Demi glace Base??

[chefbk]

Hi-
I know that its cheating, but we get so intensely busy that we need to be
very quick at times. I currently use Minor's demi glace base and zip it up with shallots, wine, and fresh herbs.
Can anyone reccomend a good demi glace base? Or is the one that I'm using
about the best I'll find? I know...it's cheating! But if you could be a fly on the wall when we do ala carte $175k a week in food sales, all made to order!
Thanks,
Brian

[Pete]

Provimi makes a frozen demi glace. Packaged in 1 pound packets, 20 to a case. It is not cheap, but better than base. What kind of place do you work at? Fine dining or casual? What is your price point?

[gonefishin]

How long does real Demi-Glacé keep in the freezer?

thanks,
dan

[even stephen]

Thats right, Provimi or Art Culinaire. They do however
cost about $10 to $12 per 1# envelope. They are pure
veal demi with no gelatin or chems added. It is a pretty
good product, off hand, probably as good as 90% of
kitchens can produce. I like it. Food has become pretty
progressive and veal demi and butter sauces are not
used as much. When storage, i.e. freezer space, is an
issue, or if you don't have a steam kettle, it is the way
to go.

[chefbk]

It's an upscale casual. The price point is $12-$22. With filets at $26.
Thanks,
Brian

[Chef Kaiser]

Brian,

Well as the saying goes, fresh is always the best. However considering certain operations, volume and at the end to stay competitive with the price, at times in todays world, one has no other chance than reaching to such products.

We also run an operation producing 3000 meals a day, therefore we also use bases. What we do with demi glace - we simply cut vegetables into matignon than roast it untill brownish - add little tomato paste, roast it -than deglaze with red wine and reduce it - add some water and simmer it for 30 minutes. Thereafter we add the base and you will see the result.

Inorder to reduce the powder quantity you also can dust the vegetables with flour and instead of water you add a strong fresh beef stock (bouillon) if you have. well there are may ways to do it.

good luck

Originally Posted by chefbk

Hi-
I know that its cheating, but we get so intensely busy that we need to be
very quick at times. I currently use Minor's demi glace base and zip it up with shallots, wine, and fresh herbs.
Can anyone reccomend a good demi glace base? Or is the one that I'm using
about the best I'll find? I know...it's cheating! But if you could be a fly on the wall when we do ala carte $175k a week in food sales, all made to order!
Thanks,
Brian

[Jeebus]

I am sorry but the above is just plain lazyness. If we managed to do fresh stock (4-5 at a time beef, chicken dark and light, lamb and game) for the Air Canada Centre there is no reason any other kitchen can not do it. we ran 3 restaurants, catering, outside catering, suites and bassically had 21000 new guests every game. Powders are for hacks.....period.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by Jeebus

I am sorry but the above is just plain lazyness. If we managed to do fresh stock (4-5 at a time beef, chicken dark and light, lamb and game) for the Air Canada Centre there is no reason any other kitchen can not do it. we ran 3 restaurants, catering, outside catering, suites and bassically had 21000 new guests every game. Powders are for hacks.....period.

Jeebus, more power to you. Please understand that some people may not have the facilities or the staff that you have. I've been on both sides and I can totally see the point of using a base. I know some people are willing to go to greater lengths to not compromise their ideals, but any chef in charge of 3,000 meals a day is hardly lazy.

[Jeebus]

To me if you are seving $22 mains there is no excuse to use a powdered base.Assuming each guest at that price spends $35 per person thats 100K a day in sales. If you can't pay a body to make stocks everyday doing those kind of sales how on earth can an average joint do it? Perhaps i was trained differently but i would throw myself into a buffalo chopper before I would use a base. For that matter at least one of my chefs would make stock from my corpse .

[Chef Kaiser]

Hi,
Well it should not be a point of argument. But maybe one should also understand location, were do you cook and for how many people. It is different, when I can spend 7 $ in the West at cost or 1 $ in South East Asia for the daily employees meal in a Bank with international affiliation. Well that is the budget. The kilogram of carrots is US cents 78, and other vegetables pritty much in the same level. Beef shoulder cost is US 4.31 the kilo and chicken is also not that cheap at US 1.96 / kilo. I believe with these information now, any chef should understand, why sometimes powder simply are the only solution, especially when cooking for 50 plus nations. However how to use them right, is still the secrtet of the chef, as we all hopfully know how to cook the basic stocks right

regards

Originally Posted by kuan

Jeebus, more power to you. Please understand that some people may not have the facilities or the staff that you have. I've been on both sides and I can totally see the point of using a base. I know some people are willing to go to greater lengths to not compromise their ideals, but any chef in charge of 3,000 meals a day is hardly lazy.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by Jeebus

For that matter at least one of my chefs would make stock from my corpse .

Hmm, are you big boned or well marbled?

[Andrew563]

I would love to be making my own demi, and stocks. But, my walk in is crammed full, I have boxes sitting on milk crates. I have four burners to work with and a reach in that has been converted into a freezer. I have no room for storing or cooking of stocks or demi.

[iplaywithfood]

try this product:
glace de veau by culinarte.. its real easy. its a demi ready to go.
comes in one pound paks, and all you have to do is heat and eat.

hope that helps

[cjdacook]

In a pinch (and we've all been in a pinch now and then!!), I've used More Than Gourmet's Glace de Viande Gold. They have a varied selection of stocks that are darn good.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by chefbk

It's an upscale casual. The price point is $12-$22. With filets at $26.
Thanks,
Brian

Wait BK so you telling us you do maybe 800+ covers a night?