Chicken and vegetable stocks I've got down. I wanted to try something new, and that meant either the brown veal stock, white beef stock with blackened onions (also known as marmite), or the fish fumet.
I've never prepared fumet de poisson. The name is probably more difficult than the process itself. Seriously. All you do is combine fish bones, leeks, onions, dry white wine, cold water and a bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley and peppercorns), bring it to a boil, simmer for a half-hour and strain.
That's it, Fort Pitt.
However, we probably skipped the most difficult part: fileting the fish. We haven't arrived at that point of the program. To be truly honest, I'm intimidated. Not much longer before that day arrives.
We did get to clean the bones, which worked out well on our team's end. I picked the halibut carcass. Although large (the chef estimated it weighed 60-plus pounds whole), it was relatively easy to clean. My sympathies go out to those who picked the tiny cod. Lots of coagulated blood and guts.
Just to make myself feel like I didn't escape that easily, I volunteered to help the chef remove an eyeball from a fish head. He placed it on a plate at his station and said he was keeping an eye on us. Funny guy.
Afterwards, each team made vegetable stock. Piece of cake, minus the fact that my feet were throbbing through the entire process.
Mental and physical fatigue has set in. I'm exhausted. For the second time in a week, I took a nap. (I never take naps.) Thankfully, Ryan went to the grocery store. I made a rich sauce of shallots, white wine, goat cheese and heavy cream tossed with crimini mushrooms, asparagus and cherry tomatoes over fresh fettuccine. It hit the spot.
Now it's time to hit the sack.
I was wondering if you could possibly ship the fish eyeball to me.
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