Back in the Kitchen at school...

We finally have the kitchens inspected, approved and cleaned and stocked for use at school. If you did not already know we got a new culinary facility this year. I am taking a la carte and saucier this semester but we were not able to really get back into the kitchens until Thursday of this past week. We started in Saucier with Basic Stock Making or Stock 101. :) I thought I would show off a bit of our new facility and our first project. :)

Tools of stock making include... a big stock pot, skimmer and knives and cutting boards for cleaning bones... the wooden spoon was for the fat rendering process. You NEVER EVER want to stir your stock.... EVER

Mire poix is an essential part of stock making. You always want to use 2 part onion to 1 part carrot and 1 part celery. Here is mine. :) Cut into bigger bits so that it won't completely decentigrade during cooking time.

Here are the venison bones I had cleaned and used in my white stock. The difference it white and brown is that brown stock bones are roasted and you use a pince (tomato product - namely tomato paste here) and cook it on the stovetop with your mire poix before adding it to the roasted bones and water. White stock is made with blanched bones and no pince - you just throw everything in together and simmer it with your sachet (parsley, peppercorn, thyme, and bay leaf - all wrapped in cheesecloth and tied)

OMGoodness!!! Is this kitchen not beautiful and shiny???

Here is my stock... you can see the little sachet tucked in there toward the bottom of the picture. :)

So, what do you do with all the stuff you pull off the bones? You put it in a pan and render the fat for other purposes. It stores easily and is used in a ton of other things in the professional kitchen. We really try not to waste one single thing!