Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Osso buco

 Ingredients;

750g veal knuckles or shanks
100g butter
2 large carrots cubed
2 large onions finely chopped
2 celery sticks chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tins chopped peeled tomatoes pushed through a sieve
½ cup red wine
250ml beef stock
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Palm of chopped fresh parsley
A little flour, salt and pepper

Directions;

1) In a pan on a medium heat melt 1 tablespoon of the butter,
2)Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic, cook until onions are beginning to turn brown and transfer them to a casserole dish.
3)Season some flour and coat the meat by placing in a bag and shaking it around. Place the rest of the butter and a splash of olive oil in the pan and brown the meat on all sides, remove and place on top of the vegetables in the casserole dish.
4)Clean the pan and add the tomato, wine, beef stock, herbs and lemon rind,season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil the pour the sauce over the veal and place in the oven at 180c for 1h30m stirring occasionally.
5)Add the parsley and a little lemon rind and stir.

Carrot cake

Ingredients;

4                    Eggs
310ml            Castor sugar
310ml            Oil
625ml            Snowflake cake flour
15ml              Cinnamon
5ml                 Ground ginger
5ml                 Bicarbonate of soda
10ml               Baking powder
5ml                 Salt
750ml             Grated carrot
125ml             Chopped pecan nuts (Optional)

Directions;

1) Whisk eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy
2)Add oil and beat until blended.
3) Sift dry ingredients together and add to beaten mixture.
4) Fold in carrot and pecan nuts.
5) Pour mixture into 3 18cm or 2 22cm greased baking and lined cake pans.
6) Bake at 180c for 30 min to 40min or until a tester comes out clean.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Genoise sponge cake

Ingredients;

4                eggs
115g          castor sugar
115g          flour
35g            melted butter

Directions;

Whisk eggs and sugar to make a sabayon.
Slowly fold in flour
Fold in melted butter.
Place in a preheated oven at180c for 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate cake

Ingrdients;

375g     sugar
6           eggs
2tsp      vannilla essence
500g     flour
3tbs      baking powder
3tsp      cocoa
250ml   milk
1tbs      butter

Directions;

Beat sugar, egg and essence until fluffy.
Sieve flower slowly into mixture.
Add cocoa and baking powder(mix well)
Melt butter in milk in a sauce pan.
Slowly add the milk to the batter and mix well.

Place in a preheated oven at 180c for 30-35 minutes.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Creamed Sole with lemon prawns.

Ingredients;

Sole                                  1 Whl
Cream                               500g
Prawns(De-Shelled)          5 whl
Parsley                             20g
Lemon                             1
Water                              250ml
Flower                             50g
Egg                                  2
Bread crumbs                  50g
Oil                                   250ml


Directions;

1) Heat oil in pot or deep fryer.
2) Place bread crumbs, flour and egg in 3 different mixing bowls.
3) Pane sole.(cover sole in flour then egg then bread crumbs).
4) Once paned deep fry sole until cooked thoroughly and browned.
5) Heat cream in pot and bring to a gentle boil.
6) Add prawns, parsley and lemon juice to cream. allow to boil for 5 minutes or until thick.
7) Place sole on serving plate, pour prawn sauce over and ready to eat.





Beef Stew

Ingredients;


Butter                10ml                       
Oil                     10ml
Beef sirloin          1kg
Tomato paste       200g
Mixed herbs         200g
Salt                       25g
Black whole pepper corns         25g
Maizena                              100g
Brown Stock                       1.5L
Potato                  5 lrg
Carrot                  5lrg
Onion                   3lrg
Celery                  1lrg

Directions;

1) Heat butter and oil in large pot.
2) Add onion and saute until transparent.
3) Add Beef and spices.
4) When meat is brown add stock.
5) Leave to boil, add water if necessary.
6) Once meat is soft and the rest of the vegetables and potatoes. Allow to boil until potatoes are soft.
7) Mix Maizena in a mixing bowl with 150ml water.
8) Slowly add maizena to pot to thicken.(Mix well)
9) Ready to serve.

Poached egg

Ingredients;

Vinegar     15ml
Water      500ml
Egg          2

Equipment;

Pot
Perforated basting spoon
Measuring jug
White chopping board
Pairing knife

Directions;

1) Place water in sauce pan and bring to a boil.
2) Add vinegar.
3) Reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
4) Swirl water in a anti clockwise motion.
5) Break egg close to water surface.
6) Once the egg is cooked to preferred choice remove from liquid and trim off rough edges.
7) Ready to eat.

