Galantines

Welcome to my Garde Manger blog post for the summer session week 9 MOD.  Today in class we covered galantines, terrines and pate en croutes.  Terrines and pate en croutes are forced meat products that are made in molds of different shapes, covered, then cooked.  Galantines differ from the previous two because it is usually rolled into the skin of poultry instead of a mold, then placed into a simmering bath of water to cook.

            In class today, we did several different types of these products. Each group was given a two types of terrines, galantines or pate en croutes to do.  Every group was assigned to do a chicken galantine.  This is made with the skin of a chicken, chicken breasts pounded out and a forced meat center with pistachios, ham and truffles.  For many of us, this was the first time having to skin a chicken.  To make sure people were able to get a chance at doing this, Chef Anderson had each group break down 2 chickens.  The hard part is not puncturing the skin while doing this.  Any holes had to be folded over to make a kind of patch.  Several group were able to finish theirs including poaching them.  I was really surprised with the flavor and taste of this.  It is on my to do list at home for my next family gathering.

            Now each group was also assigned to a terrine or pate en croute.  These were Turkey Pate en Croute, Pate de Champagne, Roasted Vegetarian with Goat cheese, and Carolina Barbecue terrine.  This day only the vegetarian was cooked and ready to taste by the end of the day.  The pate de champagne and the caroline barbecue were completed and cooked but with the cooling required for service, they were not able to be tasted that day.  Only the turkey pate en croute was not finished and placed in molds.  On a side note, we did taste the vegetarian

ACF accreditation

On day one of Garde Manger I looked at the Syllabus , I had purchased my text book and looked at some of the chapters. This is going to be an interesting class. I have had this desire to have the food I prepared be presentable. “No problem”, I thought with making the food pleasing to the palate. But it must be presented on the plate as well, after all the rim on the plate is the picture frame. No food should be touching the rim. This other chefs instructs us culinary students about plate presentation.

My peers in Garde Manger have given their presentations which I have enjoyed and learned some new things. Now my presentation was assigned for week fourteen- ACF Accreditation. WOW. I would have rather had Preserving the harvest or Smoking Competition. Something I am more familiar with. Being that I am a “country girl”, I grew up on a farm in Tennessee. My grandparents grew their on vegetables, we had fruit trees, I helped with the canning and preserving. That was real organic food that we had then, no pesticides. We also raised our own farm animals, chickens, cows and hogs, that we grain feed from the corn we harvested. We killed, (slaughtered) the hogs, cut, grinded the meat into hams, sausages, made our own lard. Cured and smoked hams and sausages in the smoke house during the winter months. If hogs were killed in the warm months it was for roasting or barbecueing right away. Some cuts of the meat was wrapped and frozen. We milked (by hand) the cows, churned the butter and had milk and buttermilk (non-pasteurized). This I am more knowledgeable. Not ACF Accreditation. In some previous classes I recall being advised by other classmates and instructors telling Culinary students to get involved, become members, and go to meetings. I procrastinated. I went online to gather information about the ACF Accreditation, that site is ACFCHEFS.ORG. It was established in 1929 (before I was born). It has over 20,000 members and many chapters and regions in America. ACF is the organization that certifies chefs. Once a chef passes both written and practical exams they become certified. This certification comes at a cost, not so much monetary as the time and effort involved in the preparation. Study, practical work, much practice and patience, and competition are parts of the process. Certified chefs are highly recognized in the industry. Some may not have attended a school but have the work experience and has a desire to become certified. They may apply for the exam, pay the fee, and take a 30-hour course in Sanitation, Nutrition and Supervisory Management. Recertifications are every 5 years. All previous work experience, educational, transcripts, diplomas are submitted as part of the pre-approval process. Letters from current or past employers documenting  the applicants experience must be submitted on business letterhead to the committee.  ACFCHEFS.org. This has been an interesting topic to research.      

A Good Day in Garde Manger

            Being the MOD is always a daunting task. For me it usually means going to bed late to finish my paper and ready my presentation, then rising way too early for the two hour drive to my morning class. Today was no different.

            Chef Anderson started class with a lecture on the importance of plate and platter presentation for buffets, the use of a grosse piece as a focal point and using different shapes and heights of hors d'œuvres and platters to enhance the visual flavor of the buffet.

            I gave my presentation on gelatin. While doing research for this topic, I was amazed at how much gelatin touches our daily lives.

            Gelatin has unique functional properties. It acts as a gel, emulsifier, stabilizer, thickener, texture enhancer and adhesive. Because it melts at body temperature it can replace the fat in many food products while providing a smooth, creamy taste in the mouth. It is used in everything from gummy bears, jelly beans, baked goods, low fat and low fat sugar products, margarines, canned hams, hot dogs and of course terrines, pates and jellies. Gelatin is the only natural protein used for commercial use. It is used in countless products from photography, shampoo, pharmaceutical products, sunscreen, paintballs, cosmetics, book and painting restoration and to clarify wines and juices, to name just a few.

            Our mystery basket proteins turned out to be sweetbreads, calves liver and frog legs. I think the lab tech was playing a sick joke on us.

            Sweetbreads need to be soaked in cold water for several hours or overnight to remove impurities and it also helps to firm them up. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to soak them long, so we just cleaned them up and poached them in a court bouillon. When they were done, we sliced them and sautéed them quickly in butter. They didn’t taste too bad but the texture was a bit gritty and mushy.     

            All in all, it was a good day in Garde Manger class today. My presentation went well and the class had the opportunity to work with unfamiliar ingredients. Chef Anderson treats us with respect and allows us to use our imagination and creativity, which has made this class a tremendous learning experience for me.