Category Archives: Specials

Chorizo Powder

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I was talking with chef about a month ago about tapioca maltodextrin and how cool it was.  Take something with a fat content and mix it together and you can create powders!  Even something without a fat content can be transformed, it’s amazing!   I was selling the idea to him like it was a late night infomercial and he said, “alright, show me”.

So the next day I brought in my tub of maltodextrin into work and proceeded to spin some clarified butter with it and I had him taste it.  He grinned and told me, “alright, are you sure you can do this with the chorizo”.   I said, “yes, of course”.

I gave him a list of things I needed and when I asked for chorizo I wanted three pounds and he gave me five and said he didn’t want to run out.   The event we were planning for was the Seattle Food and Wine Experience.  I covered it last year as “media” and this year I would be at the event working behind the scenes (awesome!)….and not only would I be working the event I would also bring Mindy along to help out and unleash my chorizo powder creation on the world!

First run:  I sliced the chorizo really thin, about 1/16 of an inch then placed it in the ovens at work but the problem was that the ovens at work can’t be set to the setting I needed them to be….200F minimum.  I knew this would be a problem because I would be cooking the hell out of the chorizo.   I did it anyway and told chef that I would be able to control the chorizo at a lower temperature with my dehydrator.  He wasn’t very happy with the first run but he let me do it anyway after I convinced him I would get it to work.

(Yeah, how about no….)

So why cook it?!!!?!?  Well, this idea is pretty much what I like to call Modernist Bacon Bits.    Bacon bits are pretty cool but they are so 1990…..we need an update! The thing I like about bacon bits is they are crunchy…..I needed a way to make the chorizo crunchy but without losing a lot of color so off to the meat slicer and off to the dehydrator.

8 hours in the dehydrator and at a certain temperature these little pieces will keep their color and become crunchy!  The only problem I had was that I had a four tray dehydrator and I could only fit about 1/4# of chorizo at a time so I spent a few days cycling the chorizo through (ugh…).     After the chorizo comes out of the dehydrator it goes to the refrigerator to cool down.

The next step was to send it through the food processor and create bits.   I had to do these in batches too and I had to make sure the bits going in were cold.  After they came out I started doing small batches again of chorizo bits with maltodextrin.   I tasted it and it needed a bump in flavor so I took left over pieces chorizo and rendered them in clarified butter then processed that with the maltodextrin then combined the bits and the clarified butter mixture.

After combining I laid everything out on two sheet pans and refrigerated them for a few more hours then sent them through a tamis to create a smaller powder.

Pack it up and get it ready to take to work now.

When I went into work then I transferred the powder into shakers so that way we could finish off the plates we would be serving up for about 1100-1500 people at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience.   No pressure! Chef tried the powder as I was placing it in the shakers and he grinned again and said, “You know, I was a little worried about the outcome but you nailed it”.   :)

So off to the show!

POWDERED CHORIZO!!!! IT’S ON THERE!!!! HOW COOL!!!   The fun thing about this dish is that it was pretty elaborate.  Two sauces:  Piquillo pepper puree and an aji amarillo sauce, rye bread crisp, pickled shallots (says red onion on the card but chef opted for shallots…they’re better for this application), crispy chick peas tossed in a fennel seasoning, fried parsley, and in-house hot smoked Neah Bay black cod.   There are days of work into this and the person that walks by and just grabs the dish will just eat it in two seconds and walk to the next booth…..that’s how it works!  However, we had people stopping in their tracks and asking about everything on the plate.   The sauce, the chickpeas, the cod, the powder, everything! It was a success!

Do that 1100-1500 times…every time!

The best part is that Mindy came along for the day to help out so it was nice to really show her the madness of what I do.  She had a great time!  She’s also a natural at plating so that helped out tremendously!

