Fish Fume Standard Procedure

Fish stock can be made in the same manner as white stock, or this procedure can be used for a more fragrant stock. Fish Fume can be used for poaching but court bouillon is used more commonly nowadays.

1. Rinse bones
2. Sweat white mirepoix in a small amount of fat
3. Add bones (cover with parchment lid - fold in quarters, cut in a circle and cut an "x" in the middle to let out steam. put on low heat with no stirring until bones are opaque)
4. Add cold water
5. BTAB, DTAS
6. Skim
7. Add mushrooms, sachet/bouquet garni
9. Simmer 35-40 minutes
10. Strain
11. Vent
12. Label and Date

Pluot and Apricot Salad

This was definitely and experiment and the flavor profile is off but still delicious enough for me to regret how much time it took to find my camera to take a picture of it. The next time I make this recipe, I am definitely making it ahead of time and cooling it before adding the lettuce. Also, I would definitely omit the celery and caramelize the carrots and slivered almonds in more sugar. Either that or used sugared almond slivers and caramelize the carrots alone.

I know that the cilantro and curly parsley seems like a bit much, but it adds a freshness that makes the dish light and summery (even in my 85 degree apartment) and balances the sweetness of the fruits, vanilla and sugar.

This could also be adapted to a desert omitting the carrots, celery, lettuce and switching the parsley and cilantro for mint. Also, probably changing up the vinnaigrette a bit, maybe with champagne vinegar. Serve with fresh whipped cream or other delicious baking cream.

So, here's what I did for 1 serving:

Make Lemon/Balsamic/Cinnamon Vinnaigrette
1 part lemon
1 part (or a little less) balsamic vinegar
1/2 part olive oil
cinnamon to taste

Cut in half, de-seed and slice
1 pluot
1 apricot (fully ripe)

Mince
1 tsp - fresh curly parsley (not flat parsley)
1/2 tsp - fresh cilantro

Slice in thin strips
1/2 C lettuce

Caramelize (by sautee) the following in scant butter:
2 T - Slivered apricots
1 T - Carrots, brunois (x-small dice)
1 T - Celery, brunois
2 tsp - sugar
When caramelized, add 1/2 tsp vanilla

Take off heat and add apricot, pluot parlsey and cilantro flipping in pan to distribute flavors. Add about 1 T of the vinnaigrette. Don't let the fruit cook all the way. If serving warm, add the lettuce and serve immediately. If serving cold, I would hold off on the herbs, vinnaigrette and lettuce until about ten minutes before serving time and mix them with the cooled fruit salad.

Serve on a leaf of lettuce.

Anyways, this dish was delicious and odd. Something that with a few tweaks I would be delighted to eat in a restaurant.

Stock Generalities

A stock is a flavored water, or to get more technically: a clear, unthickened liquid flavored with soluble substances extracted from bones, veggies and seasonings.

The basic ingredients are: water (100%), bones (50%) and mirepoix (10%)

The way to measure out these percentages is to take the bones as your given weight (being that they are the most costly and are generally disinclined to change weight easily), then double the weight and add that much water (water being approximately 8.7 lb/gallon at sea level), then use 10% of the bone weight as your guide for the mirepoix. Honestly, this equation is a little flawed. If people could trust one another to do ratios, it would be much simpler, i.e. 20:10:1. But it turns out that people entering the culinary field have just about the same talent for math that the rest of the population has (minus, of course, nuclear physicists and accountants.)

ACIDS: In general, acids used for fish stocks are likely to be white wine or lemon juice. Acids used for beef/veal/brown stocks will be red wine or tomato product.

Mirepoix sizing: General rule is that the smaller the bones, the smaller dice for mirepoix and vice versa.
Small dice: Fish Stocks
Med dice: Chicken, fowl, game, etc.
Large dice: beef, veal, etc.

How to Make a Brown Stock

Brown stocks are made from carmelized bones/vegetables.

NOTE: Do not rinse the bones beforehand. The proteins, etc. already present are an asset when browning.

1. Carmelize the bones

1. spray pan with cooking spray
2. rub with oil
3. brown in an oven at 375 degrees (low temp in case you get busy. Allows for greater leeway)

2. Add tomato product to the bones and brown again. (Will take much less time)
3. Carmelize the mirepoix (same as above)
4. Put the bones in a stock pot
5. Add cold water
6. Degrease the pan
7. Deglaze the pan (putting the pan over heat, pour in wine or other liquid)
8. BTAB/DTAS
9. Skim the impurities
10. Add Mirepoix
11. Add sachet or bouquet garni
12. Simmer
13. Strain
14. Vent
15. Label and Date

Standard Procedure for a White Stock

This has been drilled into my head so many times, I thought I should write it out for reference.

White stock (stock made without carmelization)

1. Rinse bones
2. Add cold water
3. Bring to a Boil/Down to a Simmer
4. Skim protein impurities from the surface.
5. Add mirepoix
6. Add sachet or bouquet garni
7. Simmer for allotted time
8. Strain through a chinois
9. Vent
10. Label and Date

Notes on Stocks I

When you are finished with your stocks and all of the fat has been drained off, pour enough fat back onto the stocks to create a seal. This will solidify when refrigerated and create a seal that will add a week to the life of your stock. You can pull this off when the stock is ready to be used at you don't want all the fat incorporate back into the stock when used. That just reintroduces impurities and unnecessary greasiness.

If the fat cap breaks up, strain through a chinois or china cap to remove chunks.

Also: Always smell and taste your stocks before using. Of course you smell first. If it smells off, your stock is ruined. If it tastes off, the same.

Remember not to add your mirepoix too early. Vegetable matter will break down much faster than bone matter and will not retain the correct flavor if added too soon.

Intro to Skills II

I swear to god this class will kill me. The first thing we find out is that we have to come in early to iron our aprons (again) before class. No folding lines will be permitted. WTF? I believe the chefs are simply drill sargeants with good palettes. Head chef seriously said "you are no longer an individual". The only thing that's missing are the push ups and Richard Gere in fatigues.

Besides that, we learned about stocks today. Standing around in our silly white outfits, looking like clones, we had out notebooks hiked high to our faces, we scribbled like mad folks as the chef spoke rapidly about leaching collagen into water and the proper way to make sachets and bouquet garnis which are just fancy french words for spices and herbs tied in bundles.