Service

So, every other week, group A and B get together in the restaurant kitchen at Ferrandi to produce meals for two services: a Wednesday night dinner service and a Thursday lunch service.  It helps to prepare us for our stages (internships) in restaurants in Paris next year.  The energy and feeling is much different from our classroom setting.  The food we are preparing goes to paying customers and thus is held to a very high standard.  No messing up here.

Here are a few quick shots I took on Wednesday and Thursday to give you an idea of what it is like in a working kitchen.

The ridiculously large and unbearably heavy copper pot I used to make my chicken stock.

Chicken stock simmering away.

Cason taking on the lamb.

Getting ready for service.  Adrenaline starts pumping and the energy in the room begins to change.

Scallop dish being put together.

I was Chef of the entree group Wednesday night, which meant I had to keep track of all the dishes being ordered for that group.  Above is a picture of how I did that.  Those orders come in fast and your head starts to spin trying to keep track of all of them.  Thank God I speak and understand French or it could have been a major disaster.

Clean up time Wednesday night.  Carleta hosing down the Garde Manger. 

For Thursday's lunch service, I was in charge of the Amuse Bouche - a pumpkin soup with blue cheese foam and chesnuts.  All the pumpkins reminded me of home and the holidays.

Especially pulling out all the seeds.

Hmm.  Will the day-glo orange color ever come off of my hands?  Or will I forever look like a mutant?

Mutant hands were worth it, because this is just too freaking cute.  We served the amuse bouche in the tiny pumpkins.

Making the soup.

I bet you can't guess in what type of fat I cooked these chesnuts?  Yep, duck fat or as Chef calls it, "ze fat duck."

While guests at the restaurant have the choice to mix and match between the two menus group A and group B produce, my sweet husband chose to only eat my group's food.  I have to say that was an excellent choice.  I think we had a better menu.  Just don't tell group A.  Deal?

The chesnuts went into the bottom of the pumpkin, then came the soup and what you see on top is the blue cheese foam. 

Thai shrimp soup.

Scallops with onions and bacon.

Spinach and pine nut stuffed lamb with tomato gelee and ratatouille.

Random dessert selection.  The pastry class at Ferrandi supplies the desserts for service, my group has nothing to do with it until the bring us leftovers to taste!

B said the waiters (who are about 16 years old by the way and totally overwhelmed and terrified of our Chefs) bring a big tray by the table and apparently insist that you get at least 4 or 5 desserts from the tray.  So, while the plate isn't all that pretty, it tastes awesome.

And no French meal would be complete without the requisite cafe to finish everything.