Wednesday, October 26, 2011

October 26 Day 3

Day 3:

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.

EVERYONE: The tracking schedule may say differently, but I'd like to make 90 pieces of each dim sum item. Talk to me early in the morning to discuss how we can stretch what you have to make that happen.

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 and draw a detailed diagram with each item in place and labeled as what it is, the diagram should be well thought out for work flow - if everything is in it's place? Can one person efficiently plate fast enough to keep up with service?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 and an empty one to fill the space and keep the heat in. 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.

Draw a diagram of what's been described above on a six inch plate and show it to me first thing in the morning along with your station diagram so we can make sure you're on the right track.

Station 2 - Braises PLUS Steamed dumplings (Shao Mai) know which are the proper wrappers. Make sure to remember that you are responsible for each dim sum plate getting 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. The tracking schedule may say diffently, but I would like to make at least 90 pieces of each dim sum. If you've already made you filling or dough, talk to me about how to stretch it out in the morning.

Station 3 - Moo Shu PLUS Pan Fried Dumplings. The dough should have been made on day 2. 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's an extra recipe for a different spring roll available, if you're ahead and want to take on something extra, ask Chef. 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.

5 comments:

  1. Everyone - I'm covering another class tonight and won;t be home until about 9:30. I will check in then. Please read the comments below so that you are all aware of what's going on and can help as needed to make it a successful day.

    Station 3, David - I have just received word that Rob will not be in class tomorrow. Plan accordingly. If you right a solid and organized time line and set me up, I can handle the dough and help shape the dumplings. We will get Sam from Station 6 to work the saute range duing service and finish his stuffed peppers and YOUR pan fried dumplings.

    SAM- Be aware of the cooking technique for the panfried dumplings so that you're mentally prepared to handle them during service.

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  2. Hi chef,
    Since you want 90 servings of the spring rolls, that is 1.5 times the recipe, is it ok that I also 1.5 the recipe for the spicy mustard or is 1x the recipe sufficient for what I need for tomorrow? Also, when the recipe says you want the sauce to "bloom" for 15 minutes before service, what exactly does tat mean. The only information I found on that wording was concerning blooming of tempered chocolate where the cocoa butter starts to separate from the chocolate? Is this the same idea?

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  3. Chef,
    I have 2 full trays of bean curd mise en place left over from today. Since we didn't sell any of the dish, do you think what I have will be sufficient, our should I still prep more tomorrow morning?
    Thanks
    Sam

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  4. Cayla = You won't need to increase the mustard recipe, it already makes more than we need. "blooming" means that it needs to sit, covered, in order for the water to soak into the powder and allow the powerful flavors to "bloom". The powder is very bitter at first, but as it sits and blooms, it changes to very spicy. You can make it early, it doesn't have to be done just before service, it just can't be served without blooming.

    Sam - given the state of tomorrow's class, I agree. Don't forget to prep fresh aromatics.

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  5. Chef, I keep researching the bean pastes and I keep getting mixed answers. Some ingredients for "bean sauce" but then some say bean paste and sauce are the same, and some say they are completely different. Can you please shed some light on this so I know what to pay attention to and what not to? Thank you

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