Chop Chop Chop

I've been at the restaurant only 3 times since my last post mostly due to my busy flying schedule at the airlines and a few badly needed days off. Nothing spectacular has happened at the restaurant to really write about. I have not been given any new duties, nor have I been suddenly thrust into a station during service. Actually, it's quite normal for an intern to do a lot of prep work. The status of the restaurant and its hierarchy has a lot to do with how much responsibility an intern is given (as well as the interns abilities of course). A Michelin rated restaurant such as this one is likely to give the intern lots of prep which equates to lots of chopping. Today was no different.

I arrived early for my 5 hours of prep work. I planned to leave just prior to service since I had to get up at 3:45 am tomorrow for my flight to JFK. The Chef pointed me to my usual herb and shallot prep. I headed to the walk-in and found the herbs. I picked the parsley leaves, rinsed them, and laid them out to dry. While drying, I did the same to the chervil. While they were also drying, I finely chopped the chives into paper thin little rings. Tarragon was my next victim. I picked the leaves and finely chopped them. By now, the parsley was dry enough to finely chop, followed by the chervil. Shallots came next. Finely sliced with a mandolin, and then finely chop them. OK...1 1/2 hours gone. My knife skills have really improved.

Chef had been making a salmon rillete while I was doing all of my herbs. I watched him artfully dismantle a huge salmon and portion it with a few swipes of his knife. He took some of the salmon that he had marinated in pernod and chopped it up, added some chopped up smoked salmon, some "mashed" butter, and then reached over and grabbed a little bit of all of my herbs and shallots and added them to the bowl. Salt & pepper. Mixed it all up and then told me he had a job for me. I thought: "All right! Something new".

My job was to roll the rillete in long pieces of cling wrap, and tie up the ends like a 16 inch sausage. The rillete "sausages" were then placed in an ice bath to set the butter. This would be used later for the amuse bouche. A slice of the rillete placed on a toasted brioche disk, with a chervil garnish. Looks easy, sounds easy, but it took a while to get it right. Fat rolls, skinny rolls, air bubbles, etc. I was beginning to feel like a spastic. Finally some repetition allowed me to get it right.

After that I did odd prep work for the Garde Manger and before I knew it 5 hours had elapsed (6pm) and it was time to leave. I said my goodnights and headed out to the fresh air and sunshine. I enjoyed it!