Need a recipe for a project

I do not know if this is the right place to post this...
Iam in school and was placed in a group of 6 students.
In week 4 and 5 of this session we are to be sous chef of the group and are assigned a ,menu to show our methods.
My method is "POACHING"
My menu is as follows.
Poach salmon, Rutabaga paysanne, potato croquettes and a veloute' sauce.
I must serve 15 to 20 people.
Anyone have some interesting recipe's..
Iam thinking about stuffing my salmon with something.
I have no clue what to use for my simmering liquid.
I will evaualte all ideas.
Thank you in advance..
Danielle

[Greg]

The standard liquid for poaching seafood is court boullion. A few ideas I've had in my head are miso broth and green tea (I'd use lemongrass in the mirepoix for either one; maybe a little wasabi in the miso). Mind you, these are not things that I've tried yet, proceed at your own peril.

[cape chef]

as Greg said Court Bullion is the classic liquid for poaching seafood and to make nage.
I like Gregs ideas with alterative flavors,my only concern is that your menu is a classic kind of menu,and I think your instructor might be looking for how you execute each particular technique .IE poaching,breading and frying the right balance of stock and cream in volute etc..
What your dealing with here is not a dish that is really served any more (to heavy and fat laden)but instead your learning techniques. If you can play around with the salmon,maybe cut it on trainge,butterfly,wrap with saran and gently pound until it is uniformly flat.season with kosher salt and pepper,thinly slice some "dry" sea scallops lay over the salmon,juilliene and blanch some red pepper and put some preserved lemon zest in.tuck in the sides and roll like a jelly roll,season the out side and wrap the whole thing in blanched spinach leaves,then wrap in saran and tighten the ends,then poke a couple holes with a toothpick and poach,unwrap and cut an a sharp bias.you can get some brownie points by telling the instructor the lemon was to help offset all the heavy components of the dishes.
Just an Idea
Let us know how things go
cc

[This message has been edited by cape chef (edited 01-20-2001).]

[Dlee]

D,

I agree with what CC said about; your chef wants to see your method more than anything else.

What I can suggest is that for your first project you should keep it simple. The reason being that you do not know the people you are working with yet their capabilitys etc...

The salmon you can roll and poach it in your court boullion (look up the recipe in your text book)(For my court boullion, I use, rough chopped onion, celery, very little carrot, fennel, kaffir lime leaves, lemon juice/ white wine, blk. peppercorns, bay leaves and water. Combine all the ings. and cook for 45 mins. Strain and thats your court boullion.) Then after you are done the fish keep covered in a warm place make sure the fish does not dry out or over cook. Then use your poching liquid, add a little fish base, bring to a boil, then simmer. Thicken with a roux and there is your veloute.

Ihope this helps.

D.Lee

You are right he does want to see the method .. poaching..
My group is quite good.. I have one guy who is a bit iffy so I will have him cut stuff.
I like the idea of the roll, poaching it and cutting it on a bias..
He is giving me 2 big filets, how big do I make the portions (in inches), do I include the skin?
About the rutabaga..
Any ideas on a recipe. I can incorporate the paysanne into anything.
You guys are incredible thank you..
Danielle

[This message has been edited by chefteldanielle (edited 01-21-2001).]

[shroomgirl]

Absolutely needs color...sorrel is ascerbic and would cut through the fat.
possibly the salmon pounded as CC suggested with a smoked mousse and sorrel.....

[Greg]

You know, I think it's some kind of rule that you always end up with an iffy guy in your class in culinary school. I always got stuck having our classes' iffy guy in my group because our last names started with the same letter. Even if your's is just cutting stuff, keep an eye on him and make sure he knows how to do a paysanne by the book!
As far as portioning your salmon, cape will have to let you know what he uses (you will have to skin it). I can tell you this: Not all filets are created equal, so learn to cut by ounces. Salmon filets are ordered by the weight of the fish they came off of (8-10 lb, 10-12 lb,etc). Some filets within the same weight range are shaped differently. So, without seeing the actual filets that you are cutting, it's impossible to tell you how much to cut in inches. Ask your instructor and keep an ounce scale handy. I weigh every piece of meat I cut just to be sure I don't start not paying attention and go way off on my portion.