Bechamel sauce

Ingredients;

Onion                 1
Flower                100g
Butter                  100g
Clover whole       5
Salt                      5mg
Pepper                 5mg
Milk                     1.5L

Equipment:

Chronicle strainer
French whisk
Pairing knife
Measuring jug
Pot
Sauce pan
Mixing bowl
Solid basting spoon

Directions;

1) Melt 100g butter in sauce pan.
2) Add flower gradually and whisk well.
3) Allow to cool.
4) Peel and stud whole onion with clove.
5) Boil milk in a pot and add studded onion.
6) Heat on low and simmer milk until warm.
7) Remove onion and add hot milk to cold roux(Roux is butter and flower mixture.)
8) Mix well and pass through sieve.
9) Serve while hot.

Mince and Cannelloni

Ingredients;

Bread crumbs         250g
butter                      5ml
Oil                          5ml
Mince                     1kg
Onion                      1
Green pepper          1
Leek                       1
Tomato                   1
Tomato paste          25g
Red wine                75ml
Salt                        10mg
Pepper                   15mg
Egg                         2

Equipment;

Pot
Wooden spoon
Frying pan
Green chopping board
Chefs knife
3X mixing bowl
Measuring jug
Piping bag

Directions;

1) Brunoise all vegetables.
2) Place pot on stove and melt butter on high heat.
3) Saute vegetables.
4) Add red wine to deglaze.
5) Add tomato paste and mix well. (Saute further 2 minutes.)
6) Now add mince and spices.(Mix well)
7) Mix eggs in a separate mixing bowl and add to pot.
8) Add bread crumbs.(Mix well)
9) Remove from heat and pipe mixture into cannelloni.
10) Deep fry or boil cannelloni.



Vegetable soup

Ingredients;

Water or stock                 1.5L
Onion                               3
Tomato                             3
Celery                              1
Carrot                              6
Broccoli                           1pkt                   
Patty pans                        1pkt
Baby marrow                   1pkt
Baby mielies                     3pkt                   
Tomato paste                   75g
Salt, pepper, mixed herbs  10g
Butter                                10ml
Red wine                           250ml

Equipment;

Stock pot large
Chefs knife
Green Chopping board
Measuring jug
Perforated basting spoon

Directions;

1) Brunoise all your vegetables on a green chopping board.
2) Add butter to pot and put on high heat.
3) Saute vegetables.
4) Add wine to deglaze once vegetables are sauted.
5) Add tomato paste and mix well.
6) Add water or stock and bring to a boil.
7) Allow to boil for +_ 15 minutes.
8) Add spices of choice mix and serve.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients;

Egg                 11
Egg yolk          6
Sugar              900g
Butter              450g
Lemon Zest     30g
Lemon juice     360ml

Equipment;

Balloon whisk
2X Mixing bowl
Stock pot
Measuring jug
Wooden spoon
Pot

Directions;

1) Mise on Place all equipment and ingredients.
2) Mix all ingredient excluding the butter.
3) Boil water in a stock pot and bring to boil.
4) Once water is at a boil, mix ingredients over double boiler.
5) Slowly add butter.
6) Whisk until thick.
7) Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Caramel and Vanilla-Lemon reduction

Ingredients;

Water                    1L
Lemon juice           1L
Sugar                    500g
Caramel essence   3 lid full
Vanilla                   3 pods

Equipment;

Pot
Wooden spoon
Measuring jug

Direction;

1) Mise On Place all equipment and ingredients.
2) Measure and pour 1L lemon juice into pot and bring to a boil.
3) Add sugar mix well
4) Add water leave to demi (Reduce liquid to half way.)
5) Add caramel and vanilla pod mix well.
6) Leave to boil for a further 1 minute.
7) Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Holandaise sauce

Ingredients;

Egg yolk               8
Vinegar                 2 tbs
Melted butter        200ml
Water                   500ml

Equipment:

Pot
Big mixing bowl
Balloon whisk
Stove top

Directions;

1) Mise on Place all equipment and ingredients.
2) Separate egg white from egg yolk.(Place egg yolk in large mixing bowl.)
3) Bring water to a boil in pot.
4) Whisk egg yolk over pot.
5) Add vinegar.
6) Whisk till thick.
7) Once thick immediately fold in melted butter.
8) Cool down and keep away from any coarse of heat.


Pastry cream

Ingredients;

Milk                          2L
Sugar                        500g
Egg                           6
Corn flour                 125g
Vanilla essence          15ml

Equipment;

Measuring jug
Large mixing bowl
Balloon whisk
Table spoon
Electric scale
Bain-Marie
Stock pot


Directions;

1) Mise on place all ingredients and equipment.
2) Add milk and vanilla essence to stock pot and bring to a boil.
3) Mix eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved.
4) Add hot milk to the cold eggs slowly and whisk.
5) Add corn flour to the milk and egg mixture to thicken.
6) Place on stove and stir until its thick.
7) Once thicken remove from stove.
8) Fill sweet pastry cups with the cream mixture.

