Secrets du Chef / Cordon Bleu Jour 4

I didn't really know what to expect from a "Chef's Secrets" class.  Was Chef going to just go down a list and tell us different tricks of the trade?  But yesterday's demonstration class at Le Cordon Bleu wasn't much different from the others I'd previously attended, except there was no dessert on the menu.  No matter...K and I had splurged at "the good ice cream place" near Les Grands Magasins earlier in the afternoon, so we'd taken care of our sweet treat for the day.  (Speculoos, Tiramisu, and Vanilla Bourbon gelato....mmmmm).

On the menu:

Salade de cailles aux herbes
Salad with quail and herbs ("because it's summer" - Quail are good between July & end of August)

Risotto aux fruits de mer
Sea food risotto ("because Chef is of Italian origin")







Chef went through the process of making each dish, sharing little tips along the way.  He swore us to secrecy, but I feel okay divulging a few here.

• All chefs are ready to live on a desert island.  In their pockets: a corkscrew, a spoon for tasting, an all-purpose bowl scraper...
• When dining at a restaurant, you should always treat yourself.  You should eat well and not look at the price!
• If you're trying to sear something, make sure there's no water in the pan or it will make the oil pop.
• Always remove your dish from the heat before adding fresh herbs.
• When poaching eggs, add a good cup of vinegar to the water; it fixes the white to the yolk. (You probably already know this - I've just never poached eggs before).
• To break open a quail egg, cut off the rounded part with a knife.  Otherwise, the eggs are too delicate and you risk breaking the yolk.  
• When preparing many eggs for poaching, you can put them all in one bowl and spread them out when you pour them in the water.  No special poaching pan needed.   (Maybe because of the vinegar?)
• The reason you're supposed to skim off foam when boiling is because it contains all of the impurities.  
• The Basque spice "espelette" adds a nice flavor to seafood.  

Shopping list: espelette, bowl scraper.  The Chinese cap strainer makes an appearance nearly every class, so it should probably be at the top of my list.