The First Cut is the Deepest

No, no...I'm not paying homage to Sheryl Crow's hit tune....they say that all chefs (or those becoming chefs) always have their first major cut..well that time came...for me!


I was working extra hard (for 2), as my partner was absent, so was doing 5 million things at once (I'm not giving myself an excuse though, as always, working in the kitchen is super busy) and I was slicing off carrots when I felt something go through my right thumb and land on something hard (ie. bone!...yes bone)
I immediately took it out and in shock put it in water and wrapped it. But, I felt dizzy afterwards (and the last time I felt that I fainted, in the middle of the streets of Goa, India from a scooter accident on my toe) and I thought to myself this is not going to happen in the kitchen, so ran outside to catch my breath and Maniko and Carolina were nice enough to come around and give me water. I decided that I should tell the chef but once he got a look at it, he forced me down to the infirmerie. I didn't want to go, but orders are orders. The nurse thought I was going to have stitches as the cut was deep but luckily just had to disinfect it a long time and make sure it never gets wet (oops that didn't happen).


Luckily I'm left handed but the worst part is that I am not allowed to bend my thumb as the cut runs up my thumb where it bends, which is a hard thing to do when holding a pot, holding a piece of meat, etc...aaaah drama, all is well, i still have 10 fingers! :) It hurt when I slept but what can you do, it needs to close!!


Anywho, today went on as always...we're onto to fonds (stocks) and sauces.
Today we made a fond brun de veau (brown stock made of veal bone and foot) that is first caramelized in the oven, then we add vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic, celery, tomato paste, and fresh tomatoes at the end), deglacer (with white wine - ummm yum!) and scraping the veal of the pan, add water to the rim and let it simmer for 4-6 hours. Unfortunately, we couldn't do the whole six hours but we managed to go halfway.

Maniko's turn

Action shot: Yi Yu cutting veal bone to pieces

Roasted veal bone with vegetables (before becoming stock)

We also made fond brun de volaille (same thing as the fond brun de veau but with chicken). 

Our stocks fond brun de veau and fond brun de volaille all lined up and simmering

We've kept our fond brun the veau in the frigo (fridge) because tomorrow we will make a demi-glace and glace, whereby the stock is reduced so much to 10% of the initial liquid, turning it into a very concentrated and thick sauce for meat.

We also made a Jus de veau which is a much darker color from the fond de veau that has to be mixed with veal stock (but since ours wasn't ready, we did the 'fast way', took from already made stock paste!)....But overall a good mixture.

More pictures to come!