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That line cook's comment about my sauce changed how I prep
Worked at this farm-to-table place in Asheville back in 2018. I was real proud of my demi-glace, spent hours on it. One night a new line cook named Marcus just said "man, this tastes like you boiled the flavor out of it." Stung like hell but he was right. I was reducing everything way too long trying to get that deep color. Now I stop the second it coats a spoon and the meatiness is way better. Any other cooks here have a junior staff member call them out on something that actually improved their food?
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the_ruby19d ago
Tastes like you boiled the flavor out of it" hits hard because it's so specific and true. Had a similar thing happen with a prep cook at this diner in Portland. She caught me chopping rosemary for a roast and just said "you're bruising the leaves, not cutting them." I was using a dull knife and basically mashing the herb into the board. Had to replace my old chef's knife and learn to sharpen it properly, now my herb prep is way cleaner. Little callouts like that are the best kind of tough love.
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lee84719d ago
Damn that's a good callout though. Took me way too long to learn the same thing with a crappy knife and herbs. Got a decent whetstone now and it's a game changer for sure.
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the_ruby19d ago
Idk, is it really that deep with a rosemary leaf though?
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