MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

Week 2

10 October 2017

Tuesday

           As i mention on my previous blog, today also i will share to you guys about what have I learned on International Cuisine practical kitchen class. I also enrolled in this subject this semester. During the class, we will prepare a product according to the menu provided by the C.O.D(Chef on Duty) and sell it in our Fine Dining Restaurant. And yes, we are handling a restaurant operation. The menu that our class will provided in the restaurant will be Table D'hote menu. 

              Since its Table D'hote menu, the chefs in the kitchen will prepare a course by course product, starting from the Appetizer, Soup, Main Course and Desserts. The S.O.D(Supervisor/service on Duty) will handle the operation of the restaurant, while the C.O.D(Chef on Duty) will handle the kitchen operation. The menu for today is Mediterranean Cuisine. I will list the recipe below. 

Recipe:

APPETIZER

Chicken skewer with Tatziki Sauce & Greek Salad:

 1. Chicken skewer:

• Chicken Breast 
• Salt & Pepper
• Sugar

2. Tatziki Sauce:

• Cucumber
• Salt
• Garlic
• Plain yogurt
• Dill
• Lemon Juice

3. Greek Salad:

• Olive oil
• Tomatoes
• Onion
• Japanese Cucumber
• Parsley
• Zucchini 
• Salt & pepper
• Lemon Juice & Zest

Instructions:

Chicken Skewer:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Soak 12 wooden skewers in water overnite so they won't burn in the oven.
3. Place uncooked cubed chicken in a 9x13 pan.
4. Mix all marinate ingredients together and brush over chicken (use all of the marinate sauce). cover with wrap and place in refrigerator. allow to marinate 4-6 hours. 
5. Place the basted skewers in the pre-heated 450 degree oven on the center rack. bake for 10 minutes, turn over once. bake for 10-15 minutes longer (20-30 minutes maximum of baking time total depending on size of chicken chunks). check chicken on a few of the skewers to make sure it is thoroughly cooked.If chicken is not completely cooked, bake an additional 5-10 minutes longer than noted above.
6. Remove the Chicken Skewer from the oven and let sit a few minutes. 

Tatziki sauce:

1.  The Cucumber should be peeled, finely diced and strained of it’s juices. I squeezed it really tight by the fistful.
2. Combine the strained and chopped cucumber with 2 cups plain greek yogurt, 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, 4 pressed garlic cloves, 1/3 cup chopped dill, 1/2 tsp salt (add more to taste) and 1/8 tsp black pepper.
3. Mix everything together and add more salt to taste if needed. It’s best to refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld. It tastes even better after refrigerating overnight!

Greek Salad:

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the Tomatoes, Onion, Japanese Cucumber and Zucchini. 
2. Whisk together the olive oil, Parsley lemon juice and black pepper. Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve. 

SOUP

Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup with Soft Roll:

1. Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup:

• Vegetable oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Carrot
• Chicken Stock
• Salt & pepper
• Milk

2. Soft Roll:

• Strong Flour
• Castor sugar
• Dried Yeast
• Bread Improver
• Salt
• Butter
• Egg
• Water

Instructions:

Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup:

1. Sauté the carrots, onions, celery and ginger in the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat until vegetables have softened, about 10-12 minutes.
2. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
3. Add the cream and again bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, then let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor and puree, then strain it back into the saucepan.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Soft Roll:

1. In a mixing bowl, put in flour, salt , sugar, bread improver and yeast. Rub with butter. Mix with your fingers until it become breadcrumbs. 
2. Add in egg and pour in water a little at a time. Knead about 5 - 10 minutes until it turn into a smooth, shiny ball. 
3. Leave the ball of dough in the mixing bowl in a warm place with a damp, clean towel. It will expand twice as its size. 
4. The dough is ready when the indent you make doesn't spring. 
5. Punching down, portioning and rounding the dough. 
6. To round a piece of dough, roll the dough on the bench with the palm of your hand. As you rotate the dough, use the edge of your hand to pinch the dough against the bench. This movement stick to the surface of the dough so its completely smooth except for the bottom of where it was pinched together. 