During the event chef told me that he wanted to do more stuff like this in the restaurant so I have a green light to bring my crazy ideas into the restaurant now and we’re now brainstorming the Voracious Tasting in April which will be the same kind of atmosphere but more restaurants will be featured.  We’ve tossed a few ideas around and in the next week I have to put these ideas in front of him so we can start a first run and do it all again.

I’m excited!

Eric

A few projects…..

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I’ve been working on a few things lately.  Above is a picture of a marudaizu glazed pork belly spring roll with pickled vegetables and fried wonton wrapper for crunch.

This is an unfiltered chili oil made from japones chillies.  I like how cloudy it is and it will be a nice thing to plate with and will give a dish an extra little kick.

That’s a naga viper harissa. The hottest harissa in the world.  :)

These are blood oranges before they went into the dehydrator.  I also dehydrated some soy brined navel oranges.  I’m going to grind them up and mix them with my spice rubs to add another texture of flavor.

Oh, I hope you like the new site design……it’s been needed for a while.

Eric

Working on some things.

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I have a couple things I’m working on right now that won’t see the light of day for a while but I want to give you a little peak inside the madness.  The picture above is of a sand idea I’m working on. The picture is a tribute piece to where I’ll be working at in less than two months and the recipe for the sand itself is pretty close to theirs.  The idea that I’m working on is an edible zen garden so I wanted some sand.  The picture above shows the sand before I dried it out and then sent it through the food processor which ended up looking like this.

The sand is going to be my sauce and might be a different color depending on what type of sauce that I choose to go with.  The dish is going to be completed with braised oxtail “stones” and an edible nori rake.  This is for a dinner in April I’m doing with Jeth from jetcitygastrophysics and Scott from Seattlefoodgeek.com

Next up for this project is clear fortune cookies which will probably prove to be an enormous pain in the butt but I’m up for it.  It’s a combination of dehydrating, crazy chemicals (pure cote b790, ultra-tex), and finesse. We’ll see how that works, I’ll keep you posted.

Another dinner I’m planing for is for the winner of the golden ticket contest I had a couple months ago. The winner loves the fashion designer Lanvin so I’m going to create dishes inspired by Lanvin’s latest fashion show.  I’m pretty excited by this because I’m melding the world of fashion with food which I believe go hand in hand. I’ll have some pictures of that….basically that pork belly dish with the red and flowers was one of the dishes for that dinner but I’m going to use a different protein.

Another thing I’m working on for the end of this month is a gig for work where chef and I will be at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience.  I’m working on a chorizo crumble that will accompany a smoked cod rillette.

I took aged chorizo, rendered the fat, dehydrated the meat, sent it through a food processor, took the fat, spun it with maltodextrin, combined the two back with paprika that I smoked.   ta-da.

Yes, I know I’ve been using maltodextrin a lot lately……I have the ratio nailed on it…..it’s awesome!

The Sriracha Projects

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My lemongrass crystal turned out to be amazing so I decided to step up my “crystal” game a little more by this time doing a sriracha crystal which will be ready in about 3 weeks.

Here is a picture of the lemongrass crystal.

I wanted to do something else with sriracha so I am infusing a salt that will be ready in about a week.  Instead of just squeezing from the bottle you can just season your food with sriracha salt!  It should keep that nice red color after it’s done losing some moisture so that will be another thing that will stand out on a plate.  Who’s excited? This guy.

There are a few other sriracha projects going on but those are top secret……….stay tuned!

Eric

Naga Viper

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I like playing with fire.

Spicy food is something that I really love and there aren’t many people out there that share that same passion for spicy food as I do.  Sure, there are people that say, “I like spicy food”, and then I cook them something and they can’t handle it because it’s “TOOOOOOOO SPICY”.   I back down from the level of spicy kick now when I cook for people who want spicy food then they say, “Well, this isn’t that spicy”.  Well, I am in possession of a new sauce that is now the end all says all on spicy (unless I get pure capsaicin then we’re all f’ed)……Ladies and Gentlemen, The New Hottest Pepper in The World……..NAGA VIPER!

