December 31, 2005
Before we get to dessert
Did we really do all that?
Here's one of the secrets to how we do this dinner. 4 pages of prep lists. Each task has a code number for which dish (the list of dishes and numbers is at the top of the prep list for reference), a brief line about what needs done, and an approximate time when that task should start. As the day goes on, we simply work down the list, task by task, crossing items off, until everything is ready to go. The above picture was taken right before the guests began to arrive, or maybe just after the souflees were served.
Some items like "10) pull from fridge" take 30 seconds to complete. Others, such as "17) make dobos sponge" which involve the separating of 30 eggs and baking the sponges in 4 batches in the oven can take over an hour to finish. I put lots of little things that I know I'll forget, such as "12) LIGHT FIRE". Since we started using this method, there have been very few things forgotten, even in the heat of battle.
If for some crazy reason you want to see all of the prep lists, they are in the full entry. Oh, and "MEP" is shorthand for "Mis en Place" which means to gather together everything you need.
1) gougères
2) foie gras, pain de mie, watercress salad, truffle oil
3) butternut squash soup, pumpkin seed oil
4) stout, sharp cheddar, onion souflee with fuzzy salad, basic vinegarette + shallots
5) mussel souflee with meyer lemon, saffron, chardonay cream sauce
6) strawberry salad with jicama, spinach, cukes, light vinegarette w/ lime
7) lobster rolls with sauce americaine
8) veg gnochi, summer squash, zuk, red onion, small tomatoes, basil chiffinade
9) mahi mahi with lime ginger cream
10) curried cauliflower gratain
11) sorbet
12) stuffed grilled quail (sliced proshutto, bread cubes, porchini, brun. MP, lemon zest),
asparagas, sauce foyot
13) artichokes and mushrooms in white wine sauce
14) wild mushroom cassoulet
15) racks of lamb with mustard spatzle, winter vegetables, and reduced red wine sauce
16) green beans with hazelnut beurre blanc
17) dobos tort X 2
18) fruit tart X 2
19) Clafouti/far X 2 (cherry/prune)
20) chocolates X 3
2) make foie THURS
3) make soup THURS
8) make gnocci THURS
11) make sorbet THURS
20) 3 brothers THURS
20) white chocolate fruit bark THURS
20) coffee truffles THURS
11) sorbet into sake cups, into freezer FRI
14) smoke red bell peppers FRI
14) make brown sauce FRI
15) prep lamb racks FRI
17) make dobos sponge FRI
18) pate brisee FRI
18) pastry cream FRI
14) soak beans FRI PM
10) make and put into pan day before FRI PM
17) make butter cream AM
17) make carmel and pinwheels AM
17) assemble torts AM
18) pre-bake shells AM
18) apricot jam AM
18) diplomat cream, fill tarts AM
18) fruit and glaze tarts AM
19) drain cherries AM
19) soak prunes AM
19) MEP batter X 2 AM
19) MEP powdered sugar into cheesecloth AM
0) shallots AM
0) clairified butter AM
2) make pain de mie AM
1) MEP all ingredients AM
6) cut veg for salad AM
6) make vin AM
7) prep lobster AM
7) soak morels AM
12) re-hyrdate porchini AM
12) make stuffing AM
12) stuff quail, pick AM
13) prep artichokes AM
13) cook artichokes, cool, slice AM
13) 1/4 mushrooms AM
13) MEP white wine, herbs, light veg AM
14) cook beans AM
16) prep beans AM
12) set up fire noon
7) chervil noon
7) defrost lobs stock & reduce noon
8) defrost gnocchi noon
12) MEP sauce foyot noon
