#24 - 05 February 2009 - Notes #2

Un-edited notes (#2) from the kitchen @ The French Laundry…

1. Mirepoix usage: carrots, leeks and onions.
2. Mushroom stock infused with truffle peelings and steeped overnight.
3. For the Mushroom stock:
450 g coarsely chopped button mushrooms
135 g coarsely chopped carrots
90 g coarsely chopped leeks (white and light green only)
125 g coarsely chopped onions
6 g Flat-leaved parsley sprigs
60 g Canola oil
1.5 g Curry powder
1 ea. Bay leaf
1 lag. Thyme sprig
3.75 L Water

1. Finely grind separately, or pulse in a food processor (scraping down the sides of the bowl), the mushrooms, carrots, leeks, onions and parsley.
2. Heat the oil in a stockpot.
3. Add the vegetables, parsley and curry powder. Sweat for two minutes.
4. Add bay leaf, thyme and 2 L of the water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Strain through a chinois, pressing down the solids.
6. Return the vegetables to the stockpot. Set the stock aside.
7. Add the 1.75 L water to the pot. Return to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes. Strain.
8. Combine the two batches of stock in a pot and return to a boil. Reduce to 650 ml.
9. Strain and cool over an ice bath.
10. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in small batches.

4. Stations in TFL kitchen:
Canape
Fish
Meat
Vegetable
Cheese
Pastry
Baking (product is produced at Bouchon Bakery and delivered fresh daily)
Prep
Dish
The Pass
5. Egg shells, tapped with topper. With a sharp paring knife remove the egg tops. Separate egg yolks and egg whites, cryovac @ 93%. Soak egg shells in hot water with vinegar for
10 minutes. Peel out the interior egg shell lining and store the egg shell upside down in their containers.
6. Gastrique – 1 L Red Wine Vinegar and 500 g Sugar
7. Vegetables medley – Mini individual florets of Romanesco, Cauliflower and broccoli.
8. Smoked cippolini onions - “under glass”
9. Nicoise sauce – Rinse nicoise olives of brine. Blanch. Oven-dry or dehydrate and puree until absolutely smooth, no texture.
10. Fruit & vegetable coins – “tournee”.
11. Corned Beef Tongue.
12. Confit of Beef Heart shaved thin.
13. Black trumpet mushrooms – Washed in successive batches of clean water 3X. Squeeze lightly and spread on linen towel on a rack suspended over sheet pan. Air dry. Store in perforated lexans.
14. Brioche toast – Toasted on line under radiate broiler for guests.
15. Whole baby octopus sous vide for 2 ½ hrs. @ 76.9 degree C. Olive oil & salt. Let sit for one hour. Cryovac in juices and set over ice. Store.
16. Petite Sale - Braised slab bacon @ 74 degrees C for 12 hours.
17. Hazelnut gelee – 700 g hazelnuts puree with 1 L water and tighten with gelatin.
18. Sturgeon - “Confit a la minute” with thermal circulator.
19. Lobster blanching: Uncooked shelled lobster. Sealed with beurre monte sauce. Butter poach @ 59.5 degrees C (139.1 degrees F). 15 minutes (could hold it for another 10 minutes).
20. Seasoned duck breast wrapped with blanched napa cabbage or chard. Wrap in plastic to make a roulade. Poach 6 minutes.
21. Sole Veronique – with brioche and sultana raisins.
22. Milk-soaked chicken breast – Bring milk to a boil, take it off the stove. Drop chicken breast into milk. Cover. Place pot in a food warmer.
23. Sous Vide applications – Pressure, temperature and time. Must have a solid understanding of cooking techniques and methodology. Sous vide is just another tool to be chosen and used wisely. Food storage is neat (no mess), efficient and compact, cooking, vegetable and fruit color retention, slowed oxidization and food texturing (compressing). Portion wrapped foie gras for longer shelf life.
24. Sous vide custards – control variables, ideal consistency and custard is pasteurized.
25. Barigoule – Artichoke hearts cooked in stock and olive oil (@ 85.0 degrees C.) with aromatics and herbs.
26. Consistency & precision: execution from the ritual of repetition.

27. Taken from press reports on the 2009 Bocuse d’Or - French Laundry Sous Chef Timothy Hollingsworth placed 6th place out of 25 international contestants @ 2009 Bocuse d’Or. USA was one of twenty-four teams from around the world; each presenting one fish and beef dish, in elaborate platters and individually plated portions.
Competition medals were awarded to Norway for first, Sweden for second, France for third. Denmark ranked fourth, followed by Switzerland ranking fifth.
"I am thrilled to have been able to represent the United States at the Bocuse d'Or," said Timothy Hollingsworth. "It has been a truly amazing experience on the ground in Lyon. All that I've learned working with Team USA has been invaluable, with so many people having contributed to the achievements our country has made here. Competing amongst these great chefs today has been truly an honor."
Bocuse d'Or USA was created as a non-profit organization, to recruit, train and support the American team. Chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Jerome Bocuse and several other leading chefs developed the organization.
"We are truly proud of our two talented chefs," said Daniel Boulud, Chairman, Bocuse d'Or USA. "The strides we have made are a significant accomplishment for the American culinary industry, as well as an amazing personal achievement for Timothy and Adina."
Hollingsworth's menu presented in Lyon included Olive Oil Poached Loin of Norwegian Cod and Roasted Aberdeen Angus Beef Rib-Eye.
Timothy Hollingsworth and Adina Guest won the honor to represent Team USA at the Bocuse d'Or USA in October 2008. Hollingsworth competed against seven chef teams from around the nation in the two-day competition, held before a panel of judges including Michel Bouit, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Traci des Jardin.
Hollingsworth was awarded a three-month paid sabbatical to train at a specially constructed training center in Yountville, California, mentored by Team USA Coach and Master Chef Roland Henin.

28. Sous Vide Beef Tendons – for stocks
29. Risotto with sous vide oxtails.
30. Bananas are frozen, cut or balled and sous vide with sherbet ingredients, sealed and cooked.
31. Compressed food – ham and mackerel. Chicken thighs and chicken farce.
32. Musquee de provence melon (not muscat de provence as in an earlier note).
33. TFL 1999 - $95.00. TFM 2009 - $240.00.
34. Foie gras with brioche toast, poached pear, fig and truffle.
35. Marinate 500 g foie gras with 9 g of salt, 1 g sugar and 1g white pepper. 24 hours. Poach. Let sit for one day.
36. Foie terrine: marinate foie scraps. Roll in cheesecloth. Poach 90 sec. push through tamis. Pipe into terrine. Glacage.
37. The importance of staff meal…
38. Blanching – 1 C. kosher salt to 1 gallon water.
39. Fish – “Cradle it like a child…”
40. Rue – not often used in kitchen. Blueish-gray shrub. Floral with nutty undertones.
41. Wedge-cut Anjou or asian pears.
42. Degustation de pommes.
43. Jasmine rice sherbet.

Have agreat day!

~R