Last night I attended my second cooking class at the Culinary School of the Rockies.  The focal point of this class would be mastering the grill (or trying at least).  Grilling the perfect meal is not quite as easy as it looks;  if the wrong techniques are applied the end result could be disastrous.  Grilling is when you cook a smaller piece of meat over a direct, hot flame.  Keeping that in mind, you have to be careful when cooking different types of proteins and vegetables as each require different techniques, heat, etc…

Last night I grilled Mahi Mahi in class, the total grilling time is estimated by the thickness of a fish fillet, or whole fish (as a rough guideline, ten minutes per inch of thickness).  As learned in class, a better guide is to know what to observe when watching a fish cook.  When cooked, the flesh will turn opaque and will feel springy when pressed lightly with a finger.  It will continue to cook slightly after it is removed from the grill. Applying these techniques, I was able to grill a fillet to perfection.  After grilling my fillet for one or two minutes, using a wide metal spatula, I moved the fish 90 degrees to make attractive crisscross grill marks on the fish.

In addition to grilling, I also practiced mushroom cookery.  I used mushrooms in the class to make duxelles or stuffed mushrooms.  Mushroom duxelles are used for stuffing, in white sauces, and also as a spread or filling for hors d’oeurve and tartlet shells.

I used the common white button mushrooms to complete the recipe.   The cultivation of the common white button mushrooms (agaricus bisporus) began in 17th century France.  The “farms” were located in quarry tunnels near Paris.  Morels, which form hollow fruiting bodies with a distinctive honeycomb cap, are successfully cultivated in small quantaties.

Remember when you buy mushrooms, the caps and stems should be firm and dry, and should look fresh with no bruised spots.  Mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator a day or so, loosely packed in dry paper towels, and stored in preferably a brown paper bag.

The last skill worth mentioning that I learned was sugar cookery.  I applied the techniques learned to make Caramel Custard and Creme Caramel with Grand Marnier.  An important tip that I learned was that the first step to successful sugar cookery is a perfectly cleaned pot.  Any trace, even the smallest, of dried food or fat may provoke the crystallization of the sugar.  Feel free to use paper towels to dry the pan, as even the cleanest kitchen towel contains chemically active fat residues.

Lot’s of techniques were learned and applied last night.  The end result was a late (11:30pm) but rewarding dinner as class commenced.  Practice, practice, practice, and more practice till next Monday at 5pm.

*Of the techinques I did not speak to (but we learned):

Bain-Marie, Chiffonade of Herbs, Deglazing, Mayonnaise sauces, Purees, Tempering eggs