FCI Graduation

I finally graduated from French Culinary Institute (FCI) on April 15th, 2010. Thanks to all the inspirational chef instructors and my amazing classmates, the last ten months at FCI were one of the highlights in my life.


I was honored to be a valedictorian at the graduation.
Photo taken by Mike

The day before graduation was our final exam. Each student picked numbers and each number is linked to either "appetizer + meat course" recipe or "fish course + dessert" recipe. After 5 hours of cooking, we need to serve four plates of each dish to judges (usually restaurant chefs or food critics). After the judges' tasting, we have a short feedback time with the judges. The following picture was taken by Joyce while we were waiting to meet our judges. Everyone looks exhausted but happy! :)



Photo taken by Joyce

I cooked four plates of appetizer and entree course for my final practical exam:

"Consommé Flavored with Porcini, Severed with Squab and Butternut Squash"
and
"Sautéed Breast and Braised Leg of Duck in a Spiced Broth"

I thought it would be meaningful if the first recipe in my blog is what I cooked at FCI for the first time or for the last time. So... here is the recipe that I cooked for my final exam.

I modified the original recipe to make it simple for anyone to cook at home. Although I simplified a few steps, it is still a complicated recipe for the beginners. If you think you are a beginner cook, please wait for my next recipe which will be much much simple and easy!


Braised Leg of Duck in a Spiced Broth
adopted and modified from French Culinary Institute April 2010 Level 6 recipe

(Yield: 4 servings / Cooking time: at least two hours)

Ingredients:
1. Duck
+ 4 duck legs (both thigh and drumstick bones intact with skin)
+ salt and pepper

2. Broth
+ two packs 32oz low sodium chicken stock (about 2kg)
+ a half onion, roughly chopped
+ a half carrot, roughly chopped
+ a few spring of thyme
+ one bay leaf
+ a small bunch of cilantro
+ three garlic cloves, crushed
+ 1cm stick cinnamon
+ 1 point star anise
+ 1/2 T coriander seeds
+ 1/2 T black peppercorns
+ salt and pepper

3. Garnishes
+ three shitake mushrooms
+ one carrot
+ one bunch broccoli rabe (you can replace broccoli rabe with any dark green vegetable)
+ a few springs thyme
+ one garlic clove, crushed
+ salt and pepper

Procedure:
First, we are going to braise duck legs which will take at least one and a half hours, and make garnishes while braising the duck legs. Simple, isn't it?

[Braised duck legs]
1. Clean your duck legs - just make sure there is no dirty spot or feathers left.
2. In a pan (ideally, non-stick heavy bottom pan), add neutral oils and wait till the oil gets hot. If the oil is not enough hot, the ingredient you are trying to sauté gets soggy and oily. If the oil is too hot, the ingredient will be burnt.

Tips: How can you tell if the oil is hot enough
a. By Seeing: If the surface of oil is sizzling or glistens. Some says if you start seeing smokes coming out from the oil, the oil is hot enough.
b. By Feeling: Put your palm above the hot oiled pan (about 4 inch above the pan! do not deep your palm to the oil directly!!!) and try to feel the temperature. By trial and error, you will learn what the perfect "hot" oil is.

3. Season your duck legs with salt and pepper and put the skin side to the oiled pan and sear until the duck skin has brown color.
4. While browning the legs, remove any excess oil from the pan. Duck skin has a lot of fat... and those are melting to the pan while you are cooking.
5. After brown the skin side enough, flip the leg and sear the flesh side until golden brown.
6. Turn off the heat, and take out the legs and store at room temperature without cover.
7. In a clean pan, add oil and sweat roughly chopped onion and carrot together first. Then, start browning them.
8. Place the seared duck legs over the lightly browned onions and carrots and poor chicken stock. Chicken stock should be 2/3 way up to the duck leg, and add garlic cloves, a few spring of thyme, one bay leaf, a few spring of cilantro (not the whole bunch, we need left for later), cinnamon, star anise, coriander seeds and peppercorns to the broth.

Tips :Make a small bundle of spices(sachet)with cheese clothes. It is easy to take the spices out from the broth after cooking.


9. Bring to boil and lower the heat and simmer the duck leg with cover. Cook approximately one and a half hours. Make sure the liquid is not boiling.

[Garnishes]
1. Carrots: Cut the carrot to bite size and cook in salted boiling water until the carrot is cooked - poke the carrot with paring knife and if the knife goes in smoothly the carrot is cooked. Or, you can always taste it while cooking. As soon as taking out from hot water, shock the carrot in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the ice water and pat gently with paper towel to remove any water.
2. Shitake mushrooms: Quarter the mushrooms and sauté in a pan with oil with a few springs of thyme and a clove of garlic. Use enough oil since the mushroom will absolve a lot of oils. Season with salt and pepper at the end.
3. Broccoli rabe: Cook in salted boiling water until cooked and shock in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the ice water and pat gently with paper towel to remove any water. Cut into bite size.

[Final assembly]
1. After the duck legs are braised for one and a half hours, take out the duck legs from the liquid and cover the legs with aluminum foil loosely and keep them warm.
2. Strain the braising liquid through a strainer and keep the liquid only. If the liquid is oily, please skim off the fat as much as you can.
3. Bring to boil the braising liquid and deep a small bunch of cilantro about 15 seconds. And, check the final seasoning.
4. Reheat the shitake mushrooms, carrots and broccoli rabe in the de-greased braising liquid.
5. Plate the portion of liquid and garnishes into four bowls and add one braised duck leg per plate.
6. Sprinkle a few cilantro leaves over the dish.

Hope this recipe works for you and enjoy your dishes!