Menu I made

[tsi88kid]

I will be making a three course meal for a teacher in my school as a final grade and I have my first course and dessert set and a rough outline of my entree.

First course

Salmon Carpaccio served with caviar and a creme freche and grey poupon sauce

Entree

Coq Au Vin served over a Thyme Risotto

Dessert

Bourbain marinated grilled Pineapple ring topped with coconut mousse and praline served with Passion fruit salsa

 

[kitchenelf]

Sounds great kid!

 

[jpmcgrew]

Sounds great but make sure the risotto isn't too powerful so that it does not compete with the chicken it should only compliment it making the chicken even more delicious.

 

[tsi88kid]

See I was thinking the same thing but a kid in my class was telling me the teachers want a lot of flavors in the dish.

 

[college_cook]

Are you curing your salmon or serving it raw?

 

[tsi88kid]

I'm serving the Salmon raw.

I might want to cure it though considering normal people might not like raw salmon.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Well I think that kid is wrong ,cooking is more complicated than that, you need to start with a salad or appetizer ,that leads into the entree and then leads into the dessert if you have a rich entree you need need to have a light salad and then a dessert make sure the vegetables work with entree even the bread on the side should be a compliment meaning you dont serve cornbread with beef but more to a bean dish.Also make sure your salad or appetizer isn't too heavy or they will be too full to appreciate your main meal and dont have a fish salad or appetizer if your entree is a fish dish.Appetizer means just that you need to get get the taste buds ready for something more fantastic and to get the appetite going.Meaning an appetizer is really a teaser making the the customer wanting more.Also be sure you have some color going on you dont want to present a single color meal maybe you will need to add something red like red bell peppers or green or whatever it can be in the meal or even better as garnish.

 

[tsi88kid]

well the salmon carpaccio will be served with the yellowish suace and caviar which will have contrasting colors on a white plate. As for the entree there will be the red wine sauce amd probly some chopped for garnish as well as deep fried julienne leek curls. Lastly the deseert will have great color because of the passion fruit salsa.

 

[jpmcgrew]

You can never go wrong with fried leeks. I love them.

 

[tsi88kid]

hahaha who doesn't and they look awesome!

 

[TATTRAT]

sounding good, have you considered an amuse gul? Sounds like a rich start to the progression, and could be a little heavy on the palate right off the bat.

The dessert sounds like a winner!

 

[jpmcgrew]

Part of cooking that most people dont realize is digestion of the meal should be included in the preparation it should digest well, meaning after a good meal it should rest well in your stomach and you sleep well afterwards meaning not too much fat or to me not too heavy in the the undigestable starches.If it makes you sick sick it is not a good balanced meal.However you can have a ton of great cheese but only have that some bread with crudites,fruits and maybe some cold cuts,Actually one of my favorites including asparagus,artichokes ,grapes and so on.

 

[tsi88kid]

amuse gul is that like an amuse bouche? and if it is what would u suggest?

 

[TATTRAT]

yup, it is the same thing, lemme think on it and I'll hit you up on AIM.

 

[tsi88kid]

okie dokie thanks bro

 

[LEFSElover]

since others have chimed in, I say drop the poupon, it seems to me to be overkill and the salmon and caviar carry enough weight/flavor of their own, plus personally I don't think it needs it

 

[luvs]

great, kiddo! proud of you!

 

[kitchenelf]

I'm serving the Salmon raw.

I might want to cure it though considering normal people might not like raw salmon.

IMHO carpaccio wouldn't be carpaccio unless it was raw! If you can get your hands on some radish sprouts a little handful in the center would not only look good but the flavors would definitely compliment each other.

I just don't know how it then blends into a coq au vin gracefully.

 

[ironchef]

Unless you stick in an intermezzo or another course between the salmon and chicken, I don't like the progression of flavors between the two. The oils and strong flavors from the salmon will clash with the braising jus of the coq au vin and give an pleasant taste in the mouth. If you want to serve the salmon, then change the entree to a seafood entree with Mediterranean or French flavors. If you want to serve the coq au vin, then change the app to either a non-seafood app or a more mild seafood app like scallops.

Suggestion for the Coq au Vin: serve a lemon-thyme risotto instead of just focusing on thyme as the flavor. Lemon and thyme go well together and the acidity will bring an added flavor and dimension to the dish. Thyme by itself will be flat and one dimensional.

Suggestion for the Salmon: lose the dijon mustard but incorporate some sort of flavor into your creme fraiche like Nicoise Olive, Anchovy, a mixture of capers and harissa, etc. Make an infused oil out of chive, parsley, or chervil and use that to finish the dish.

Overall, why don't you really get creative with the dishes instead of going for tried and true classics. Since you've already gotten your scholarship, your final grade won't really matter. Use this chance to really "wow" your teacher with some new cutting edge stuff.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I agree, is it raw salmon or cold smoked and caviar? I also say drop the Poupon.Are you going to have a bit of bread with it?How ever you do it it might be nice to do a bruchetta or crostini type thing with a very thin sliced lightly toasted good french or ciabatta bread rubbed with some fresh garlic and a few drops of good olive oil. Because just straight fish and caviar will stick on those tastebuds and will linger too long the bit of bread make it all come together quite nicely.I think thats why you might want to keep the salmon appetizer a bit mild.Add the creme fraich not too much and use some fresh dill as a garnish { but just a tiny bit on top}it will also add another mild flavor addition to enhance the whole thing.If you dont get to serve some wine with meal something I know nothing about it might be nice to have a bit of mineral water in between to kind of clean their palates.Add some lemon maybe to to make it fresher.
Again just my rambling and humble opinion.