PUTTING ON MY APRON AT APRON'S: Intermediate Techniques, Week 3

[Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist]

Executive Chef Jim Hendry lost his voice and was unable to teach the Intermediate Techniques class at Apron’s Cooking School this week, but his usual sidekick, Mike McClure did a bang-up job of covering the whole class by himself. Mike led us in preparing Lobster and Shrimp Ceviche with Plantain Chips, Porcini Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Haricot Verts, Risotto Caprese and Orange Lemongrass Panna Cotta with Vanilla Chiffon Cake. Now, do we eat good or what?! Seriously, even if you never want to set foot in another kitchen, this class is worth taking just to eat. But I guarantee you’ll want to cook by the time you leave.

In case you’ve never had it, Ceviche is raw seafood which is marinated in an acidic liquid like lime or lemon juice and “cooks” in the juice. It’s very popular in Peru and other Latin American cultures. When making ceviche, submerge whatever seafood and other ingredients you are using in the liquid. When shrimp turns opaque, it has cooked. “Cook” ceviche for at least an hour and a half.

The Plantain Chips we ate this week weren’t out of a bag; we made them ourselves. If you try it at home, it may be easier to peel the plantains after you have sliced them. If you have a wok, use it for deep-frying. If you don’t have a wok, Publix has nice ones on sale for 50 percent off. The sloped sides are great for sliding in the ingredients. The proper temperature for deep frying is 350-375 degrees. Flavoring the chips further after frying with lime zest and cayenne made for a tasty detour from packaged chips.

For the Beef Tenderloin, the tenderest part of the cow, we used Filet Mignon. If you notice a smell when you unpack tenderloin it’s because of the gases used when it is vacuum-packed….ugh! Mike coached us through cutting the filets. He began by using his fingers saying “Why use a knife before you don't have to?”. Tear off the part that is called a “chain’ (and looks like one). Then use a knife to trim off the silver skin. Cut off big pieces of fat, angling the knife slightly upward.

While I’ve cooked with dried porcini mushrooms, the concept of grinding the mushrooms to a fine powder was new to me. The tip here was to buy a coffee grinder to perform this job, grinding the powder to a fine dust. Designate this coffee grinder as your official spice grinder. I’ve used one for that sole purpose for years, and it’s a perfect fit. We used the porcini powder first as a rub combined with Ancho chili powder and cinnamon for the filets and then, as part of a delicious sauce for the meat. As we cooked this dish, one of my fellow students was right on when she commented “All these good smells, it’s making me happy.” Of course, we were even happier when we started eating!

Here are a few sauce-making tips:
*When deglazing, the pan should be hot.
*If you reduce a sauce too much, an oil slick will appear on top.
* Always add butter towards the end of cooking to avoid separation.

For our vegetable side dish of the evening, we blanched haricot verts and put them in an ice bath. The ice bath shocks the vegetables, stops them from cooking and retains their bright color.

We found another use for the wok when cooking the Risotto Caprese. Risotto means “labor of love,” and the three different students who took turns constantly stirring this dish made from Arborio rice would agree. In fact, it was once said by an Italian grandmother that “risotto needs no seasoning due to the sweat from the brow.” But, hey, if you haven’t tried it before, it’s worth the work. I’ve been known to cook vegetable risotto as a main course. I learned in this week’s class that the constant stirring releases the starch in the rice making the dish creamy without the need for cream. Once the rice starts to become clear with only a small dot left in the middle, it’s time to add the wine and stir until it’s completely absorbed. Next add stock little by little, one ladle at a time, stirring all the while until each addition is absorbed. A new fact to me is to add stock which is heated so as not to bring the temperature down. Mike suggested using mascarpone in risotto; it’s another thing I haven’t tried, but it sure does sound good. On this night, we used boursin and parmesan in addition to fresh mozzarella which was also a hit.

Mike showed us how to make two simple, but delicious dessert sauces with the use of a stick blender (I love mine). He blended raspberries with a little orange juice and honey, and then blueberries with mango nectar and powdered sugar. If you use a stick blender, be sure to submerge it before you hit the start button. These sauces were only the beginning of a fabulous dessert, Orange Lemongrass Panna Cotta with Vanilla Chiffon Cake. I do love anything with lemongrass in it! The lemongrass paste that Publix sells means it’s available anytime. Panna Cotta means “cooked cream” in Italian. When asked about using low-fat dairy ingredients, Mike quickly replied “I like to keep the fat in my desserts.” Mike emphasized “Baking is a science requiring proper measurements and temperatures; cooking is an art.” He covered some basic baking tips:
* Be sure not to drop any yolk in your egg whites. When you whip them, it just won’t work.
* Use a glass measuring cup for liquids for accurate measurements.
* The paddle beater on your mixer is best for stirring and mixing.
* The whip attachment puts the air in egg whites, such as for meringues.
* Don’t use a whip attachment when making a cake. The cake will fall due to the extra air.
* If you stir too much, you can deflate the egg whites.
* To form soft peaks, spoon in sugar a little bit at a time.
* If use parchment paper to line the pan, spray the paper as well so the cake doesn’t stick.

Another pearl from this week’s class was Mike’s recommendation of a book for any food-lover, “The Food Lover’s Companion.” I personally can’t wait to get my hands on this book. And now, only one more of week of this class to go...what’s a food lover to do?