INTRO:
This week we are frying! The dishes we'll be making in our lab will be pan-fried chicken, ratatouille, and gratin dauphinoise. Thankfully, I have made pan-fried chicken plenty of times before t home (as it is my favorite dish), but I have never even tasted never ratatouille or gratin dauphinoise. Ratatouille has definitely been one of those dishes that I've always wanted to cook though I do not know much about it at all.
My objective for this class will be to learn tips and tricks for my frying skills as well as learning all there is to know about Ratatouille! I have seen Disney's movie before, but it was so long so! This is a very exciting week in lab.
RESEARCH:
This week, our focus is frying. Frying is defined as the cooking of food in hot fats or oils. Fried Chicken is VERY well known here in the South, and it is my favorite dish if I am being honest. The poultry is floured, battered in egg wash following by a breading before being put into the frying oil or fats with seasonings in the mixture. It is then placed in the hot oils for frying!
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
During the Middle Ages the Scottish would fry everything. They were the ones who then brought it to the southern US where it was first introduced. From there, Africans who were brought over on the slave trade incorporated more seasonings and spices. These of course the Scottish didn't use thus developing the flavor that fried chicken holds nowadays.
This week in lab, the methods behind the dishes we'll be making include making tomato concassée for our ratatouille and my favorite part which frying the chicken. There are different parts of the world that make some kind of variation of fried chicken. In Asia, their version is called "Crispy Fried Chicken" which is common in southern China and Hong Kong This just means the fried exterior is extremely crunch while keeping the chicken tender inside. There are many different variations of fried chicken worldwide and even locally!
PAN FRIED CHICKEN
serving size: 2
Ingredients:
1/2 frying chicken (2 lb.)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
2 3/8 oz flour
2 fl oz buttermilk
1 egg
oil, as needed
1 oz onion, small dice
3/4 cup half-and-half or chicken stock
collard greens, as needed
Directions:
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Add the herbs and spices to 2 oz of the flour.
3. Dip the chicken pieces in the buttermilk.
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
5. Pan-fry the chicken in oil until done, approximately 40 minutes, turning so that it cooks evenly. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent the chicken from becoming too dark. Or remove chicken when well browned, drain it and finish cooking it in the oven.
6. To make the pan gravy, pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from the pan, carefully reserving the fond.
7. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent.
8. Add remaining flour and cook to make a blond roux.
9. Whisk in the stock and simmer approximately 15 minutes.
Strain through cheesecloth and adjust the seasonings.
RATATOUILLE
serving size: 4
Ingredients:
3 oz onion, medium dice
1/4 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 fl oz olive oil
1 1/2 oz green bell pepper, medium dice
1 1/2 oz red bell pepper, medium dice
3 oz eggplant, medium dice
2 oz zucchini, medium dice
6 oz tomato concassée
1/4 oz fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 oz salt
black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil.
2. Add the bell peppers, eggplant, and zucchini and sauté until tender, approximately 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato concassée, basil and seasonings. Sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Adjust the seasonings. Serve as a side dish with grilled, sautéed or roasted foods or as a hot or cold appetizer.
GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
serving size: 4
Ingredients:
8.5 fl oz heavy cream
8.5 fl oz whole milk
1 1/2 garlic, cloves
4 russet potatoes
50g gruyere cheese, grated
3-4 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper, as needed
Directions:
Add cream, milk, and garlic into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, allow to sit for a few mins to infuse.
Slice the potatoes thin (about 1/15th of an inch), add them to the cream and simmer for 3 mins until nearly cooked.
Gently stir to separate the potatoes and stop them from sticking, season them with salt and pepper.
Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place them in a shallow dish in layers, add thyme to each layer and season, to about 2 inch in depth.
Pour over the garlic infused cream (straining out the garlic) to the level of the potatoes on top.
Scatter gruyere cheese and bake at 350f for 30 mins – 1 hour until browned.
PLAN OF WORK:
COOKING OUTCOMES:
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to watch the beginning and final steps of this dish through zoom. It is rather hard to learn without hand on for me, but since I have made my own fried chicken before, I didn't have trouble keeping up. The dish in the end was absolutely beautiful, and honestly it looked like it was just bought from Popeyes! I was truly jealous of their outcome, but after the lab I ordered Chick-fil-a to make up for it!
The finished dish: Pan Fried Chicken, Ratatouille, & Gratin Dauphinois!
FOOD COST: RESULTS: According to those in the class, the lab was a complete success! Unfortunately the lab was running a little behind which meant we couldnt see the final products through zoom, but as shown above, the results were beautiful! You can see the crispiness of the chicken on it! I will definitely be using this recipe and special tips from this lab! From the students that did attend the lab, I heard nothing but good things! CONCLUSION:
Again, although I was not in the lab, it was very beneficial going through all of the steps to frying the chicken, preparing ratatouille, AND the gratin dauphinois. As I mentioned before, I have fried my own chicken before, but I am excited to use the techniques I learned from this lab and cook for my friends and family! ESPECIALLY the Ratatouilles! It was really great to finally see what Disney's movie was all about.
WORKS CITED: Labensky, S. R., Hause, A. M., & Martel, P. (2019). On cooking: a textbook of culinary fundamentals. Pearson.
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