Today's event at the winery was a private lunch for a group of 40. As a part-time cook, I just show up and jump in to the fray whenever and where ever the Chef needs me. My duties today were to prep and set up the chilled almond garlic soup which was the starter, assist in portioning 40 quail which were later fried as a play on KFC for the entree, other component prep work, help with plating all the courses, and more intensive work sectioning 15 ducks for some duck confit after the lunch event.
My last work day at the winery had been a frustrating one. On that day I had messed around with 300 eggs trying to get a soft boil, peel, and then flour, egg, and bread for frying. It was tedious and took 6 hours because the eggs were not cooperating. I had questioned whether I was actually learning anything at this job which in hindsight was just a product of a very frustrated mind.
Today was much more fulfilling and educational. It's always satisfying to pull together in the kitchen to accomplish an event. The chilled soup was really cool because it has no liquid base other than water. It was really delicious and flavorful. The second course was ahi tuna, topped with a fried egg stacked on romesco sauce and surrounded by various vegetables. It was a clean presentation. The quail entree (not pictured) was deep fried and served with some corn/mushrooms, smashed potatoes and some gravey. This course was a play on "down home" cooking using more sophisticated ingredients. It came out very nice. Finally, we ended the lunch with a cheese plate.
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