At 1.3 million scoville units this is now the hottest pepper in the world. About a year ago I showed you the Ghost Chili (Bhut Jolokia 1 million scoville units) that was the hottest pepper in the world but I like to keep up on these things so you don’t think this is one of those sucky food blogs (I don’t even know what that means).

I’m going to be doing some experimenting with this and no I won’t be putting reaction videos of myself eating this sauce on youtube (OMG LOOK AT HIS FACE TURNING RED…OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  but I will be working it in to a few dishes here and there.  I just wanted to let you know that I have this so the next time you ask for something spicy you better be careful what you’re asking for (threats to fictitious people!).

Thanks for the Christmas present Mindy……damn thing took a month to get here from across the pond but it’s definitely worth the wait!

Eric

Two Years Later…………

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The second anniversary of this blog was a few days ago and if this was a year ago I would have been all over that but I have a few things going on.  That feels really great to say that because when I started this blog I was trying to find a way out of my previous business and I used to use this blog as a place to release my ideas and show my exciting new food discoveries.  There has been a huge transition in the way I do things now where the majority of my cooking is done at a restaurant and not for the purpose of posting a picture and a recipe (I’m so happy I stopped posting recipes on here….most of them were S&%* now that I look back on them).  Now before you think I’m going to stop this whole blogging thing I’m not.  I have been able to document my own progress so I can look back at what I have cooked.  I have also created a database for restaurants that I have visited where I can write my own likes and dislikes about them (you don’t see the dislikes).

My focus and drive is to be the best chef. I’m not a chef yet but I’m doing my best to think and act like one. I’m working my ass off and doing the right things in order to be successful. I’m in a constant search for ingredients, producers, techniques, methods, and ideas for my next dish.  I accept failure, success, cuts, bruises, burns,  and all that comes with it. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy but some of the things that were very hard for me six months ago are a walk in the park now but I continue to push myself further.

I have moved my way up from being a pantry cook to being a saute cook at the best seafood restaurant in Seattle (in a very short period of time).  I train people when they come into work at the restaurant and if I had more time and wasn’t in school then I’m sure I would be offered a chef position somewhere but that’s not what it’s all about.  I don’t care about being called a chef to be called a chef (people who are not in the industry value that label more than people in the industry……I introduce myself as Eric).  I want to learn from the best chefs in the world then I want to one day open up my own restaurant then focus on running a business of my own (again) and making it successful (again).   I do want to be considered one of the best chefs in the world….I’m not doing the things I do to be the nice local chef that everyone has admiration for or just another chef that people can say they know so they can get a free appetizer….I don’t want to be the douche bag that introduces himself as a chef then puts out horrendous looking food with bland flavors just to appease a crowd of unadventurous diners.  I want to strive to find the best cooks, chefs, and any one else that wants to be part of something great in my restaurant.  I’m gunning for the top and nobody is going to get in my way, not even myself.

In March I’m going to Denmark to work at Noma for 12 days (click).  I don’t know what the outcome of my time there will be but my goal is to earn a spot there so when I graduate in September I can go back there for some time. I’ve told a few people about that and the reaction has ranged from absolute excitement and joy to looking at me like “why you?”.  Why me?  I love every second of what I’m doing….good or bad. You bitch and moan, I thrive and get better.  I push forward even when I’m having an awful day in the kitchen because I know that it’s helping me get better.  Every single ounce of energy and bit of passion I have is put into this. I don’t accept the words and phrases like, “no”, “you can’t do that”, or “that’s not possible” without least trying them for myself or finding someone else who can.  I eat, sleep, and breathe this from the second I wake up to the last second before I finally go to sleep (takes a while sometimes).   I’m going to Noma to learn from the best and cook with the best.  I don’t care if I empty trash cans there or wash dishes there because I know that I’ll be learning something from the best restaurant in the world. I just want to learn, push forward, and create larger goals for myself (before I started culinary school I applied at a bunch of “top” restaurants in Seattle as a dishwasher, busboy, server, and whatever else and I told them I wanted to work my way up through their kitchen and learn how to cook….none of them got back to me…..I emailed Noma once and they contacted me on the same day.)

