Week 1: Knife Skills & Stock Production

In the first week of class we went over stock production and knife skills, and yes I was the first person in the class to cut themselves.  I knew I would be, but I'm glad I got it out of the way.  So believe me when I tell you that the knives we got are SHARP!

Back to what I've learned...

Stock, or Fond in french, is a clear flavored liquid.  There are 4 basic types: white, brown, vegetable, and fish. 
White - Typically made from chicken, but can also be made with veal or beef bones.  The bones are simmered in water with vegetables and seasonings for about 4 - 6 hours.
Brown - The bones are carmelized before simmering in water with the vegetables and seasonings for about 6 - 8 hours.  This stock has a rich dark color.
Vegetable - Can be made with any combination of vegetables, but is typically made with leeks, fennel, turnips, garlic, and tomatoes.  The vegetables are simmered in water and seasonings for about 45 minutes.
Fish - Made by slowly cooking fish bones or shells and vegetables, and then simmering the with water and seasonings for 30 - 45 minutes.

There are 4 elements to a stock: Bones, Liquid, Mirepoix (Vegetables), and Aromatics (Seasonings).
The mirepoix is 50% Onion, 25% Carrots, and 25% Celery.  You need 1 pound mirepoix per 1 gallon of stock.  The aromatics are: bay leaves, dried thyme, peppercorns, and parsley stems.

Now on to the knife cuts we learned.....
Rondelles – disk-shaped slices


Diagonals – oval-shaped slices, usually cut on the diagonal

Oblique cuts – small pieces with two angle-cut slices

Julienne – stick shaped that is 1/8” x 1/8” x 2”

Bâtonnet – stick shaped that is ¼” x ¼” x 2”

Brunoise – cube-shaped that is 1/8” x 1/8” x 1/8” (cut from the Julienne)

Small Dice – cube-shaped that is ¼” x ¼” x ¼” (cut from the Bâtonnet)

Tourner – to cut into football-shaped pieces with seven equal sides and blunt ends

So basically that's it for week one.