1. Pot Roast Pilaf Shallow Fry Bake

2. Mise en Place Pot Roast Heavy Stainless Steel Pot, 4lb roast, Mirepoix, tomato, beef broth with beef bouillion to intensify flavor, flour to singer, and aromatics (Thyme, bay Leaf, peppercorns, parsley stems). I added parsnips and turnips to the mirepoix.

3. Mise en Place for Pilaf My seed is Quinoa with toasted almonds. I used Chicken stock for my liquid and added the cranberries before placing into 350 oven for 20 minutes.

4. Seasoned and seized Pot Roast has been seasoned and browned on all sides. Beef was removed and mirepoix added to pot with Garlic and tomato to pincage. Singer to thicken then deglazed with red wine. Reduce down then add Beef and liquid including bouillon to pot 2/3 covering than into oven 350 for 90 minutes.

5. Pilaf production Sauté onion in butter with Long grain rice. Add chicken stock. Cover and place into oven 350 for 20 minutes.

6. Chicken breast shallow fry and oven baked Using the traditional Dry- Wet -Dry Method. Flour – egg wash- and corn flakes. Split breast then pounded out flat. Seasoned (salt, pepper, paprika and cumin)then floured, egged- then coated in cornflakes. Oven baked in a sheet pan on the left and pan fried in cast iron skillet on right. Pan fry was too dark and chicken was too thick. Oven baked was awesome!

7. It’s all Gravy Baby The liquid from the pot roast wasn’t thick enough. I removed pot roast and kept in a low temp oven to keep warm. I strained the liquid to remove large particles. I placed the liquid in a roasting pan and heated it up on stove top and dusted in cornstarch. Brought it to a boil and let it cool. Gravy was born that day.

8. The end results Pot roast was not tender enough, I think I over cooked it. The gravy was dynamite! It had the perfect nappe and a robust flavor. The Pilaf also was very good. This has the picture of the Long grain rice pilaf. The presentation sucks, but I haven’t taken that class yet.

9. Quinoa Seed The picture is horrible, but the product was good. I over sautéed the almond slivers and they browned very fast, but adding in the chicken stock, cranberries and just for the fun of it, I splashed in lemon juice. Quinoa seed is a very earthy flavor and by adding in the citrus it lightened it up. I used the Pilaf method for cooking.

10. What I Learned I learned to braise meat…any meat. I no longer have a fear of large portions of meat…I will make them tender, juicy and full of flavor. I can use the liquid from the braise to create a gravy/sauce. I learned the breading technique of dry-wet-dry and to shallow pan fry or to bake. I also learned to watch you’re pot! Almond slivers brown quickly. Quinoa is a seed, not a grain, but has a very earthy flavor that can be incorporated with an earthy dish.

11. What I learned Seizing meat creates a fond that is used for flavor and color. A mirepoix can be what you want it to be. I loved that I was able to add parsnips and turnips. I added the herbs later on during the cooking process and it just all came together. The Gravy was so good that I reserved and chopped some meat, added boiled potatoes, onion, carrots and celery in a beef stock to the gravy and now I had beef stew. I went from a Braised dish to a Stew in a matter of 20 minutes.

12. What I Learned I learned that I can do this, I can create basic dishes whether it be a braise or stew. I can make a sauce or gravy, I can make a pilaf or risotto from any grain, seed or rice and make it taste good. I believe in my Chef and the skills that have been taught…It’s up to me to execute. Perhaps a little to much of a “Marine” motto. I asked you Chef O’Neill for confidence…you delivered.