Steaming, Poaching (Mmmmmuscles!)

While I was out, Chef M announced that today would be his last day, as he has a family matter he must attend to. That's a big drag, he was the kind of teacher you actually want to please and meet his standards.

We began with a short lecture about steaming, a wet method in which food is cooked by immersion in hot-water vapor; and poaching, which is a combination of braising and steaming -- the item is half submerged in hot flavorful liquid, then covered to capture the steam.

It is a fast method, and a lot of the class was dedicated to fabricating the fishes, assembling the mise, cleaning and debearding the clams and muscles, making the marinades and a 'fondue' (chopped leeks softened in butter with a little orange zest). I was on a new team, with two peeps I've worked with before (Speedy and Square Head), and one new member, who is super competent, young, and is already working in restaurants. Let's call him Chef Junior.

Day was pretty smooth with S and SH fabricating most of the fish, and CJ and I compiling the mise. I took over the clams and muscles, including the cheesy toasts that accompanied the clams.

The salmon was kind of neat, after making into pieces of fillet, they were topped with various julienned vegetables and aromatics, then put into a little folded parchment paper bag, "en papillote." After cooking, the paper is all puffed up and brown and when you cut it open, a blast of yummy steam comes our and smells up your surroundings.

The fillets of sole were rolled into 'paupiettes,' laid in a sauté pan on their sides and wrapped pin parchment, with the final sauce a heavy cream reduction.

My mussels and clams went pretty quick and came out pretty good, with the liquor of the bivalves adding a sea-flavor to the butter wine they steamed open in.

Next week, more poaching.

ADDENDA:
Feel a thousand times better today, I definitely did the right thing by taking yesterday off, or today would of been hell, or worse. Off to Shelter Island to celebrate B's b-day! Happy Birthday, B!

BREAKFAST: 6:30am, good yogurt with honey, vanilla, raw cashews, .75 bowl, hunger 3/5

AM TASTINGS: 11am, 5 clams, steamed sole and sticky rice, spear of asparagus, several very buttery cheesy toasts, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 12:45pm, boylan's grape soda, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 1:30pm, homemade powerbar and peanut butter, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 5pm, shrimp parmigiana with spaghetti, creme brulee, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Laughably bad food on the water in the North Fork, though very unlaughably expensive.