Essentail Skills 3 - Veal

After having Chef Peter as an instructor for two days, I wised up an began my day with a double espresso before I left for school, and a coffee for the road. I needed a little caffeine to keep up with him.
He began by getting veal shanks prepared and in the oven for Osso Bucco. A rustic Italian dish created by braising veal shanks in wine, stock, and vegetables. This is traditionally served with a risotto Milanese. The braising process was basically the same as the previous days recipes - just a different cut of meat.
He then fabricated some medallions from a veal loin, pounded, floured and seasoned them and in a blink of an eye put together, a Veal Piccata and a Veal Marsala. He really emphasized speed and technique when making these quick sautes and a pan sauces. If you dilly dally and waste to much time checking your recipes or cook your sauce to long you won't get good results. A pan sauce is quick. Brown your meat, take it out, add your alcohol, reduce and finish, add the meat back in to warm and plate immediately.

In the case of the piccata, the medallions were browned very lightly. White wine was used for the alcohol and the sauce was finished with butter, lemon juice and a touch of cream. Almost like a beurre blanc. The veal for the Marsala was browned more deeply. Mushrooms were sauteed before the sauce was finished with, of course Marsala, then some stock.
A little trick I learned was to always "refortify" your dish with the flavoring used before serving. So in this case he splashed a bit of Marsala in the finished dish to really pick up the flavor in the sauce.I have a new partner now. His name is Glenn (the soup winner of our first final). We did fairly well with putting together our recipes. A little slow with the pan sauces so our first sauce got a bit too thick. Glenn, if your out there, we need to pick it up - no more "Beer -Pong" on school nights!"


Thank you Andrew for browning up all are lamb shanks for tomorrow. Isn't he cute?
(Chef Peter calls him one of the "wake and bakes.")

It's been a fun few days with Chef Peter. He is teaching a Hobby class this weekend; "Smart and Simple Dinner Party" and asked me if I wanted to come and help at his class. I jumped at the chance.



Goodnight.