If I wasn’t in the media and entertainment industry like I am now, I would probably work as a chef. My experimental dishes have been well-received and appreciated so far – yup, even those dishes I whipped up using leftovers.
That gave me motivation to join cooking and baking programs in our school before. I also joined a Culinary Arts Bootcamp for a day recently, where the students were taught how to make Ducasse Signature recipes.
When I arrived, they gave me a kit with an apron, a cap, a tea towel, a recipe guide and a to-go box. We were taught how to cook a dish called Roasted River Prawn, which I’m sadly allergic to. I had to pack mine, but I brought it home and my parents enjoyed it.
Our chef at the time was the amazing Chef Joma Tuaño, who worked at a prestigious restaurant in New York before. He came back to the Philippines to open his own restaurant and to give back and teach aspiring chefs how to cook properly.
The session went smoothly. Chef Joma showed us the process for us to replicate at our own stations. It was easy to follow his instructions and we did the preparation and cooking in batches.
We did the prawns first. The head was removed, the shells were peeled, and the meat was skewered to keep it from curling. Â We also removed the meat from the claws, which we later used for the salad.
Then we proceeded with the vegetables, which was kind of confusing because each one had different slices and preparation methods.
The artichoke, however, was definitely out of an amateur chef’s world. We had to prepare a cold water bath with ascorbic acid to keep the artichoke from oxidizing. Also, we had to peel half of the artichokes because we only needed the soft core.
After that, we sealed the artichokes with butter, garlic, salt and pepper in a heat-proof plastic then baked it in the oven. It was so technical; but after it was cooked, it made a whole lot of difference for the dish.
Halfway through, we were offered some snacks! It was a pizza personally made for the class by Chef Joma with cheese, artichokes and some leafy action. Outside of the kitchen, there was also a feast of tuna sandwiches, cream puffs, and a jug of iced tea.
After the break, we then followed Chef Joma’s instructions and chopped the vegetables according to its respective slices and sizes.
The ingredients were placed in the small bowls to keep it organized. We cooked and finished the dish after that.
I was also able to catch Chef Joma in action. The dish was definitely delicate and laborious; but when you think of it, it was actually simple and can easily be replicated in our own kitchens.
Now, take a look at this beautiful dish!
If you’re interested in joining classes like this, feel free to contact Enderun Colleges to know more about their culinary arts programs!
French Ducasse Culinary Bootcamp
1100 Campus Avenue, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
Website: https://www.enderuncolleges.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnderunCollegesPH/
