This week ended with an extremely challenging production on Thursday, followed by a demanding third Market Basket on Friday. First, I’ll cover Thursday.
Chef Patrice opened the morning lecture by warning us this would be a test of timing: we had a huge amount to complete in roughly two hours. That was an understatement. It turned out to be the most stressful day of Phase II so far. Our first course was a tomato terrine served with an arugula salad and a garlic tuile filled with roquefort cream.
Fortunately, we had prepared the tomato terrine over the prior two days. We slow-dried plum tomatoes in a very low oven (about 180–200°F) for several hours, then marinated them briefly in balsamic vinegar with garlic and tarragon to concentrate their flavor. Since fresh tomatoes aren’t at peak season, the drying step helped intensify the taste. The terrine was assembled in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap, and we added a thin layer of mango in the middle for a touch of sweetness. I wasn’t wild about the mango—tarragon also felt like an awkward pairing for my palate—but the components did work together overall.
We also prepared the garlic tuile that day. The recipe comes from the White House kitchen where Chef Patrice worked for years, and the batter included plenty of microplaned garlic. The roquefort cream was straightforward: roquefort blended with goat cheese until pipeable. While those elements were simple in concept, small tasks—like trimming arugula stems—added up and consumed time.
Our main was a classic Bouillabaisse filled with littleneck clams, mussels, shrimp, monkfish, and rockfish. The most time-consuming work was cleaning and breaking down all the seafood and building a deeply flavored broth. We used fish bones and heads to fortify the stock, and added fumet for extra depth. Aromatics included fennel seed, star anise, celery seed, anise seed, lots of garlic, and, of course, saffron.
We also prepared tournéed potatoes as an accompaniment. As Chef Brian used to say, “tournéing is for thinking”—on this day it felt more like time to panic about how many tasks remained before service.
At the same time we were working on entrée and starter, we had to finish dessert: nougat glacé served with nougatine. Nougatine is caramel mixed with sliced almonds, poured onto a silpat and pressed flat between sheets. In practice it’s tricky: to be excellent, nougatine needs to be rolled paper-thin. The caramel hardens quickly, so we repeatedly softened it in the oven, then used strength and speed to roll and stretch it. It was physically demanding and frustrating; the process alone was enough to make me reluctant to make it again.
After rolling, we cut the nougatine into long triangles and shaped them into tall crescents—a delicate operation because the caramel shifts rapidly between too soft and brittle. Meanwhile, the nougat glacé itself was Italian meringue (soft-ball syrup poured into whisked egg whites) folded together with finely chopped extra nougatine, candied fruit, and whipped cream, then chilled. We also spun sugar for decoration, a task that required careful attention to avoid burns. Thankfully no one got hurt.
Honest reaction: I found the dessert labor-intensive for a result I considered only so-so. I’m not a fan of candied fruit, and I thought the nougat glacé was overly sweet with an odd texture. Still, we somehow managed to finish on time and serve—completing all tasks in roughly two hours. It was an intense, tense day; near the end many of us were frayed and snappish. After service I unexpectedly broke down outside from exhaustion and stress: two weeks of heavy workload with just one day off, questions about my externship choice, learning to collaborate with a new partner, anticipating the next Market Basket, and a brief burn on a pan handle all contributed. I felt better later, though, and appreciated the support of classmates like Lyndsay.
Chef Patrice told us we did very well and mentioned he’d schedule more days like this to increase our speed and prepare us for restaurant pace—an intimidating but valuable goal.
Market Basket Overview: On Friday we tackled our third Market Basket challenge featuring corn, pears, and lamb shoulder. Blanca and I plated sautéed shrimp with fresh corn salsa, a spring lamb stew with seasonal vegetables, and a poached pear with honey-vanilla-lime ice cream. The visiting chef was rigorous with feedback, which was constructive even if a little intimidating. In other news, I completed a third stage at a DC restaurant and had my best experience yet; it’s likely to be my externship site, though I may stage at one or two more places before finalizing my decision.
For now I’m looking forward to two full days off before another demanding week at school. Expect a new recipe post in the next day or two.