Rissoto Rice

Ingredients;

Wild Rice                   1kg
Onion                         1
Cream                        100ml
Stock                         1.5L
Parmesan cheese         50g
Butter                         100g
Leek                           30g

Equipment;

Chefs Knife
Stock pot
Green Chopping board
Wooden spoon
Basting spoon solid
Ladel

Directions;

1) Mise on place all ingredients.
2) Melt butter in a stock pot.
3) Brunoise the onion and leek and saute until transparent.
4) Add rice saute with onion and leek until bound(2min)
5) Add stock just enough to cover the rice.
6) Bring to a boil
7) Once most liquid has evaporated add cream and butter and mix.
8) Add salt and pepper.
9) Once finished add in grated Parmesan cheese.
10) Serve hot

Fond Blanc (White stock)

Ingredients;

Raw chicken and bones      1kg
Water                                 5L
Onion                                 400g
Celery                                400g
Carrot                                 400g
Leek                                   400g  
Pepper corn                        8

Equipment;

Stock Pot
Chefs knife
Green board
Chronicle strainer
Large mixing bowl

Directions;

1) Mise on place all ingredients and equipment.
2) Add water into stock pot and bring to boil.
3) Add ingredients.
4) Leave to demi(Reduce to half.)
5) Once demi pass through chronicle strainer into a mixing bowl.
6) Discard any solid food source caught in the strainer.


Fond brun (Brown stock)

Ingredients;

Raw beef        1kg
Carrots           400g
Celery            400g     
Onion             400g
Leek               400g
Water             1L

Equipment;

Stock pot
Chefs Knife
Green chopping board
Chronicle strainer
Basting spoon
Mixing bowl

Directions;

1)Mise on Place all ingredients this means mirepoix your vegetables and measure your ingredients.
2) Add water into the bot and bring to a boil.
3) Once at a boil add all ingredients.
4) Allow stock to demi(Reduce to half.)
5) Once demi pass liquid through the chronicle strainer into a mixing bowl.
6) Discard and solid food source caught in the strainer.

Vanilla Custard

Ingredients;

Egg yolk                  2
Castor sugar            25g
Vanilla essence        2.5 drops
Milk                        250 ml
 
Equipment; 

Stock pot
Sieve
Wooden spoon
Mixing bowl

Directions;

1) Mise on Place (Preparation before hand).
2) Mix the yolks, sugar, and essence in a mixing bowl.
3) Brink milk to a boil.
3) Once the milk is boiled slowly add milk to dry ingredients and whisk, then return to stove.
4) Place on a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon(Make sure it does not come to a boil or the egg will curdle.)
5) Pass the custard through a sieve and into a bowl.
6) Ready to eat hot or cold.


Monday, August 29, 2011

25/08/2011

Today we had a cooking practical exam/competition and we where assigned to prepare a chicken of choice and then we all had to pick a parcel which contained a specific rice. The parcel i chose contained Risotto  rice, this is an Italian rice which contains more starch than other rices.

Wat i decided too make was a tradition spatchcock in wine, cream and dry herb chicken.
Made savory risotto rice mixed with parsley, carrot, onion, rocket, basil and mint leaves. (Saute these ingredients before adding to the rice.) 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

27/07/11

Today we were assigned in five groups each group consisted of 2 members. Our task was to complete Oeuf"s Florentine in a time period given. This dish consists of crôuts topped with cream spinach topped with poached egg then followed by napped Bechamel sauce.

Bechamel sauce is made by a traditional roux, a roux consists of equal quantity milk and flour made in to a thick paste like ball, (NB when roux is hot add cold milk and when roux is cold add hot milk.)
Peal and place studded onion into milk allow to boil for +- 5 minutes (stir at half time) allow milk to cool then at milk to roux to make a nape stage bechamel. Once mixed well pass through a double mesh sieve.

Blanche spinach for 3 to 5 minutes the run spinach under cold water to stop the coking process. Squeeze out all access water then chiffonade and add bechamel sauce, salt, pepper and sauted onion.

