Replace the Old Cock

Along with my hunky "right-hand-man" (whose name turned out to be Jeff) I was Team Three. Besides our dishes, there was also time to help with the chimichurri sauce. I even managed to take some photos when I wasn't worried about burning the polenta!

In the classroom beforehand we reviewed the recipes and techniques we'd need to create this meal. When someone asked how we'd be able to cook coq au vin in our 3 � hour cooking class, I misheard the question. So, when I heard Chef Thomas answer, "We'll replace the old cock . . ." At first I thought he was talking about replacing me! ". . . and we'll use young hens instead." Then I got it. Sometimes I'm just too sensitive.

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You say mirepoix, I say sofrito

I never cooked a rack of lamb before, and I had no idea what persill� meant. That's why I volunteered to cook it. I learned that a persillad� is a bread & herb coating, and that lamb cooks very quickly! Also, that local farm-raised lamb is juicy and delicious even if it was medium rare instead of rare.

This next part is confusing to explain, but I'll try. I was in a new kitchen surrounded by new people, cooking a recipe new to me, with descriptions in French that I didn't understand. So, when the recipe called for me to make a mirepoix, I followed the instructions blindly, not knowing what I was doing, and not connecting.

It worked out all right, but it wasn't until the next day that I realized that, had the recipe just said "make a sofrito," I'd have known immediately what I was doing and been more comfortable. Next time I'll ask what the unfamiliar terms mean before I start to cook.

Cooking Rack of Lamb

For the rack of lamb I seasoned the frenched ribs with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme - on all sides. That roasted at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then I sprinkled the mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots & celery) around the lamb in the roasting pan and cooked at 350 degrees until an internal temp of 130 degrees. (I had no idea how long that would take. Someone suggested 45 minutes. In 17 minutes the internal temp was 132 degrees!)

I set the lamb aside and made a sauce of the pan juices. It was strained, degreased and thickened (with arrowroot), and left to sit in a warm water bath while I mixed the bread crumbs, garlic and parsley with melted butter.

I brushed the lamb with whole grain mustard, and pressed the breading onto the top of the rack of lamb. At quarter after twelve I popped the lamb into a 400 degree oven to brown the crumbs. There was just time to carve off the individual ribs before the 12:30 serving.

Easy CIA Polenta

For the polenta, I saut�ed an onion and 2 cloves of garlic in 3 Tbsp oil in a tall saucepan. I added 2 � cups water and the same of milk. When that was boiling, I added 1 � tsp salt, and slowly drizzled 1 1/3 cups corn meal into the boiling liquid, stirring constantly. Even so, Jeff pulled it off the burner before it boiled over! I remember thinking: he has quick hands, before I resumed boiling and stirring the thickening polenta. Then I transferred it to a buttered baking dish, covered it, and baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This method eliminates much of the stirring polenta usually gets, and freed me up for other things.

Jeff, good soul that he was, brought ice when I burned my hand, seasoned the sauce to really make it "pop", (which in chef terms means adding more salt than is good for us) and basically was right there to help, hold, or cajole as needed. We had fun together.

While this was happening, there were chef demonstrations about how to cut up a chicken, how to make pasta and how to make mozzarella cheese. There was also time to help find strainers, measuring cups, the right pans - everything that is "lost" when you are in a strange kitchen. With all of this, we were on a tight schedule to produce everything at the same time, in time for lunch.

Finishing and Plating

When I put the lamb in the oven for the browning, I removed the polenta, scraping it into a serving bowl, being careful not to disturb the bottom crust that developed on the pan. (That seemed like such a shame!) I stirred in � cup Parmesan and sprinkled another over the top.

To dress it up some more, before putting it on the table I gathered the leftover herbed bread crumbs and sprinkled them on top.

The meal was almost a complete success. Jeff made a passing reference to my "overdone" lamb, (he was the one who said it would take 45 minutes to cook!) We all put our dishes on the table at the same time. Someone even thought to warm the plates.

It was altogether too much food for the seven of us, plus the chef and our student helpers. We invited more people to join us, until we were 20 or so friends and colleagues celebrating our success cooking the bounty of local farms.

All-in-all it was a great meal, shared with folks who had become friends over the two days of intense Boot Camp. We deserved to celebrate. We all worked together to put this meal on the table, and we all earned the passing grade - "Plays Well With Others!"

Addendum

I'd suggest getting together a group of friends, or like-minded people, to schedule a delicious, fun-filled, team-building few days at the testosterone-rich CIA. Who knows what trouble you can cook up?

The Culinary Institute of America is a leader in the Farm-to-Fork movement. They believe in buying the freshest and best ingredients, and try to buy from local purveyors when possible. As proof of their commitment, the CIA hired a local farmer to coordinate local farm purchases. For example, they buy 750,000 eggs locally every year. This year they will all be free-range chicken eggs.

You can sign up for CIA Boot Camp online. They have all manner of classes from basic to advanced, and from baking to Asian cuisine, lasting from one day to 5 days. You'll have a great time, you'll learn new cooking techniques, and make a whole new bunch of foodie friends!

The Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538
800-888-7850
CIA Boot Camp