Earlier last month Noise Digital had our post Christmas
“party” at the Dirty Apron. Over the course of three hours, we were taught by
patient Dirty Apron chefs how to prep, cook and dress three decadent, delicious
dishes. Based on popular vote, we chose our menu prior to arriving at the Dirty
Apron and to encourage a little friendly competition, teams were split up into
three, each taking a course - appetizer, main and dessert course. Although
each of the dishes sounded intimidating and fancy the chefs walked us through
each step making the experience virtually fool proof. Each dish
was prepped and cooked/baked by the respective teams presented and served to
the rest of the group.
The entire experience was incredibly well organized by the
staff at Dirty Apron and each person was given a task so that everyone ended up
contributing to final meal. We were taught basic kitchen skills including how
to properly bread anything and basically made to feel like pro-chefs for one
night. Here are some of the most memorable moments from our Dirty Apron cooking
experience:
Appetizer Team:
Dungeness crab cakes and smoked paprika frilled prawns with lemon citrus
The
crab cakes sat on a layer of flash-frozen avacado that was so easy to make and
instantly dressed up the plate. To create this bottom layer, all we had to do
was press the mean of 2-3 avacados in a ziplock bag until flat, put in the
freezer and cut into slices.
When breading the Dungeness crab cakes we were taught that the trick to breading anything is to keep on hand “wet” and one hand “dry”. Keep the two separate and you’ll never end up with a sticky mess.
Main Course:
Wild mushroom & truffle crepe with herb-crusted beef tenderloin medallion
From
the trimming of fat from a large piece of raw meat to the careful peeling of
each individual mushroom this dish was made with extreme detail and care.
Topped off with asparagus and a creamy mushroom it was a decadent and
deliciously perfect main course.
Dessert: Trio of
Desserts: Roast pear tart with Frangelico red wine syrup and muscat zabaglione,
lemon biscotti biscuit and chocolate-dipped strawberries
Arguably the best
biscotti I have ever had with fresh out of the oven with crasins baked inside.
We could smell it before we tasted it and there is nothing quite like desserts
straight out of oven. The roast pear tarts were soaked in wine syrup and
artfully placed on top of a flaky tart like base, the strawberries dipped in a
chocolate swirl and the tart was flaky and light.
By far, the best part of the night was getting to cook and
share our final dishes with each other. For anyone who is interested in trying
cooking classes at the Dirty Apron I would highly recommend it. They have a
variety of different classes from group cooking lessons to kitchen skills or
specific dishes. The staff are great, the kitchen is world class, and even if
just one night, it’s your chance to feel like a chef-extraordinaire. For more
information on the Dirty Apron and their cooking classes, visit them online at http://www.dirtyapron.com/Classes/
for details.
Dirty Apron
540 Beatty Street
Vancouver, BC
Thank you Guest Correspondent Carolyn Fung
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