From the Chef down to the Garde Manger, there is an appriciation for the mastery of bivalve cookery. Yes, quality, perfection, and timing is the status quo in the kitchen but there is an understanding between us cooks, that although 100% focus is required from each of us, when the bivalve hits the pan, there are no mistakes. An over cooked steak, a bad schnitzel, or a cold potato, all unforgivable indeed, but a bowl of mollusks cooked to oblivion with no thought or heart for the liquid in which they cook in speaks novels. A seafood so fresh, so simple, and a margin of error so thin, should not be taken lightly and when done well, is simplicity at its finest.
Being a serious cook has its advantages. Being a line cook has even more. The key is tasting your food and knowing the product in which you are serving. They say knowledge is power...that could not be any more appropriate then when you are cooking for individuals. A human being has put a certain level of trust in you to make them a meal that they will be consuming. Knowing what they are going to be tasting, the quality of your ingredients in which you are serving , and the degree of skill you will put in is paramount. That said, these mussels are not going to be at their peak for the next service (wink wink) Lets eat!
The numbers were good, service went extremely well, and like the kitchen version of a Pavlov's conditioning experiment, the cooks were rewarded...ok maybe the runner too but he's one of us. No meat powder in today's experiment, and without giving all the details, the jubilant mussels were bathed in a gruel of pork, tomato, butter, and vegetation. Grilled sourdough bread, sure, but I opt for some frites and the only condiment a fried potato should be served with...sauce choron. (if you haven't, you really should...enough said) I make eye contact, give a nod, and break it all down. Out on time, and happy to be a cook!
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