Level Two Day One

I cannot express how significantly things have changed in six weeks since I enrolled in the French Culinary Institute Culinary Arts Program. Level One is now over. Behind me. I aced the paper exam and ended Level One with an A+ average. Don't be fooled.. I still think that September was one of the most difficult months of my life... but I don't think that all ten months will be so bad.

After my Culinary Arts Level One exam was handed in on Wednesday evening, I took a Culinary Arts Level Two book from the box on Chef's desk. I immediately opened to Lesson One and reviewed the material. I quickly noted that many of the recipe components were things that we had done before. I was relieved. However, I learned that Level Two requires completion and plating of four full plates (i.e., the full recipe). There is little room for error.... I don't get to pick the "best" julienne or cocottes... if you over reduce a sauce, you won't have enough... etc.

The first recipes in Level Two are Pommes Darphin and Roast Chicken, Grandmother Style and Sauteed Venison Loin with Sauce Bordelaise. We made the chicken first, for dinner. It was a simple recipe (a French Culinary Institute Classic that shows up again in Level Three). It turned out well, our plating was beautiful, and it tasted delicious. I will make this at home, for sure.

Plating Poulet Roti Grand-Mere

 Poulet Roti Grand-Mere (dinner)

Dinner was delicious!

Onto part two: Sauteed Venison Loin with Sauce Bordelaise. I. HATE. VENISON. I realize that my distaste for venison may be a result of too much time spent with hunters in an earlier life. Chef explained that most people who hunt have never been trained in Culinary Arts.. One thing that many hunters forget is to let an animal get out of rigor before butchering it. This usually takes two to three days. I don't think any of my friends wait two or three days before butchering... let alone cooking. When venison was cooked, and it was frequently, the whole apartment and/or home filled with a terrible smell. A smell of death. Truly.

Venison, according to the USDA, includes meat from deer as well as elk, moose, carribou, antelope, and pronghorn.... We were given elk. The kitchen didn't smell and we did a good job cooking it to a perfect medium rare. We plated the tenderloin cuts with a slice of pommes darphin.

Plated Venison (Elk) Tenderloin with Pommes Darphin

I couldn't eat the venison. Like I said, it didn't smell, but the texture was... not beef.  AND I made an EXCELLENT pommes darphin... A perfect golden brown. Beautiful. So I gave my partner, Julia, the venison and ate a whole "potato pancake" for dessert....

Pommes Darphin

Yes, I ate the whole potato pancake... after I had five scoops of homemade icecream (no lie)  for Family Meal dessert. Self control (or portion control?) has gone out the window!