12) prep asparagas, foil for cooking 2 PM
8) check gnocci (defrosted and non-sticking) 2 PM
8) cut veg, assemble entire MEP 2 PM
5) cook/clean mussles, chop 2 PM
5) MEP base 2 PM
4) MEP base 2 PM
4) separate eggs 2 PM
5) separate eggs 2 PM
9) prep fish 2 PM
9) prep veg 2 PM
9) prep seasame seeds & cornstarch 2 PM
9) MEP sauce 2 PM
9) MEP soy, butter for veg 2 PM
9) MEP garnish 2 PM
14) prep & sautee mushrooms 2 PM
14) prep & sautee MP 2 PM
14) bread crumbs 2 PM
15) defrost stock and reduce w/ wine 2 PM
16) MEP beurre blanc 2 PM
15) prep veg, blanch and shock 2 PM
7) asparagas ends, sliced, blanch and shock 2 PM
16) blanch and shock beans 2 PM
15) make spatzle, shock, oil, hold 2 PM
14) assemble 3 PM
10) pull from fridge 3 PM
7) make rolls, oil well and hold 3 PM
12) S&P quail, butter 3 PM
15) S&P lamb 3 PM
14) 1st bake 4 PM
1) make pate a choux & into bag 4 PM
2) cut pain de mie 4 PM
2) clean salad 4 PM
4) make base 4 PM
5) make base 4 PM
4) prep souflee dishes 4 PM
5) prep souflee dishes 4 PM
4) MEP salad, vinegratte 4 PM
5) MEP/reduce sauce base 4 PM
1) pipe onto parchment 5 PM
1) oven to 425 5 PM
9) reduce sauce & hold 5 PM
2) toast pain de mie 5:30 PM
3) re-heat soup 5:30 PM
1) bake 15 mins/serve 5:45 PM
1) kir royal glasses and cassis 5:45 PM
2) toss salad w/ truffle oil 5:45 PM
2) cut/plate/serve 5:45 PM
2) cheese out 5:45 PM
3) cream soup 5:45 PM
16) make beurre blanc & thermos 6 PM
3) serve soup w/ pumpkin oil drizzle 6 PM
6) toss and serve 6 PM
10) cheese topping 6 PM
======================= 6 PM APS OUT ===================
4) egg whites, toss, bake 6:15 PM
5) egg whites, toss, bake 6:15 PM
4) 400->375 for 15-20 mins 6:15 PM
5) 400->375 for 15-20 mins 6:15 PM
5) reheat & cream sauce 6:15 PM
4) toss salad 6:30 PM
4) plates out, salad down 6:30 PM
5) plates out, ready for sauce 6:30 PM
4) serve 6:30 PM
5) sauce and serve 6:30 PM
======================= 6:30 PM SOUFLEE SERVICE ===================
10) oven to 450 6:30 PM
7) 450 degrees, 10-15 mins 6:30 PM
7) heat stock, cream, reduce mount with butter and lobs butter 6:30 PM
8) cook veg 6:30 PM
8) cook gnocci 6:30 PM
12) LIGHT FIRE 6:30 PM
7) plate and serve 6:45 PM
8) toss into plate, basil chiffinade 6:45 PM
8) serve 6:45 PM
9) mount sauce w/ butter & hold 6:45 PM
9) cook veg 6:45 PM
9) cook fish (6-8 mins total) 6:45 PM
10) bake 15 mins 6:45 PM
10) broil 5 mins 6:55 PM
9) plate and serve 7 PM
10) serve 7 PM
12) grill/cook quail 7 PM
14) top crumbs & 2nd bake 7 PM
15) oven to 375 7 PM
======================= 7 PM ALL FISH OUT ===================
11) serve sorbet, platter, spoons 7:15 PM
12) make sauce foyot 7:15 PM
12) asparagas on grill 7:15 PM
13) sautee mushrooms, add artichokes 7:15 PM
13) sauce and reduce 7:15 PM
12) plate and serve 7:30 PM
13) serve 7:30 PM
15) brown lamb, 5 mins, into oven 7:30 PM
15) 15 mins 7:30 PM
15) rest and slice lamb 7:45 PM
15) sautee veg 7:45 PM
15) re-heat spatzle in butter 7:45 PM
15) reheat/adjust sauce 7:45 PM
16) cook beans w/ shallots 7:45 PM
14) serve 8 PM
15) plate and serve 8 PM
16) serve 8 PM
======================= 8 PM ALL MEAT OUT ===================
19) oven to 400 8 PM
19) blend batter 8 PM
20) make coffee 8 PM
19) bake 30 mins 8:30 PM
19) powder sugar on top and serve 9 PM
======================= 9 PM ALL DESERT OUT ===================
20) serve chocolates & coffee 9:30
Posted by dowdy at December 31, 2005 09:48 AM