Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Hey everyone - Station 3 (Jackson) and station 4 (Jessica and Jon) are probably going to need some help. I'll pitch in, but if you can coordinate with him to see what you can do to help, that would be best. If everyone can roll 5 spring rolls for station 4 , that would be a good start.

Prepping for Day 3 means being comfortable enough with the regular menu items that you can step up and add an extra item to your routine and still be on time. Everything must be ready by 10:45.

Sous Chefs - You'll need to have a new service diagram for the Dim Sum. We don't have space on the steam table, so we usually set up two chaffing dishes with sterno on table 5. Think about how you would lay it out. Two chaffing dishes with three 1/3 pans in each. You'll need a pan for the steamed dumplings, the pan-fried dumplings, the spring rolls, the ribs, and the stuffed peppers. Everyone who comes to K1 will get a Dim Sum plate on Day 3. Presentation will be on 6" round plates with a ramekin of ginger-soy dipping sauce in the center. The five dim sum items will be positioned around the dipping sauce and a dab of spicy mustard will go on the plate next to the spring roll. Make sure that you know who will be doing what during service- figure it out ahead of time and tell the people involved what their duties are well before service, everyone will need to multi-task and hustle.

Station 2 - Braises PLUS Steamed dumplings (Shao Mai) - make sure to remember that each dim sum plate gets a 1 oz ramekin of the ginger soy dipping sauce (only fill each ramekin 1/2 way).
The dumplings can be steamed ahead using the wok steamer and then re-heated as needed during service. They are brought to the service line in 1/3 hotel pans.

Station 3 - Moo Shu PLUS Pan Fried Dumplings. The dough must be kept cold. As soon as it's rolled and cut, it should be stacked in single layers- with parchment paper between each layer - in a 1/2 hotel pan, covered and kept in the cooler. After they are shaped and filled, they should be held in similar fashion. When brought to the cooking line, the pan containing the dumplings shod be nested on another pan of ice. If these dumplings become warm before cooking they stick like crazy and are very difficult to work with.

Station 4- Spring rolls - filling should be made and cooked on Day 2, rolls filled on Day 3. There are two recipes for filling - we can do the stir fried pork and vegetables or the raw vegetable one with the BBQ pork and Shrimp - or both, ask Chef if you want to do that. Once they are rolled, they should be kept cold - layered between parchment paper sheets in a 1/2 hotel pan. Set up a proper fry station and fry them in batches as needed for service. Remember - you're responsible for the spicy mustard that's served with them.

Station 5- Ribs may be put in Chinese oven with the Roasts early in the day. When they are cooked through you can cut them and hot-hold them, covered, until service. Bring them to the line in a deep 1/3 pan.

Station 6- In addition to the Grandmother's bean curd, you'll need to fill, cook, and finish the stuffed peppers. They can all be steamed ahead and held at room temp - covered - for service. At service they should be sauteed in small batches as needed, 15-20 at a time, and brought to the service line in a 1/3 pan.

9 comments:

  1. Dear Chef Pardus - Station 6
    --- Tomorrow on Station six we are required to make a broth for the spicy beef soup that will be made on day 4 by station 1. I personally have not yet made a white beef stock. In my research I read that I am supposed to rinse the bones and add it to cold water and slowly bring it to a boil. But your directions lead me to believe i should bring the water to a boil add the meat and bones, blanch, and lower to a simmer. If I am supposed to follow your directions, how long should i blanch the meat before reducing to a simmer.
    --- Step three also confused me. You ask us to pull into one inch strips. Will the meat pull easily into long strands and once finished we cut into one inch pieces?

    --- My final question pertains to Day four. On day four i am on station five which is the grilled beef. The link for radish kimchi is not active, but cabbage kimchi is. So assuming that will be the dish we will be preparing, what do you mean by set the radish (cabbage) kimchi. Day four says to "set" it and day five says "prep" it. Any clarification would be appreciated.

    -Thank you

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  2. Chef,

    For station 5 do you want all three pork roasts roasted off for the day?

    Thank you,

    Garrett

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  3. Chef Pardus - Station Six
    -- One more question. I know i've been told countless times to not cook by time, but for guidance to my timeline, approximately how long will it take for the meat to become tender?

    Thanks again. - Vince Tacconelli

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  4. Chef Pardus-Station 4,

    We have all the prep done for the stir fried pork and vegetable fried spring rolls. Would you like to continue on with just this recipe or do the other one as well? I just dont want to be to bogged down with prep although the stir fry is just about ready to be assembled and we just need to get the fish together. The only thing left to do on the spring rolls is the bean sprouts and carrot and stir fry the mix of veg and pork. Im also unable to find the bbq pork and shrimp spring roll recipe on the webpage?

    Thank you,

    Jonathan Oltz

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  5. Chef,

    Another question, when adding more starch to the chicken, is there a certain amount that you would like me to add or just judge it by the consistency of the batter from todays mixture?

    Thank you,

    Garrett

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  7. Hello chef I Cori Mattstedt will be in class tomorrow. Jackson and I have met up and decided a game plan for success tomorrow. I sincerely apologize for not being in class today, personal reasons. As far as our game plan for tomorrow; I will be coming in and immediately get the dough made and rested for the dumplings. Jackson is going to prep everything for the Moo Shu veg while I get the filling for the Dumplings made while the dough rests. We will work together in the middle after we each accomplish our first task. If need be Sous Chefs can assist in the creation of the 50 dumplings needed to be made. Jackson and I sincerely thank you for your assistance.
    Cori Mattstedt - Station 3

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  8. Chef, Jackson and I had one question we would like to ask. The Pan-Fried Dumplings, are we going to be pre-cooking these before service or firing them during service?
    Thank you,
    Cori Mattstedt - Station 3

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  9. Vince :The term "blanch" in this context means to do as you have described - start in cold water, raise to simmer, skim, discard first water and start stock from that point. This should have been taught in skills.

    If you simmer a piece of meat for 4-5 hours it will certainly shred into pieces easily. Don't worry about "1" strips" - they just need to fit on a spoon

    If you read the recipe for cabbage kimchi you will see that it tells you that Kimchi can be made by the same method using a variety of vegetables. "Set" and "Prep" are more easily explained face to face - it's not a big issue to worry about, ask me in the morning.

    Garrett - yes, roast all of the marinated pork on Day 3.

    Jon - Don't worry about the extra spring roll recipe, if you have a lot of extra time, I'll print out a copy for you. It's an extra thing for when I have a large class.

    Garret - do what you did today with the starch.

    Cori - I know that to "get it done" your plan is probably the best, but I would like Jackson to learn how to make dough.Let him set up the MEP for the dough while you take care of the moo-shu prep, then maybe you can both knock out the filling. I'll walk him through the dough myself. I'm glad you're sticking with us, I have a feeling you can be an asset if you're in the game.

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