Cooking Lesson Last Night...

First off, I'm not taking any grief for the scant couple of pictures I managed to get. :laugh: The pace was so frenetic, there was no time to deal with a camera. We made an appetizer plate with crostini, asparagus, grilled shrimp and aioli, pork loin with port reduction, chicken piccata, and Wagyu filets with red wine reduction, all made from beginning to end (and eaten) in about 3 hours. I don't know how many of you have worked side-by-side with a seasoned restaurant professional, but it was an eye-opening experience. My teacher was James Clary, who has owned or partnered in several restaurants around Springfield and is currently the culinary consultant for a 50 store chain of supermarkets in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma (Price Cutter).

Though the focus was on improving my sauce making, my favorite technique came in the evening completely by accident. Being cheap, I bought a whole chicken for the piccata, instead of the over-priced boneless, skinless breasts. I cut up the chicken before James got to the house. When I told him I had bought a whole chicken he asked me where the carcass was. I told him I was going to make stock the next day from it. He asked why I was waiting. Then, he proceeded to put the chicken bones, onions, carrots, celery, white wine and herbs in a baking dish and put them in the oven at 400 for about half an hour. Then we put it in the stock pot. Roasting the bones and veg brought a whole extra layer of flavor to the stock. Next step is to do the roasting in the Egg, instead of the oven! In fact, that's what I'm doing this afternoon with the backbone, neck and giblets from the spatchcock turkey I'm cooking Thursday.

Chicken piccata -- or more correctly, what is left of a plate of chicken piccata by the time I thought to take a shot.




James and me amid the carnage.