ESCOFFIER, HERE I COME!!!

Last evening was the start of my Masters of Culinary Arts Program at E'cole Escoffier.  Auguste Escoffier is know as the Father of modern French cuisine, so needless to say, the culinary point of view in this program is . . . FRENCH! 

When I arrived I got the "411" on the daily routine; where to get my uniform, where to change into that uniform, the kitchen location, etc.  There's good news and bad news.  There are only two, yes I said two, students in my program.  That means that we both get to do a lot and get tons of attention from the instructor.  That's the good news.  The other person in my program is a woman from the Republic of Georgia (as in used to be USSR) named Tamara.  (Notice that I didn't come right out and mention the bad news.)

The instructor is an experienced, talented chef named Emeline.  Her demeanor is direct, but respectful.  Emeline knows her stuff.  In just the first class, she taught me countless French tenets and little tricks to make a meal heavenly.  Having started her formal culinary training at just fourteen years of age, at thirty-one, she's a veteran.  As a part of her more than impressive resume, Emeline taught professional chefs at Alain Ducasses's school in France.

Since there are only two in the class, there's no observing, only doing.  We started on our first dish, Dublin Bay Prawn (langoustine) Ravioli with Shellfish Coulis.  Lot's of techniques for sauce and building flavors that I learned at le Cordon Bleu, came flooding back.  However, the French really do take their time with sauces, more than I ever have.  The photograph of this particular dish doesn't do it justice.  Toward the very end, we whipped the sauce into a foam.  If we had used lobsters rather than prawns, it would have had less brown color and more pink.  No matter, it was terrific!

The three dishes that we created were all being worked on simultaneously due to different cooking times for poultry, seafood, vegetables, potatoes etc.  We fabricated a guinea hen and started on the sauce.  For me, the preparation of this dish was more about carving up the bird and searing it than anything.  It's imperative that afterwards, in the oven, the breast meat (white meat) isn't cooked for as long as the dark meat, so that the breast meat doesn't dry out. That is most important in this preparation.  Once again, making the sauce from leftover body parts, wings, liver, extra bones etc. is key.  Also, lot's of wine in the sauces!

Lastly, was the Breast of Pigeon Pie with Perigueax Sauce.  I looked down at my cutting board and jumped.  The instructor asked if I was alright.  Of course, I was, but the pigeon still contained a head and feathers.  What's a girl to do?  I slit it's throat, cut off the head, and stuck my hand up it's #*! to rip out the guts.  Yeah, I know, Paris is incredibly glamourous.  We took a blow torch and burned off any little "hairs" that were left on the bird.  By the way, yes, I paid to go to this program.  We fabricated the little fellow and seared him in some olive oil.  After we set that aside, we made "pommes anna", a traditional French potato preparation using thinly sliced potatoes, clarified butter then baking the potatoes in round pan in a rosette pattern.  I actually made this potato dish (my choice) for a final exam in culinary school.  However, here in France, they never do it exactly the same as we do in the U.S.  We sauted some porcini mushrooms (in season right now), and eventually built our pigeon pie.  One of the things that I can't get down with about authentic French cooking is that they serve a lot of their birds (dark meat) medium rare.  I can't eat anything that flies less than well done, not overdone, just cooked.  I can't forget to mention the Perigeaux Sauce, a classic sauce using Cognac, Madeira wine, truffle juice, and truffles.  Yet again, there's a lot of care taken when preparing this sauce.  Delicious!  Every detail in French cuisine is important from the technique used when chopping herbs to the way the mushrooms are prepared for garnish.  Presentation is more that significant.

Edeline wanted us to take home all the food that we cooked.  It was absolutely enough to feed a dozen people.  I took more than I could eat, but I've had to get rid of some of it, not to mention, that I had a hard time enjoying any of it at 11 p.m., the end of class.  I was beat!  Besides, I felt personally involved with that pigeon.  yuk!

Tonight's class doesn't start until 6:45.  No telling when I'll get home.  I blew off French school this morning.  I NEEDED SLEEP.  My sweet friend from school, Chloe, sent a text to check on me.  I have to go tomorrow.  Not only do I want to speak French, I love the people in my class!