Thank you Greg.. You are right I will have to weigh them all.
I have to make about 15 to 20 portions so we'll see.
Iam a bit confused as to:
how to Butterfly the filet.
Do I use a whole filet, do I cut it in half, do I pound it first then butterfly. or the opposite.
Do I just spice the filling with salt and pepper or can I add something else?
I also need to give the guy amounts of stuff I need to feed 15 - 20 people.
Since this is a made up recipe maybe you can help me make it up.
He is going to get fresh shrimp for me for the filling.
Iam going to make my potato croquettes with gruyere cheese in the middle.And serve that with a green peppercorn and mustard sauce.
And then Iam lost with the paysanne of rutabaga.
Im probably going to incorporate the peppers into the rutabagas also.
Cape you have created a maniac..Iam picking your recipe for my first assignment.
Thank you for your help.
Danielle

[Greg]

Portion the salmon per cape's instructions 1st, butterfly, then pound. If you are using a meat mallet to pound it out, I would suggest using the side of the mallet. It's smooth and won't tear up the salmon.
As far as the filling goes, you can add whatever you like to any recipe you encounter. What can make or break you as a chef is knowing whether or not you should add, substitute or leave it alone. What were you thinking of doing with it?
Regarding the rutabagas, I'd delegate it to the people in your group. Takes a load off of you and helps them feel more involved.

[Dlee]

Danielle,


I remember you saying you did a turkey roulade for Christmas. Same principle on the to butterfly your salmon. You just have to do it 20 times. Also to recap CC suggestion,
maybe cut it on trainge, butterfly, wrap with saran and gently pound until it is uniformly flat, season with kosher salt and pepper. Also what Greg said, Portion the salmon per cape's instructions 1st, butterfly, then pound. If you are using a meat mallet to pound it out, I would suggest using the side of the mallet. It's smooth and won't tear up the salmon.


With the filling run it through a food grinder and season with herbs and S&P.


Your tool kit should come with a paysanne scoop. Use it for the rutabagas or cut them into a brunoise. Cook them in your poching liquid, till they are almost ready then shock them in cold water. When you are ready for service reheat them in a little hot water, salt pepper, and butter, your veg. is ready.

It is my suggestion that you do not make a sauce for the starch, but make one for the salmon.


D.Lee

[Katherine]

Keep in mind that with a slicing knife held parallel to the cutting board it is easy to slice fish into slabs of uniform thickness for even cooking purposes. To do this you would pick the person in your group with the steadiest hand. You can then arrange them into a rectangle on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment. This way you won't lose the salmon structure as you would by pounding it.

[Greg]

Dlee, you're thinking of a Parisienne scoop. Paysanne is a large dice, about 3/4" or so.

[cape chef]

What great idea's
maybe for the Paysanne (Peasant style" go classic with the onion,carrot and bacon and a little potato (are you substituting the turnip for potato?)and for color maybe serve it in a hollowed out seasoned and roasted tomato.As for the salmon, I buy 15# salmon and fillet ourselves For lunch I use a 5oz portion and dinner 7oz I yield 16-18 portions for dinner and 20+ for lunch.as said above you will want to do individual portions. Danielle do you have a particular reason you want to serve those two sauces with your potatoes? A little french mustard tempered into your velute would be nice.try not to get to complicated and focus on the methods you are practicing.(sometimes less is more)I would be careful using a court bouillon as the base to your sauce,maybe a little to acidic and washed out flavor.ask your teacher for some halibut or bass frames and make a light fumet from that.If you have to use the salmon frame be sure to remove the gills and the blood line or you will get a fumet that looks like mop water YUMMY.
anyway keep us posted on your progress,and keep the questions coming
cc

[Dlee]

Ok Greg you got me. You are right.

D.Lee

[shroomgirl]

Loads of REALLY strong flavors Danielle.
Guyere, Mustard, Green peppercorns,salmon rutebeggas,shrimp....
They could really mesh and be great together it just depends on the sauce and poaching liquid.

Your plate is pale pink, white to tan.....
except for your herbs in the salmon it's really monocolor..... What herbs are you using for the salmon?