Sautéing

Another cooking method this week… Sautéing.

Due to Labor Day, unfortunately, we did not have class on Monday. But, just because that we only had 1 day of class doesn’t mean that we didn’t try to pack in as much as possible into the day we do have.

Tuesday’s Menu:
Sautéed Chicken Chardonnay

Steak Au Poivre
Garlic whipped potatoes
Brussel Sprouts
Glazed Carrots

For today’s class we did something unique; for the first time, Chef Pierre had us prepare individually. Each person made their own Sautéed Chicken Chardonnay. Because sautéing is a cooking style that most everyone is familiar we spent a lot of time focusing on some details, mainly, presentation and plating.

Another rule that I learned in weeks past that I don’t recall writing about…. Heat the pan; heat the fat; add the main ingredient. This allows for even heating of whatever you’re cooking and it prevents sticking. Amazing…. it works every time and it’s a mistake everyone makes. I’m certainly guilty of it (mostly laziness and/or impatience).

So the chicken breast starts by being skinned and boned, patted dry, seasoned and dredged in flour. It is then added to a hot pan with heated fat, presentation side down. The reason that you do the presentation side down is because the protein firms up when exposed to heat. And, if you want it to look its best, it should firm up on the good-looking side. Once the 1st side turns a golden brown, flip to the other side and brown that side. You can tell without having to pick it up because you’ll see the color creep up from the bottom of the pan. With chicken, you can actually watch the flesh turn from pink to white climbing from the bottom of the pan.

Once browned on both sides, it is removed from the pan and put into a 350° oven to finish cooking. You could turn the heat down and finish it in the pan, but we used the oven so that we could make a sauce from the fond left in the pan. Adding a bit more fat (in this case, clarified butter), we added shallots and mushrooms to the pan and let them sauté. Before they brown (about 3-5 min), the pan is deglazed with wine and reduced. In my case, my pan was too hot and my shallots browned within 30 secs. This caused my whole sauce to be brown (very tasty but not quite right). I was told by Chef Pierre that in the future, I should have just tossed it and re-started. The fond, while tasty, does not MAKE the sauce. After the wine has reduced, chicken stock is added and left to reduce in half. After the stock has reduced, cream is added and, yep, you guessed it, left to reduce until it reaches the desired thickness. At about the time the sauce is done, the chicken should be cooked all the way through. The chicken is plated and covered with sauce. Of everyone’s I saw and tasted, I had the darkest sauce (I lose) and the most moist chicken (I win), so overall not too bad.

Once each group completed all of their individual chicken plates, as a group we got started on the 2nd dish. Each group was given 4 tournado steaks. Tournados usually are thinner and come from an area closer to the point of the tenderloin than Filet Mignon but in this class, we used and entire tenderloin. Again, we got to watch the breakdown of the tenderloin. – I really, really like this part; turning a big chunk of meat into individual cuts is awesome. Maybe I should be a butcher part-time (I’m still waiting to hear back from Central Market, fingers crossed). – These steaks were then trussed to keep a nice round shape, seasoned with salt and pressed into crushed black peppercorns. The steaks were added to a hot pan with heated oil and seared for 2 min on each side and, like the chicken, put into the oven. This sauce was made by sautéing shallots, deglazing with brandy and reduced. A prepared demi-glace and cream were then added and reduced until the desired thickness is reached.

On each served plate the focus is normally the protein, in this case, the tournado. Accompanying the protein are usually a sauce, a starch and 2 vegetables. The starch is the first item to be plated because it becomes the structure. Today, we piped whipped garlic mashed potatoes onto the plate. The first vegetable is called the Height Vegetable. Today’s height vegetable is the same glazed batonnets of carrots that we prepared 3 weeks ago. This is usually plated up against the starch to create movement. It draws the eye up and away from the plate. The second vegetable or Auxiliary Vegetable is usually plated next to the Height Vegetable and should be of a different color, shape and cooking preparation. One of the 2 vegetable servings should always be green. Because the Height Vegetable on this plate is carrots, we needed a green vegetable as our Auxiliary Vegetable. We prepared brussel sprouts. These were parboiled (remember that means partially cooked) and then reheated with bacon and onions. Then in front and on top of all of these, the protein should be front and center on the plate. Unlike roasts, other preparations can be covered in sauce.

It may seem a bit unnecessary to get this specific about plating, but there is a reason for everything. Every piece has a function. The protein is the focus; it is put front and center, to be the eye’s first target. Basically, it is the proof of why you spent the $$. The starch is there to act as the support and provide structure for the other items. The Height Vegetable is to draw the eye away from the plate. The eye moves from the protein to the part sticking furthest from the plate. The Auxiliary Vegetable is purposefully a different shape and color to bring the eye back toward the plate. From there the eye heads back to the protein (or $$). The pattern is Protein, Height, Aux, Protein: a full view of the entire plate and 2 views of the $$!

The main reason for all of this is because the plate is your last marketing piece. I mean, you want people to enjoy their food, right!?

--Rees