I have a few other things going on that you’ll see here shortly but for now just know things are changing around here.  In 2009 I wrote 1,000 posts….last year I wrote 400….this year will be much less for sure.  I’m not really that blogger guy anymore….I have a blog but it’s not the normal blog and I think people realize that. I don’t care about giveaways, free crap, or advertising crappy products just because a company sends them to me for free.  I just want to cook good food and if it ends up on here then so be it. I’m saving my best work for the restaurant and when I cook dinner for Mindy…..everything else…..meh.

Thanks for sticking around over the past two years. I’m happy with the few sponsors I’ve picked up that have helped me buy more cookbooks (have a few posts coming about those books) or specialty equipment (immersion circulator!).  Thanks to my parents and family that have been supportive and also been my kitchen guinea pigs.  Most of all thanks to Mindy for allowing me to share my meals with other people…..one day I’ll just cook for you and everyone else can just use my tips from my cookbooks to create their own kitchen innovations.

Eric

2011 Bellevue Home & Lifestyles Show + Cooking Demonstration by Me!(Jan. 23)

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I’m doing a cooking demonstration at this year’s Bellevue Home & Lifestyles Show at the Meydenbauer Center.   This is a pretty big deal and I’ll be cooking on Sunday the 23rd at 3PM (I’m closing out the show!!).  I’m going to be doing Tapas on the main stage and I intend on putting on a pretty good show.   A little seafood here, a little saffron there, a little more olive oil over there…. It’s going to be awesome!

Oh, and as you can see I have about 40 or so tickets.   Email me (ericriveracooks@gmail.com) and let me know you want to come to the show and I’ll send them to you for free (maximum 2 tickets per person and address that emails me…don’t try anything funny….I have really sharp knives).  Tickets are usually $5-$8 but since you know me and you’re my VIP then you get in FREE.

Check out their site for more information (click)

E-mail me for tickets:  ericriveracooks@gmail.com

Eric

My Parents Were In Town……We Ate A Few Things.

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Hey look, it’s my parents.  They were in town for about a month so things have been a little quiet here on the blog but that doesn’t mean we weren’t up to a bunch of cool things.

In that picture we were eating brunch at Cafe Flora.  I had originally intended us to eat brunch at Luc but I was off by a day….that happens a lot these days.  It’s ok though because brunch was delicious and Mindy had this Pear and Chevre French Toast that was to die for.

Making the rounds with my parents I took them to Salumi which is where I take anyone that likes to have great food….all….the….time.  It’s funny how big a contrast there is between Cafe Flora (vegetarian restaurant) and Salumi (capital of cured meats) but if you’re gonna hang out with me prepare to go on a culinary journey/leave full.

We had a few sandwiches and I dreamed about one day having my own curing room so I could eat my dinner in (between) piece(s of salami).

The week after that we went to brunch at Blueacre where Chef Kevin pulled out all the stops for us.   Oysters, Oysters AAC, Ritzy Ling Cod, Gumbo, and so much more.   My dad loves the clam chowder. I know, it’s something really basic and simple but when it’s pulled off to perfection every time it’s like my dad said, “I could eat this every day and be happy”.

Somewhere in between that it was Mindy’s birthday which is a day after my dad’s.  We had two different parties with one being at 88 keys and the other being at Teatro Zinzanni.

I got to 88 keys after work and the party was still going strong.

A few days after that I started getting ready for Thanksgiving and well, things got off to a rough start.  SnOMG happened and the city was pretty much shut down.  We went on Gobble Quest (click) and then I rocked Thanksgiving dinner (click).  Everything turned out better than expected.

