fancy churro with chocolate and caramel finished with caramelized bananas and candied walnuts. INCREDIBLE!!