Once the dish is put together add mozzarella cheese and gratinate in salamander.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

24/07/11

Today i ran the main kitchen without any professional supervision. I had to prepare food for 26 guests in which one of those guests were a vegetarian, so had to make an individual vegetarian dish. The menu consisted of;
Starter
37 x jalapeno
42 x samosa stuffed with spinach
1 x beetroot salad   
1 x potato salad
1 x carrot  salad
Main
30 pork-rashers
22 pieces of beef boerewors
2 whole chicken spiced in a pepper sauce
2 kg of pup and 500ml of tomato and onion mix
blanched broccoli and cauliflower in a cheese sauce
Rice
Roasted beef roll
Dessert
23 double choc (Consists of chocolate brownie, cream and caramel moose )

The guests started to eat at 7pm so from about 4 pm i prepared Mise en Place(Preparation before hand) i then started the fire at 5pm, set up the buffet and continued with hygienically maintaining the kitchen.
Once it reached 7pm my guests started with starters so i then began to braai the pork rashers as well as the boerewors. Once all guests had finished with there starters they all worked there way to the boma where the main buffet was set up, they served them selves and indulged in the food, once i saw everyone finished with there main i brought out the dessert and then packed up the buffet and continued hygienically maintaining the kitchen, i sanitized all working stations and utensils. I then mopped, disinfected and killed any site of bacteria formed through out the day on the kitchen floor.
I then turned off all equipment such as the main shut off valve for gas, the extractor fan, deep fryers, snack-wage machine as well as all lights, i then locked all storage areas and the main kitchens back door as well as the front door.

Total hours worked: 8h 50m

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

04/05/11

For the last two weeks i have been working in the main kitchen because of the holiday season,,,,, during this time i made a beef stew for the first time. I did a lot in these two weeks it was hard but i enjoyed it and proved to my self that i can do the unexpected. At times i was getting really frustrated but i said to my self as we are chefs we tend to get a bid angry and frustrated at times but that's life, during those times we just have to remind our selves that we are doing this for the long run as well as because cooking is my passion. Today i am getting the whole day to complete my POE because during the holiday season, I had no time to do anything with my POE.

Monday, April 18, 2011

11/04/11 - 14/04/11

From the 11th to the 14th of April i worked at Moselesele with Chef David.
I arrived at Moselesele every morning at 6:45, so whilst i waited for about 30 minutes for David to arrive i decided to pack away all the dishes and do all the 'mice on place' for the breakfast. (Mice on place meanes preparation before hand).

Monday morning the guests had not arrived yet so David and I raked the garden, polished the furniture and built the fire for the evening. I then finished at went on split shift from 9am so i decided to ask chef Errol if i could work in the main kitchen, i then worked there until 10:30am cutting up butternut.
Monday night i arrived back at Moselesele and met all the guests, they then decided to have baked potatoes and braai chops so David and my self then prepared supper for the guests. I also set up the table, cleaned the dished, swept and mopped the kitchen floor. I then went home at 8:30pm that night.

Tuesday i arrived at Moselsele, packed away the dishes, set up the table and made toast, bacon, egg and pork sausages. After the guests finished there breakfast i cleaned the dishes swept and mopped the floor. I the re stacked the wood on the fire area. Went on split at 10:15am.
Started work at 4:30 that evening and set up the table, Baked bread, made pork chops in a barbecue sauce. I then cleaned the dishes mopped and swept. Got off at 9.

Wednesday morning we made 10 omelets stuffed with grilled bacon, saute onion, mushroom and tomatoes with cheddar and feta cheese. I also made 15 pancakes with cinnamon and sugar. Then laid and set the table. Once the guessed completed there food i cleared the table, cleaned the dishes, swept and mopped the floor.Went on split from 10am.
That night i then arrived at Moselesele that night at 4:30 packed away the dishes from breakfast. Then i laid and set up the table for the guests. That night David and my self prepared yet another braai for the guests and made boerewors rolls with a Greek salad. After the guests completed dinner i then cleaned all the dishes. Mopped and swept the floor. Went home at 8:25 pm.

 Thursday morning i made french toast topped with chopped ham saute onion and tomatoes.
That night i made steak, garden salad and chicken drum sticks. I then laid and set the table, cleaned the dishes mopped and swept the kitchen floor.

I had fun at moselesele worked hard and was an amazing experience, now hopefully next time i work there i can run it by my self.

08/04/2011 - 10/04/2011

This weekend i worked in the main kitchen.

On friday i worked at reception making around 500 pancakes, started work at 10:30 friday morning.
I worked with Robin and Marinda. Whilst i was making pancakes i interacted with the arriving guestes for the weekend, also saw one of my dads friends and congratulated me for wanting to become a chef, he also wished me luck because as chefs he knows that we are one of the hardest working profession.
At around 9:30pm i packed up and helped clean in the kitchen.