Martita Chin Time!!!

That’s my mom’s dog that they brought with them from Puerto Rico.   The dog speaks two languages.   “Bark!”  ”¡El Bark!”

When it came to Christmas Mindy and I purchased a nice gift for my parents.  We went to brunch at Art Restaurant across the street from the Seattle Art Museum then we met up with the director of the Seattle Art Museum, Derrick Cartwright, and where he explained how they were able to bring the exhibit to Seattle.   After the presentation we went across the street to visit the Picasso exhibit and it was life changing for me.

Christmas came around and instead of cooking a bunch of food at the house I threw a curveball into the normal plans and said, “Hey, lets just go around the International District and see what we can find”.

We went to Jade Garden for dim sum.

We saw Martita Chin hanging out so we snapped a picture.

Then I went over and bought some meat from the window then took it home and made a stir-fry with it.

A few days later I had a dinner party and invited a few friends over.  I live in a tiny home and I invited about 20 people over……everyone came except for 2 people so it was packed…but that’s ok!  I had enough food to go around and it was a chance for my parents to see how crazy I have actually become.

Denise from Wasabi Prime (click) snapped these pictures to which I am very thankful for because I didn’t have a chance to even look at a camera.  I knocked out 22 items that night and my dad helped me with dishes while Mindy and my mom mingled with friends.

New Year’s Eve came and I was working so the family headed over to Blueacre with our friends Brad and Kristie.  I cooked up an Angry 2 1/2 lb. Lobster for them and brought it to the table for them.   Wow, I hate working front of house :)

On the last night that my parents were here I decided to do a seafood extravaganza.   When I used to travel to Puerto Rico when I was a little kid my grandpa would cover a table with newspaper and my mom would sit and eat blue shell crab for hours.  I’m here to take the torch with a little help from my dungeness friends.

Kusshi Oysters with a cilantro/preserved lemon mignonette.

King Crab Leg, New York Steak, Robuchon Potatoes, Wilted Spinach, Fig-Demi

I pinch.

Well, that’s how it came to a close.  It was awesome having my parents here and I wish they could stay but they have to take care of my grandma’s in Puerto Rico.   It’s probably better that way since I didn’t really have that much time to spend with them being busy as I am these days. It’s only going to get crazier but I’m just happy I had time to a little more time with them than I usually do.

Eric

Chef Brian’s Dinner

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Chef Brian cooked a dinner for the crew at chef Kevin’s other restaurant (Steelhead Diner).  He asked us to help him out with it so I brought in my immersion circulator and special scallop pounding skills and proceeded to watch chef Brian have a kitchen throw down of epic proportions.

He started them off with potato chips with a black truffle and Parmesan dip that was f’ing incredible.

Next up was a scallop ravioli which I pounded out and stuffed with scallops, beets, and other sexy ingredients.

Hey, that’s me!

Next up was his roasted chestnut, foie gras, and fried hedgehog mushroom soup.

Next up was a duo of quail.  Roasted and Fried with yam puree and collard greens

Finally, the main course of Venison Loin Sous Vide with Arugula and Mash.

Chef Brian, bad ass mofo.

Eric

An Evening With Bob Tate & Friends

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A little over a year ago I did a post on knives after Bob Tate came to my culinary school to do a talk (here is the original post…click).  My friend, Jethro (click), knows Bob Tate and offered to get our little group of gastronauts together to go see the art of knife sharpening up close and personal.

I still use Bob’s tips to this day and it was really amazing to be invited into his home where he does the knife sharpening and has honed his own skills. He trained under Bob Kramer who has his own signature series for Shun so it was honor just to be around Mr. Tate to at least get a glimpse into the mastery that is knife sharpening.

We each brought a knife for Bob to sharpen for us…… Seriously Jethro…..a pink knife?!?!?!  Uh….. Anyway, Scott brought his shiny Shun knife (middle) and I brought my money maker Mercer knife (right) for a little honing and sharpening action.

