Last day at production producing stocks and mirepoix.. You can really say that we know the procedures to prepare stocks and mirepoix like the back of our hand.. After doing them for one whole week, it will be really embarrassing not to know how..
Sugarloaf people lack of staff today.. So I went over to help again.. I don't really mind but the others won't get a chance to try? Cause the week we're doing sugarloaf, is buffet.. So no operation.. Oh well.. Its already over..
There's really alot things to do.. Preparing for Monday, new people at different stations.. Chef want to get everything ready as soon as possible.. So we had to prepare mango salsa, minestrone soup, stocks, mirepoix and some others I can't really remember..
Early in the morning, we had a demo on making gnocchi. Its extremely easy to do, you don't need any machine at all! You just need potatoes (mashed), flour, seasoning, eggs, water? Then you mix using a fork gently just like making a dough. Once the dough is formed, cut half and roll into a rod. After that, cut into cubes and press using a fork lightly.. And viola! Its now ready to be cooked! You must ensure that the dough is not too dry or wet and test it in simmering water..
Once the pasta float to the top, wait for 30secs before removing from the water.. You have to get your sauce ready (in this case presto), if its too thick add some liquid from the water that is used to cook gnocchi. Once the pasta is cooked, immediately put into the sauce to cook awhile more.. To let it absorb essence of the sauce.. Now, its ready to be served! And taste it! It taste great, the sauce really complement the pasta..
After tasting, we continue to do some mise en place.. I was running around the sugarloaf area and production.. Multitasking.. Haha. Not quite good at it though.. I end up helping more production than sugarloaf.. Anway, we made the spinach pasta :) We supposed to make 10, we have 5 people in the group, so its 2 each.. However, as due to time constraint and I was helping out at sugarloaf, I only get to do one.. -.-" By the time I went back, they already did it for me.. Sad.
Later part of the day, we learn how to make minestrone soup.. Instead of chef demo-ing, she instructed us as we cook the soup. I was the one stirring the whole big pot.. With all the mirepoix inside, its really heavy.. Especially for a person like me without much muscles.. Haha. But its quite fun too.. I also learnt how to slice shitake mushrooms, fennel and mass blanch pasta.. There's so much things to be done that we can't complete them alone.. People from fabrication completed their jobs earlier and came over to help us.. So nice of them..
1week doing production.. Really learnt alot of things.. Not just how to mass produce, cooking stocks, cutting mirepoix, there's also some other interesting things.. Like the peeling of onions? It also required a certain skill to peel it fast and nice.. Removing fats from chicken bones to cook stocks? Washing ovens? Making the tortilla and eating it.. Never underestimate production, without it, where do you get your chicken stock etc for your food? Haha.
Now that I'm used to doing things fast, it should be easier when going to other kitchen, I hope :)
