French Cooking Class at Le Central

This evening I took a French cooking class at a downtown Denver French Restaurant called "Le Central, The Affordable French Restaurant". For me, their claim to fame is the $10 muscles and French fries. I just about had to be rolled out of the place after Josh and I ordered this dish. Mayonnaise + fries = Bomb. So after this delicious muscles/fry experience I looked them up on the internet and realized they give cooking demonstrations once a month so I HAD to check it out! It was so much fun and I think I convinced Josh to go with me next time! =) Below are pics of the menu and of the demonstration. At the bottom of the page I have type up the full recipes.

He actually used that huge roll of bread for the app salad! They bake their bread at the restaurant twice daily!

Sorry, no picture of the app or dessert, I was excited and forgot to take a pic. =)

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

-Country Bread

-Olive Oil

-Tomates, diced

-Cucumbers, diced

-Basil, chiffonade

-Shallots

-Garlic

-Balsamic Vinegar

-Salt and Pepper

-Bell peppers, julienne cut

-Olives

Technique:

-Take slices of at least one day old bread, crush with olive oil

-Grill bread slices and cut or tear into cubes

-Process all vegetables in either slices or diced

-Make a simple vinaigrette with diced shallots, minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper

-Toss everything together and serve immediately

Lotte en Papillotte

-Monkfish, 1lb (skinned, cleaned, halved, de-boned)

-1 large onion, sliced

-1 bunch of Frisee

-8oz green beans

-1 cup cranberries, dried

-1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

-1 lime

-1 tablespoon butter

-1 cup of stock

-Oregano, fresh to taste

-Tarragon, fresh to taste

-Salt, pepper to taste

-Parchment paper

Technique:

-In butter, saute the onions, endives, garlic, green beans, cranberries, and stock and reduce, then season with salt, pepper and herbs to taste

-Take a piece of parchment paper, spray with non stick, place a spoonful of your prepared compote above on parchment paper, place monkfish on top, coat in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and lime wedge

-Wrap up and bake at 350 for 30min

This is a picture of the entre before I wrapped it up in the parchment paper. I substituted Tilapia for Monk Fish and it ended up being delicious!

Poire au Porto

Ingredient:

-6 pears, peeled and blanched

-Two to one ratio of water and sugar for simple syrup

-Port wine, 1 liter (good quality)

-8oz mascarpone

Technique:

-Peal pears, then blanch (boiled in water for 5 min)

-Dissolve sugar in warm water until boiling for simple syrup

-Add pears and simmer for 15 to 20min, or until tender

-Warm port wine, DO NOT BOIL

-Remove pears from simple syrup and place in port for 24 hours

-Next day, core pears and pipe full of mascarpone, garnish as desired (atop a cookie, mint, chocolate)