Week 4

Introduction

Cookery Topic:

Advanced Soups and Bisques

Cookery Method:

To learn about the process of making cold soups and proper presentation of soups. The most prominent cooking methods are boiling, pureeing, and chilling.

Inspiration

Dishes:

White Bean and Sausage,

Bouillabaisse ( Provencal Fish Stew), Chilled Cucumber Soup, Curry Oil, and Faux Caviar

Williamson, P. (2018, September 17). Bouillabaisse, Riviera / Cote d'Azur. SeeCannes.com. https://www.seecannes.com/cuisine/guide/bouillabaisse-688840.

Prior Knowledge:

Last week, I made sausages for the first time, and I do enjoy eating sausage based dishes. I have no prior experience in making cold soup. My only experience is plating a cold potato and leek soup (vichyssoise).

Learning Objectives:

Reviewing the different classifications of soups, Preparing cold soups, garnish and serving soups appropriately. ( Plana, 2021)

Plana, A. (2021, September). Week 4: Overview. https://auburn.instructure.com/courses/1385357/pages/week-4-overview?module_item_id=19964615.

Background

Scientific principles behind the method of cooking:

In achieving the proper texture, a liquid thickened by a vegetable fiber or starch will be thinner at hot temperatures but become thicker when chilled. A well made stock will become gelatinous when cold. To maintain a pleasant, lightly nappe consistency in cold soups, you must compensate for this thickening effect. If it is a normally hot cold soup, then it is recommended to decrease the amount of thickening agent by 20%. However, the amount my vary depending on the soup. (C.I.A, 2012)

Origin:

As soups are often economical and filling, cold soups were traditionally seen as a peasant dish. Cold soup was not considered formal cuisine until the summer of 1917, Chef Louis Diat of the Ritz Hotel in New York City introduced the cold potato and leek soup ( vichyssoise) to the hotel dining room. He named it vichyssoise after a French spa resort. This was a starting point for when other fine restaurants in North America began adding cold soups to their menus. (C.I.A 2012)

Fergus, J. (2018, September 27). Chilled Cucumber soup with Chili and lime. https://www.feedtheswimmers.com/blog/2018/9/27/chilled-cucumber-soup-with-chili-and-lime.

Kationette, C. (2020, September 7). Cold Cucumber soup with avocado and Attilus CAVIAR TOPPING. Attilus Kaviar. https://www.attiluscaviar.ie/blogs/recipes/cold-cucumber-soup-with-avocado-and-attilus-caviar-topping.

Methods used:

The most common cooking methods that are used is boiling, pureeing, and chilling.

Variations of the dishes:

The variations of Bouillabaisse can be traditional or modern (Beardsley, 2012). The faux caviar can be varied when we change the base liquid. The faux caviar could use cinnamon spice oil, curry oil, tomato oil, balsamic vinegar, and other oils for the base liquid (C.I.A, 2012).

Culinary Institute of America. (2012). Chapter 8 Cold Soups. In Garde manger: The art and craft of the cold kitchen, 4th edition (pp. 276–279). story, John Wiley & Sons.

Beardsley, E. (2012, September 29). Bouillabaisse: From humble beginnings to high-class tourist meal. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/09/29/161968359/bouillabaisse-from-humble-beginnings-to-high-class-tourist-meal.

Recipes

Plan of Work

Reflection

Results:

The white beans and sausage texture was soft with the kale being tender. The white beans and sausage had a salty flavor, but it was well balanced. The chiffonade of the kale was a great garnish choice. The chilled cucumber soup had a thin, milk- like texture, and it was light on the palate. The bouillabaisse had a salty taste. The mussels, fish, and lobster were complimentary flavors.

Food cost:

Evaluation:

After the lab, the curry oil took longer than expected. I did not realize that the dried chili peppers must be restituted in boiling water. There were additional steps such as blending and sieving the peppers were also needed. During the cooking process of the white beans and sausage, the sausages were breaking. One potential reason could be the hog casings were too sensitive or the pan may have been too hot. One possible solution would be baking the sausages before adding the beans. The beans were soft, but it was most likely that way because they were canned. One solution is using uncooked white beans. The bouillabaisse has multiple moving parts, and the order of the steps are important. Boiling the lobster as one large piece was a bit of a challenge. Another way to resolve this is by cutting the lobster's head first. Then, it may be easier to skewer the tail straight,

Conclusions:

I learned more about the contrast that a cold and hot soup have with each other. I learned about a new garnish, which is thinly sliced red bell pepper. They can add a pop of color, especially to the chilled soup. The curry oil took longer than expected and, I will to continue improving my timing.