Remote Cooking for our Advanced Chefs during the Lockdown 2021
Almost 2 weeks into the Lockdown and here is what we have achieved.
With some rapid planning, we managed to transform our programme to online cooking demonstrations with the students preparing their own dishes at their homes. The flow of our timetable has pivoted to the mainly the patisserie module as the ingredients are easier for the students to purchase at the supermarket (we are reimbursing them for this cost).
Apart from this, they have also been working on their Nutrition module and Menu costing assignment where they plan a dinner party for 12 guests.
Level 4 - Remote Cooking
During the lockdown week, our Advanced student chefs prepared the following dishes from their own homes -
- Chocolate cake
- Macarons with raspberry and chocolate
- Cheesecake with berry coulis
- Poached pear with creme Anglaise, meringue, tuilles Amandine
- Chicken corn soup and stock
- Coq au Vin with mash potatoes
- Chicken Kiev served with sautée potatoes and cucumber
- Stir fry chicken with ginger and chicken
- Marinated pork salad
- Sweet and sour pork
- Vegetable fried spring rolls
- Sole au paupiette poached in court boullion
- Prawn bisque and prawn Laksa
Here are some photos from our students who cooked at their own home.
Recipe: Coq au vin with mashed potatoes.
Coq au vin is a hearty French stew of chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms and crisp bacon. Rich and brimming with flavor this dish is perfect for a hearty winter dinner.
Ingredients
25g rind less bacon (thick is good) 1⁄2 large carrot
2 tablespoons shallots
500g button mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic
30g butter
250g chicken thighs (with bone)
1 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper
75ml red wine
200ml chicken stock, sufficient to cover the chicken
1 bay leaf
Method
- Cut the bacon in small dice or pieces about 1cm square.
- Peel the carrot and slice into 1cm chunks. Peel the shallots. Wipe the mushrooms.
- Peel the garlic and roughly chop.
- In a heavy, ovenproof, lidded saucepan, melt the butter. Sauté the bacon until brown and
- remove. Retain the fat.
- In the same saucepan, sauté the shallots until brown and mushrooms until tender.
- Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and pat dry.
- Coat the chicken lightly in the flour.
- Brown the chicken in the same pan. Add the garlic and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Turn and repeat.
- When the chicken is brown on both sides pour over the red wine.
- Return the bacon, mushrooms and shallots to the pan. Gradually bring to the boil.
- Pour over sufficient stock to cover the ingredients.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture around to make sure that all the sediment has been loosened from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the bay leaf. Season.
- Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken and onions are cooked.
To serve:
Place mashed potato in a warmed soup plate and spoon over the chicken, vegetables and sauce. Additional green vegetables such as broad beans (with skin removed) or Brussels sprouts will complement the dish.