Bob showed us a few new projects he was up to and how he can create serrated knives and even sharpen them.  It was amazing to watch him take a $2 knife and turn it into something usable and extremely sharp…..Eric “likes” the degree of sharpness.

I have a really weird attachment to my knife. It’s not expensive or special but it’s been along for the ride while I’ve moved through and cut thousands of things with it.  When I first started using it I had no idea what I was doing…..it was too big……it was heavy…..it wasn’t my 7 inch santoku that I was used to using.  I stuck with it and now I treat it like a really great friend of mine.  I sharpen it myself because I don’t trust anyone else to even touch it but when I was in the home of Bob Tate I let him have it……I guess it’s kind of like dropping your kid off at a baby sitter…..weird stuff.

Bob sharpened up the pink knife and while I saw him doing it I noticed how he moved the knife over the belt gently.  He asked me not to film his finishing process and not really talk about it since it was something he had learned from Bob Kramer and it really is the difference from him doing something amazing or just entrusting your knife to that random clerk at that one store with the French name downtown.

He finishes and tests every knife by doing the newspaper test.

That folks, is the sharpest pink knife in the world!!!! He finished Scott’s knife and my knife and it was like picking up your dog from the groomer….looks new….smells nice (what?)……knife is all excited to cut stuff……

Look at that shiny new edge.

No matter where I go, where I cook, or what knife I buy, Bob Tate is my knife sharpening guy.

Eric

Life at 40,000 BTU

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I’ve been on a year long journey starting from the day that I bought a cookbook to where I am at today.  I bought that cookbook and I found the only Seattle chef (Kevin Davis) in that book then worked my way back from losing pieces of my fingers from an accident at a previous employer (wait until you see the post I have for that one) to teaching myself how to use my fingers again then moving forward to Blueacre.

I took a chance by applying at Blueacre and it has worked in my favor.  From the day I started there I was working on the hot line (unlike the previous place that said I was months away and that I needed to master f’ing with desserts and salads…that’s cool and all but I love fire).  Blueacre gave me a shot and has challenged me more in the six months I have been there than any other job I have ever had.  I’m just looking for an excuse to cook at 40,000 BTU.

Here is my collection of posts over the last year documenting my journey-

  • December 8th, 2009: Ad Hoc, Momofuku, and Coco Cookbooks   (click)
  • March 18, 2010: The Happiest Hour: Steelhead Diner (click)
  • June 25, 2010: Blueacre Seafood  (click)
  • June 25, 2010: Getting Ready for Blueacre Seafood (click)
  • August 2, 2010: 2AM Meals   (click)
  • August 22, 2010: Sockeye with Cherry Prep. and Menesha/Puttanesca Pasta a.k.a. practice practice practice (click)
  • August 27, 2010: Rolling the Dice (click)
  • September 7, 2010: Somewhat Famous in Seattle Weekly  (click)
  • September 17, 2010: Hot Line Action at Blueacre Seafood  (click)
  • October 7, 2010: Chef Kevin Sends Me to Pacific Seafood  (click)
  • October 29, 2010: The Stations- Fry   (click)
  • November 5, 2010: The Stations- Hot Apps. (click)
  • November 30, 2010: The Stations- Saute   (click)

I had to print all of these out and include them in a notebook that was due for a class I’m taking right now.  I know there are a lot of posts on this blog but when they are organized together they do tell a story. One day I’ll have the time to organize them all but until then you’ll just have to deal with the random posts popping up here and there.  :)

Eric

Life at 40,000 BTU: Salmon in The Trees Event.

