Day fifty eight

Today's plate

What is collard greens?

Today was a disaster, indeed. We were late from the beginning. And sometimes, you can smell troubles even before any indication appears. We were in weeds from the beginning. Requisition came late, we were trying to distribute them, but due to inconsistant instructions, that took quite a lot of time. Our group finished cooking almost one hour late. Also there were not enough space at the ovens. Some days you are just glad that it's over...

Our production was not so difficult today. Team assignment was spicy collard greens, sauce Espagnole, and beer battered onion rings. Individual production suppose to be pan fried pork cutlets with sauce Charcuterie, spaetzle, coleslaw, and sauce chasseur.

What can I say?
Our individual production turned out to a team production, otherwise there were no chances to finish cooking before p.m. class. Food were tasty, quite good. As one of our student said it was food for a heart attack, almost everything fried, with cholesterol flying around:-)

Spaetzle (I believe this is a German dish).
10 portions
6 eggs
5 fl oz milk
8 fl oz water
salt to taste
ground white pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste
1 oz Fines Herbes (parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon equal parts)
1 lb all-purpose flour
4 oz butter
Method:
Combine eggs, milk, and half of water. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg. Add Fines Herbes. Work in flour. Add water if necessary, consistency should be like pancake batter thick but still pourable.
Let rest batter for at least one hour.
Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Work dough in a simmering water using spaetzel maker, or perforated surface pushing dough through. When dough come up to the top (2-4 min) remove.
Right away saute in butter until very hot, and serve.
You can cool down in ice water when you removed from water  and reheat it later.

Spicy Collard Greens.

Collard Greens is a plant from a cabbage family. It has very tough, fibrous leaves, which require a long cooing time.
12 servings
2 qt water or Smoky Pork Stock
8 oz smoked pork product (ham, bacon)
6 lb collard greens, stems and ribs removed, leaves cut into 1 '' ribbons
1/2 cup olive oil
3 ea onions, medium, coarsely chopped

1.5 Tbsp Garlic, minced                                        

1.5 tsp Crushed red pepper                                

Salt to taste                                                             

Black pepper, freshly ground to taste

Method

Cook smoked pork product in oil, add onion and coo until translucent and no color. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.

Add 1 qt of liquid and collard greens (by batches). Add red pepper. Braise greens for 30-40 minutes covered over low  to medium heat. Liquid should be at 1/3 level of greens (we are braising them and not boiling). When collard greens ready remove from heat and serve.