It really is great when you come into class in the morning and you cook something that you learned about the day before OR if you are cooking in the afternoon that actually putting into practice what you learned in the morning!
So yesterday afternoon we saw the fish pie being made and now it was our turns. Very important for this dish is the so-called "mise en place", the putting into place of all the necessary ingredients and utensils. Since the fish cooks so quickly, we first have to infused the milk the fish going to be cooked in, boil the eggs that are going in the pie and the potatoes that go on it in form of mash.
Ready, set, gogogogoooooooooooo!
Watching and timing two pots with eggs and potatoes, I had to make sure the milk with the bay leaf, onion and peppercorns that I am heating to infuse at the same time, is not boiling, just scalding. Puh! Once the milk is hot, take it off the heat.
Once the eggs are done, remember (from the eggs dem) that you are supposed to rinse them under cold water and crack the shell so you can peel them better once they have cooled down a little and cut them into quaters.
Then on to the potatoes - well, make mash! Test if potatoes are done with cutlery knife. Drain them and let them dry a little. Then in batches push them through sieve. Back into the pot afterwards on one side, on the other melt butter and heat some of the milk. Then whisk them into the potatoes. However, don't overwhisk and only add milk to the amount actually needed. Season with salt, white pepper and some nutmeg and put in piping bag. Keep in warm place.
Finally on to the fish, cook it gently in the milk - SKIN DOWN - for a couple of minutes with a cartouche on. Remember it's done when it is flaky. However, because the pie will go in the oven as well you can slightly undercook the fish. Remove skin and bones and break fish into large flakes.
Then sift the milk and measure the liquid to make the sauce - see the sauce dem. Season sauce, mix with fish. Layer with egg quarters in pie dish, pipe on mash in beautiful ropes. In the oven and when piping hot unter the grill to brown the mash - and then finally you ended up with something like this:
Now while this needed so much preparation and had so many things to watch out for, the next dish - in comparison - seems rather simple in making: Autumn Crumble.
Just peel, core and cut into (not too small) pieces apples and pears. Put half of them in oven proof dish. Sprinkle with sugar if fruits need it. Put blackberries on top. Then rest of apple and pear. Add coarsely chopped hazelnuts, if you like. Then the crumble and off into the oven! And after about 30 minutes it might look like this:
Both of them I took home to have this weekend! Yum, yum!
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