It's like CSI: Spinach gets creamed, steak gets grilled

Grill a steak? Should be no problem. Cream some spinach? That's a bit more complex. Compounding the matter is butter -- compound butter, that is, with roasted garlic. Then there are the potatoes duchesse.

That's menu No. 2 in the mystery basket for Wednesday's final competency exam. It is what I will plan, prep, cook and plate for Chef, all in one hour.

Grilled New York steak sounds simple, but it must be done to Chef's exacting specifications -- medium rare with good grill marks.

But first things first: The potatoes must be boiled and the garlic roasted as starting steps. Compound butter takes a while to set, so my plan will be to handle it and get it in the reach-in refrigerator as quickly as possible.

Spinach needs thorough washing, at least three complete dunkings and rinsings in cold water. And the cream for it must be light. As Chef said the previous time we cooked it, this is creamed spinach, not spinached cream.

Piped potatoes into the oven, spinach on the stovetop with light cream, the steak cooks and then rests. Plating starts now.

It will be an intense hour.

(Photo shows what the steak ought to look like, with compound butter, when presented. Photo credit: www.occidentaldc.com.)

Culinary school quotes of the week, Week 15

Up in flames?
 "Pay attention to the fat so we don't catch the place on fire and burn it down."
-- Chef Dan Fluharty, noting that the last time we used deep fryers in the classroom kitchen, oil temperatures rose to a dangerous 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

That's Mr. Knucklehead to you, buddy
"Look at this pot. What knucklehead cooked the couscous?"
-- Culinary student Rob Park seeing the grain burned black in a pot. The prescribed way to make couscous is to add hot liquid, not put it over a flame. The pot was mine.

Season with care
"Do you want to put so much seasoning on it that it burns the chef's mouth? No!"
-- Chef Dan Fluharty's reference to one student's liberal use of white pepper.

Culinary grammar
"Do we still lemon it? It's a verb now."
-- Culinary student Aline Brown altering language usage as part of her kitchen experience.

Goldilocks spinach: just right
"This is not spinach soup, and it's not a brick. If you do it right, there's little better than creamed spinach."
-- Executive Chef Michael Weller upon learning that our class had a bit less than success with the dish on our first outing with it.