Terrines (Out with a Whimper)

Today was basically the last day of class -- we are off next Monday through Wednesday; Thursday is strictly prep for graduation buffet; and Friday is an all-day affair of cookin' n' drinkin' with all the friends, family, and peeps of of the class.

The last few days have been dedicated to terrines (aristocratic meatloaf) which will be present when people come in. They are served cold or at room temperature, and are accompanied by slices of baguette and smooth mustard.

Squarehead and Dora the Explorer went off and did this scary gallentine, which is a foie gras and chicken fine grind wrapped in a whole chicken skin....served cold! Eeeee! I made a Mediterranean Seafood terrine. Took a bunch of clean shrimp and sea scallops, diced them, mixed them with salt, white pepper, egg white, and a large jigger of heavy cream that I infused with golden saffron. All this went through the grinder to make a runny white and yellow paste. To this, I added chunks of shrimp and scallop, as well as minced basil and parsley. This went into the terrine pan, which went into a hot water bath, and all into the oven to reach an internal temp of 140. Cooled on ice, wrapped in foil, and stashed in the fridge to come together next Friday. Shellfish-loaf, not something I'll be making at home too often.

Everyone finished with their terrines by 10am, and we went ahead and whipped up rustic mashed potatoes (i.e. mashed with a spoon instead of a masher or a food mill) and Dirty Kim made some suave fried chicken. Chef Al reviewed the platter situation, locked in our food order, gave us a pep talk, and we were off. Class dismissed.

That's it for classwork. This blog is going to go dark from tomorrow to next Wednesday, then I'll return in full force with the good stuff about prep and the pomp of the Grand Buffet.

ADDENDA:

I have a trail at another Brooklyn Italian/Pizza place on Tuesday. Have decided to continue on with management classes in February. Should I continue this blog throughout my externship? Working as a kitchen slave, trying to learn how it REALLY is, as opposed to being in school where one learns how it's SUPPOSED to be.

Went to a pizza class in the evening, a continuing ed class about how to make it at home. It was a lot of fun, reminded me what I love about pizza, and the fact that not everyone can make pizza, he he.

BREAKFAST: 6:30am, organic chex with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH pt 1: 11am, 1 piece fried chicken, small portion of mashed potatoes, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH pt 2: 12:15pm, ceasar salad, vanilla ice cream, 1 beer, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

A private celebratory moment with the wifey.

DINNER: 9:30pm, lots of different bits of pizza, 2 beers, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5

Terrines (Aristocratic Meatloaf)

Not much to say about today's work, other than that it was just sausage again, with different flavoring and without of the casing.

I teamed with Second Language Girl to produce a Country-Style Terrine. We cubed up up some pork shoulder, veal shoulder and fatback. Sliced shallots and garlic were browned to soft in butter, then deglazed with sherry to sec. Chilled, they were mixed into the meat with paté spice, salt, pepper, and tinted curing mix; then the whole mixture went through a large grind, then half through a medium. Once ground, an egg, heavy cream, more salt, and freshly processed white bread crumbs were mixed in. Some smoked ham was finely diced, more fatback too, and raisins were plumped in wine and almonds were sliced and toasted. Parsley and chives were chopped up, and everything got thrown into the mix.

Boiled some water and spooned a few teaspoons in to cook. Tasted fine, kind of foofy foofy. A terrine pan was lined with plastic, the meat goop pushed in, covered in plastic then covered. Water was boiled, poured into a hotal pan, the terrine set in it, then the whole thing went into the over till the temp got to 150 internal. Straight into an ice bath, then into the fridge.

Tomorrow, mousseline sand stove-top smoking.

ADDENDA:
Had a trail at one of my favorite pizza restaurants this afternoon. It went really well, it was a good feeling to be prepping food for dishes people were going to actually buy and eat rather then endlessly pretending. The chef was a great guy who was interested in explaining what went into the dishes and the logic behind everything we were doing. The team was clearly well-integrated and happy to be there. Hopefully, I'll know in a few weeks if they have space for me.

BREAKFAST: 6:30am, granola with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5

AM TASTING: 9:30am, 1 little country-style boiled meatball

LUNCH: 11:45am, 4 different kinds of sausage, fried potatoes, water, 1 bowl

PM TASTINGS: 1-4pm, a lima bean here, a piece of Jerusalem artichoke there, pickled carrot, .25 bowl

LUNCH 2: 4pm, pasta with ham, toasted bread with roast garlic, cooked string beans, romaine salad, hunger 3/5, 1 bowl
Family meal at the restaurant.

DINNER: 7pm, clam pizza pie, hunger 4/5, 1 bowl
They comped me a pie before I split. Very different than a Frank Pepe pie, whole clams in a clam juice reduction, no garlic or wine.

EVENING WATERING: 8pm, 1 quart