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Sometimes they let me out of the restaurant….. :)

A few weeks ago chef Kevin asked me to work an event held at the Burke Museum on the University of Washington campus for a book release by Amy Gulick. Her book, “Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska’s Tongass Rain Forest”, showed her journey through Alaska while she snapped photos of wildlife in the Tongass Rain Forest. Buy her book here (click)

I was asked to serve a geoduck ceviche which I believe was the hit of the party for the more than 150 people that attended.  I didn’t have much time to snap photos and I was using the phone on my camera so these aren’t optimal pictures but oh well….you get the idea.

There was an enormous ice sculpture filled with dungeness crab.  As you can see Jon Rowley (he arranged the event) found a nice spot for himself.

Earlier in the day I helped prep that crab and cut up the geoduck according to chef Kevin and Jon’s specifications.  It was a great event and now I can prepare geoduck with the best of them.

Eric

Life at 40,000 BTU: The Stations- Saute

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I’ve taken you through the stations I have worked so far at Blueacre Seafood with Fry (click) and Hot Appetizers (click) being the two stations that I have become proficient at. One of the goals I had for working at Blueacre was to make my way up to working the saute station.  That day is here!  In 5 months I have worked my way to the top spot on the line…..it feels pretty good to say that so I’ll say it again, this time in caps lock….IN 5 MONTHS I HAVE WORKED MY WAY TO THE TOP STOP ON THE LINE. However, just because I have worked my way up to that spot doesn’t mean that I have really accomplished anything yet….there’s still the whole sous chef thing, chef thing, owner of a restaurant chef thing, and tons of other things…..things man….things.  It’s ok though, I’ll just pat myself on the back and start from scratch at this station just like I have at the other stations so I can be the best, learn, and teach others how to cook at those stations.

Saute at Blueacre is extremely difficult. It’s the finesse station where most of the main dish items come from. The halibut dishes (not in season), ling cod, black cod, trout, Virginia sea bass, and other fine fish make their way through that station.  One of the reasons I wanted to work at Blueacre is because I wanted to learn how to cook fish perfectly and this is the station where that happens. Yes, fish and shellfish are cooked at all the other stations but in my opinion this is where the Rolls-Royce of fish are found (Mindy says I’m not good at analogies…..she’s probably right).

Along with cooking lots o’ fish  this station is responsible for other dishes like clam chowder, gumbo, bisque (vegetable or crab or lobster), the matsutake mushroom risotto with Totten Inlet clams (pictured above), or any other special that chef wants to put on the menu.

You’ve heard chefs and cooks talk about how they touch and feel things to know when they’re done.  I’m learning how to do that but with the assist of my insta-read thermometer. The other cooks and chefs have it down to an art so it’s nice to see progress when I’m learning those tricks for myself.  I am into the world of precision cooking (immersion circulators, lab equipment, all that jazz) but I think it’s important to learn multiple ways to cook fish correctly.  I think this is the way (touch technique) I will be doing it for the majority of my career as a chef until I can open my open place (10 years from now!).   It’s really cool to see the chefs touch something then say, “medium-rare”, then I give it a quick poke with my thermometer and they’re on the dot….I’ll get there some day!

Another reason why I love the saute station is because the plate presentations are really nice and constantly change. I wish I had more pictures to show you but it’s pretty hard to take pictures of this stuff while it’s coming off the line and I have 7 burners going with pans on, 4 black cods in the salamander (WANT!!!), 2 trout in the oven, 4 cups of chowder ready to go, and gumbo that needs to be adjusted with seasonings and crab legs to finish…..I think this is why you don’t see many action shots from chefs/cooks in a kitchen on blogs……I get it now.  It takes every ounce of focus in order to make sure that each dish that is going off the line can exceed the expectation of the customer at the table……2 seconds for a photo??  Yeah, how about no.

I just received my new schedule for the week so I’ll be on saute three nights a week now which is pretty awesome! I’ll have more information and you’ll be seeing my progress on this little blog of mine and at Blueacre Seafood :)  Cooking classes start up at school in January again…..oh yes, it’s going to be epic and slow….haha.

Eric