Escoffier Study Group

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Comment by Travis Smith on January 13, 2011 at 12:02am

It has been quite an eventful year since we started this group and as we approach our 1st anniversary in the Escoffier Study Group on ACF We Are Chefs. The pictures of our members remind me of the growth so many of us have achieved over the last 12 months. We are all at different stages of understanding Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire and our newest member (#227) has just been given her first copy and a briefing on how to approach the pages between the forest green covers. What have we learned thus far and what most inspires all of you today about Le Guide?  

Comment by Paul G. Suplee CEC, PC III on October 26, 2010 at 5:50am

OK, so I've let the tapioca 'poach', as Escoffier writes, in the top of a bain marie for as long as 45 minutes with no clearing. I also followed the simplistic instructions from Larousse and Escoffier Cookbook for sprinkling the tapioca into a boiling consomme and cooking for 10 minutes (letting it go as long as 30), both to no avail.

Is there a possibility that this is the result of the tapioca I am using? Does anyone on this thread have a good process for working with tapioca to ensure the 'date on a dime at the bottom of a gallon' clarity?

Thanks so much. Two years are going to go by very quickly!

Comment by Paul G. Suplee CEC, PC III on October 23, 2010 at 3:00pm

I'll find out if we can bring powdered with us. Powder is what various chefs recommend so I can't imagine they wouldn't allow it. There is a good quote from this group that a chef pulled from Gigachef -

"Quoting Chef Barnes the correct way to thicken with tapioca "It was explained to me as follows; It does not make the consommee cloudy when the correct procedure is followed, 1. Use powdered tapioca 2. Mix 2 T & 1 cup of consommee for every quart of finished consommee 3. Place the mixture in a bain marie and cook until slowly it clears, be patient 4. Strain this through cheesecloth and use it to thicken the consommee This should render a very clear lightly thickened consommee, you may also try double the amount of regular tapioca mixed into the raft, but I do not find this to work as well. Thanks for asking, BBCMC"

Comment by John Reed CEC, CCA on October 23, 2010 at 2:56pm

I would be careful to only thicken a consomme if it is called for. You will probably get pearl tapicoa. If you have a ratio of tapicoa for 10 portions it would be good to pratice. I haven't quite nailed it down yet. if you have suggestions that would be great to share.

Comment by Paul G. Suplee CEC, PC III on October 23, 2010 at 1:56pm

Thanks John. In the consomme section of Le Guide, there is a short paragraph that mentions that thickening with tapioca is considered appropriate but that it is completely optional. I imagine it's a good thing to do it during the CMC to show the skill. 24 months and counting.

Comment by John Reed CEC, CCA on October 23, 2010 at 1:48pm

Stay with le Guide if Studying for CMC. However understand why there is a difference as it is this understanding that allows you to really understand the cuisine. I have found alot of differences between resources on other items. For example. I have sources that state sauce Sauce Albufera has foie gras instead of red pepper. Always default back to Le Guide.

Comment by Paul G. Suplee CEC, PC III on October 23, 2010 at 1:30pm

Anyone have an opinion on this? In researching Consomme Rachel, the recipe in "Escoffier Cookbook and Guide to the Fine Art of Cookery", is quite a bit different from the consomme of the same name in Le Guide.

Should we stick to Kaufmann/Cracknell strictly or is this up to discussion?

Thanks

http://books.google.com/books?id=OO7NVyLhiSYC&lpg=PA217&ots...

Comment by Louis J. Sgroi on October 20, 2010 at 10:32pm

Chef Smith, Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to share this info with my team. Sincerely, Lou Sgroi- apprentice

Comment by Paul G. Suplee CEC, PC III on October 20, 2010 at 9:45am

Here here! The volume is too immense to look at a poultry recipe, which then references you to a sauce, garnish, et al in a confusing maze-like fashion.

If you take the time to catalogue the material, 3 things happen:

1. You will be much less intimidated
2. It starts to mesh
3. You realize that this is based on solid technique first and foremost

I just bought Escoffier Illustrated which was edited by Cracknell/Kaufmann and while it only has 50+ pictures, it will rest your mind at ease when you realize that it was and is about good cooking.

Make it light, fresh, and use good technique. If it calls for a Salpicon, then make sure that foundation is correct, and don't lose too much sleep over it.

Of course it's easy for me to say it! We all need more practice in this. Then, we can branch out into newer genres.

Comment by John Reed CEC, CCA on October 20, 2010 at 9:07am

Great approach Travis. I am presently doing this myself and will recommend that you have to approach each chapter as a whole. You can't focus on individually recipes at first. You need to look at the whole and see how each recipe relates to each other and the processes involved. Remember, there is an assumption that the person reading/using the text has a strong foundational knowledge of cooking. There are many cross references to other recipes adnd methodologies in other chapters. As you get deeper into the study you should see some trends that will start to make sense and that make the text as a whole less daunting.

Good luck. Please keep the group posted and ask questions as we as professionals are always willing to learn and discuss the relevance of Le Guide

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