test #3

[chrose]

Okay gang, it's a simple one again. So put on your thinking toques and have at it.
A relative bless their soul (you say, now!) has asked you to do a catering for 75 people for her. She has all her old pots and pans that you absolutley must cook in. The food won't taste the same without them she says.

Here's what happened.

Time was a little tight but you made it just in time. The Steamship Round came out at 180 degrees and beautiful. A sight to behold, brown crusty juicy! In fact it was so juicy that you had to keep getting towels around the cutting board to sop up all that jus. Well done pieces seemed to be easy to come by but as beautiful as it was when you cut it every slice seemed to end up medium well.
That beef wellington that you have since learned to cook properly should be delicious with the Merlot Demi that you prepared.
The butcher gave you his finest veal bones that he cut from the breasts that he broke down. Too bad you couldn't afford the chops that came off it. You did all the right things to your stock, browned your bones, put in your mirepoix, a touch of tomato, deglazed your pan and cooked it slowly for at least 6 hours. You strained it, it looked and smelled and even tasted delicious. You reduced it by half and it was great! Thin but great. However no matter how much you reduced it it remained thin. Any more and you'd reduce it to nothing. Oh well not a problem, you can just thicken it and have a Fond Lie, tasty too and who will notice? A quick Roux and you're on your way.
However your relatives fondness for her braised red cabbage with lemon zeste recipe doesn't sit to well with how you think it should be made. She insisted it be made in her grandmothers old aluminum stockpot. It has been used for that dish for years, and it still tastes great, and in the darkened room no one will notice the blue tinge it has, nor the odd grey tinge the mashed potatoes seem to have, no matter how much milk you try to add. At least it still tastes pretty good.
Still something seems amiss with your croissants. Can't blame this one on her, it's your recipe. Hmm.. milk, yeast sugar, bread flour. It all seems right, detrempe 1:1, turn 7 times rest etc. They look okay but they weigh a frickin ton! These thing taste more like pizza bagels!
Thank god your serving a friendlys Ice Cream cake for dessert. The next screwy test will have your ponerous desserts!

[cape chef]

Hey Hey hey!!!!!!!

Can I play ??????

[nancya]

I think those are my croissants! Could you use them as doorstops?

My guess....(oh, let me not be too ignorant here)

Although I have never made veal stock - I have read that you should use a combination of veal and beef bones because the veal bones have less gelee than the beef bones.

I'm thinking that you didn't let your roast rest and besides cooked it to too high of a temperature.

I'm not sure what it is about the old aluminum pans...but I'm familiar with the effect. I've been trying to get rid of my mom's old pans for several years.

[shroomgirl]

yep 180* is pretty darn done....
acid in the lemon and cabbage will turn funky and the potatoes will match their hair so it's ok....don't many older folks eat their meat WELLL done?
knuckles are key to gel....
Friendly ice cream cake????what makes it friendly?

[Greg]

A quick roux? Last time I made brown roux (which it what should be used here), it took just a little more time than I would call quick.

[Athenaeus]

Ok I have to run before the chefs wake up.

Veal stock is not made by bones that come from the breasts. Not even the chops come from the breast.
if i understood your procedure correct it seems to me that you did two processions in one. I mean you brown the bones with ingredients you mention then you tranfer it to a clean pan adding the bouquet garni and you cook for 3-4 hours. skimming.
Quick Roux I don't think that this is the solution although I don't have another one to propose

The aluminum utensils, allow me to remark Chef Chrose that cook better under certain circumstances. if you suggest that the acid of lemon will create a chemical reaction with the aluminum this is partly correct if you leave it there for many hours. But since you kept saying that they are OLD UTENSILS that means that they just need tinning. In Greece we still have butchers and tinmen (whitesmiths)

As for the croissants. Oh . Bread flour is not correct . You need all purpose. You need to add to this dough butter and eggs

BTW great stories

[thebighat]

Maybe the butter in the croissants should have been 60% and 4 turns ought to be plenty.

[chrose]

Careful you're getting colder......

[cape chef]

Chrose, Let me know when I can join in!!!

I think I may be able to help
But I will honor your wishes to stay away so others can play
cc

[chrose]

I didn't say stay away! But don't answer the all at once. Feel free also to expound on any previously given answers. I'll stump you yet!

[Athenaeus]

Originally posted by chrose
Careful you're getting colder......

Is it snowing again? What is THAT bad?

[chouxbacca]

I know nothing about any of this (I'm just a newbie in the arts) but could it be that they worked with croissants for too long and the butter melted into the batter, thereby creating lumps of dough, instead of flaky crispy goodness???

And would it not be possible to make a light slurry with red wine and cornstarch (or arrowroot) and then let it reduce a bit?

and as far as a steamship round... I dont even know what that is... filet maybe?

[kuan]

First of all a WHOLE steamship found for 75? Choux, a steamship is just about the whole hind quarter of a steer.

About the croissants, since you said you were running short on time, maybe you didn't let them rest enough between turns. That's a maybe. Perhaps you inadvertently let them raise in the hot kitchen or your yeast is bad. But what's wrong with bagel croissants? You've just invented a new thing.

The greyish tinge in the potatoes is from mashing the potatoes in an aluminum pot. You're removing some material from the pan. Don't you fret though, they'll have no memory of this... you know, all that talk about Alzheimer's

Kuan

[chrose]

Keep em coming. Good answers most on the right track, and even mostly correct, still no 100% er's. CC feel free to step in and don't get caught up in my little bag of tricks Remember too I tend to be nitpicky.
Choux, I won't tell you on what but you're on to something.

[josephreese]

I confess to being lost about most of this, but chrose didn't mention that the croissants were refrigerated when they were resting. Shouldn't they rest in the 'fridge?