MAIN COURSE:

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Breast with Garlic Hot Chili Sauce, serve with Chickpeas Salsa, and Roasted Eggplant, Tomato & Zucchini:

1. Chicken Breast Marinate:

• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Paprika
• Bellpepper
• Fresh Parsley
• Mix Herbs
• Salt & Pepper

2. Garlic Hot Chili sauce:

• Olive oil 
• Garlic
• Chili Flakes
• Vinegar
• Sugar
• Salt & Pepper
• Lemon Zest

3. Chickpeas Salsa:

• Red capsicum
• Tomato
• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Lemon Juice
• Cilantro
• Salt & pepper

4. Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes and Zucchini:

• Eggplant
• Tomato
• Zucchini

      Marinate:

• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Paprika
• Mix Herbs
• Salt & pepper

Instructions:

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Breast:

1. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, garlic, paprika, and oregano in large bowl. 
2. Pierce chicken with fork several times and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to the bowl and coat with dressing, marinate 20 minutes or up to two days in the fridge.
3. Remove chicken from bowl. Grill or broil for about 5-6 minutes per side. Or, cook in a grill pan over medium-high heat, 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Garlic Hot Chili Sauce:

1. Rinse, clean and remove stems of the chiles. Blot dry with paper towel.
2. Wearing rubber gloves, mince chili peppers. The smaller the cut, the smoother your final sauce will be. Or you can just leave them minced small for a more spicy bite and bigger texture.
3. In medium sauce pan, heat oil then add minced garlic and shallots. Over medium heat saute garlic and shallots for a about 1 minute or until light brown and fragrant. Fry the garlic and shallots enough so that they become crispy, but not burnt. (don’t burn your garlic!)
4. Add tomato sauce and minced chili peppers. Let the sauce come to a simmer then lower heat to keep at a low simmer. Add fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well.
5. Continue simmering the garlic hot sauce for about 5 minutes. This will break down the chili peppers and soften them to create the smooth consistency.
6. Remove hot sauce from heat and allow to cool completely.
7. Transfer hot sauce sauce to blender and blend till smooth or until most of the chili pepper skin and seeds break down- preferably on the “liquefy” mode.
8. Taste the hot sauce to further customize the hot sauce to your liking.
9. Add more sugar, vinegar or water. Blend one last time till smooth.  Pour into clean, air tight jar and refrigerate. Use within about 1 week.

Chickpeas Salsa:

1. Pick over dried chickpeas. Rinse and soak overnight in cold water with 1 teaspoon salt. Drain and rinse. Place chickpeas in a medium saucepan, and cover by several inches with fresh water. Bring to a boil, and skim off any foam. Turn heat down to medium, and simmer until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Ten minutes before chickpeas are done, add 3/4 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat; let cool in cooking liquid for about 1 hour.
2. Chop together 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil to form a paste. Add chiles; chop to combine. Transfer to a small bowl, and add remaining oil.
3. Drain soaked chickpeas. (If using canned chickpeas, rinse.) Combine with 1 teaspoon chile mixture or to taste. Add olives, cilantro,lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The salsa can be made a day ahead (return to room temperature before serving).

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato & Zucchini:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Put eggplant slices in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle salt liberally over the eggplant cubes; let sit to drain for 30 minutes.
3. Toss tomatoes, zucchini, onion, and garlic together in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and add in mix herbs, garlic and paprika over the mixture and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.
4. Rinse eggplant to remove salt and pat dry with paper towel; add to the tomato mixture and stir. Add olive oil as necessary to assure the eggplant cubes are coated. Spread the vegetable mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. Roast in preheated oven until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

DESSERT

Mediterranean Yogurt Cream with Summer Fruit:

• Strawberries or Raspberries
• Sugar
• Fresh Cream pt Whipping Cream
• Plain Yogurt
• Mint. 

Instructions:

1. Place the raspberries in a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar and wine and set aside for a few minutes to macerate.
2. Whip the cream to very soft peaks in a separate bowl and stir in the yogurt. Fold half the cream and yogurt mix into the raspberry mixture to get a bright pink cream.
3. Gently fold in the remaining cream and yogurt mix to give a ripple effect. Divide between 6 glasses or tumblers.
4. Top each with a mint sprig and a few langues de chat biscuits poked in the top.