On Saturday i started work at 7:30 and worked in the hot kitchen with chef Errol, he taught me how to make chicken cordon Bleau,  which is crumbed chicken with ham and cheese stuffed inside the chicken breast. He also taught me the the whole crumbing process is called 'panè'

On Sunday Juan and i worked in the cold kitchen, we started work at 7:30 and ended at 3:45 because we did not go on lunch. Whilst we where in in the cold kitchen we made many toasted sandwiches as well as a garden salad, Greek salad, biltong salad and a coleslaw. We constantly cleaned as we went along with our day, by cleaning i mean sanitized all table tops, chopping boards after completing each task.

I did a lot this weekend and i enjoyed every moment of it.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Hygiene

Evidence; by Alon Gaddin
The way to clean the kitchen:

When cleaning the kitchen you must start by cleaning the roof then work your way down the wall, clean the counter from top to bottom and then scrub the floor, if there is an extractor fan u must clean that before cleaning anything under neath it or  you will have to re-clean.

Types of cleaning equipment:

 1) Multipurpose cleaner 
 2) Sanitizer
 3) Oven & Grill cleaner
 4) Gloves
 5) Pot scour 
 6) Steal wool
 7) Dish cloths 
 8) Goggles 
 9) Mop & Broom
10) Floor Guard 

 These are the tools which are needed to clean the kitchen.
23 February 2011

Stock List


Stock List
Equipment 
Quantity
Ø  Sauté pan- big
Ø  1
Ø  Sauté pan- small
Ø  1
Ø  Omlette pan-small
Ø  1
Ø  Cake ring
Ø  1
Ø  Colander
Ø  1
Ø  Conical Strainer
Ø  1
Ø  Bain Marie inserts
Ø  4
Ø  Rolling Pin
Ø  1
Ø  Small stock pot + lid
Ø  2
Ø  Sauté pan 1L
Ø  1
Ø  Measuring  jug
Ø  1
Ø  Pasta basket
Ø  1
Ø  Salt shaker
Ø  1
Ø  6 sided grater
Ø  1
Ø  7 piece Knife set
Ø  1
Ø  Cooling rack
Ø  1
Ø  Meat mullet
Ø  1
Ø  Palet knife
Ø  1
Ø  Fish turner tong
Ø  1
Ø  French wisk-small
Ø  1
Ø  Piping bag
Ø  1
Ø  Baloon whisk
Ø  1
Ø  Ladel
Ø  1
Ø  Perpetrated basking spoon
Ø  1
Ø  Egg lifter
Ø  1
Ø  Skimming Spider
Ø  1
Ø  Pork Fork
Ø  1
Ø  Solid basting spoon
Ø  1
Ø  Wooden Spoon
Ø  2
Ø  Steak & kidney pan
Ø  1
Ø  Stainless steel oval platter dishes
Ø  2
Ø  Mixing bowl
Ø  2
Ø  Basting brush
Ø  1
Ø  Black enamel  baking  tray
Ø  1
Ø  Ramekins
Ø  2
Ø  Chopping Boards
Ø  6
Ø  PVC piping bag
Ø  6
Ø  Birds nest
Ø  1

Monday, February 21, 2011

Say good bye to WOP and say hello to the kitchen

Today i officially started in the kitchen, in doing so i had to start off by cleaning and disinfecting the whole kitchen from top to bottom, as well as cleaning and reorganizing the cutlery in the kitchen. I learned a variety of new things from the different types of cutlery, there names and what they are used for. I also learned that bacteria can basically grow any where and if you don't clean properly your kitchen will look dirty and be unhygienic!

Today i used three different types of cleaning equipment such as:

Sanitizer- this is used mainly to sanitize your hands but it may be used to sanitize basically any thing!!

Oven and grill- This sanitizer is very powerful is can remove and clean any oven, it is important to use gloves when handling this product because it will eat away the flesh of your hands!!
Multipurpose- This is a multipurpose cleaner which can be used to clean anything and every thing from roof to floor, cutlery. ect

So until the 25th February i will do cleaning of the kitchen then hopefully  i will start the actual cooking.

So for now good bye!!

Monday, February 14, 2011

The last three weeks at Sondela

In the last three weeks at Sondela Academy i have learned a variety of new and exciting things! Such as my level 1 first aid course and as well as my basic fire fighting training. I have also learned how to communicate better in front of people. I have improved on team building, and business ethics.

The weekend of the 11-13 Feb i worked in the kitchen for the first time and i learned a variety of ways to make perfect food. I made pancakes on Friday, Saturday i made Balotine which is deboned chicken legs that is stuffed with basically anything, what i used as mince meat, bacon, dried nuts and dried apple. Later that day i cut up fillet steak. On Sunday i made roast chicken, spiced Sirloin and stuffed more Balotine.