Date: December 10, 2013
To: Professor Akana
From: Richard Buren
Subject: Anna Nurse Workshop Memo
At the Anna Nurse Workshop, the presenter that was there was Chef Craig Hobson who is an Executive Chef at Le Cirque ,a French restaurant, located in New York City. He prepared two dishes; one was a Corn Flan and the second dish was a Chicken Breast with Shallots. Chef Hobson used two untraditional techniques in making these dishes, for the Corn Flan, which would be usually made with eggs but was substituted with Locust and Agar Agar which held it shape in a mold then after setting, the Corn Flan was sprinkled with hard corn on top and sauced with a Balsamic vinaigrette . The other technique that Chef Hobson used when he prepared the Chicken Breast with Shallots was when he prepared the chicken breast in a water bath at a constant temperature of 143 degrees Fahrenheit which he then seared the chicken breast until the skin was crispy and the shallots were cooked until it was caramelized topped with saffron, orange juice, lemon juice, and cilantro as a sauce. The Chicken Breast with Shallots was also served with a salad which had mint, cilantro, and parsley.
The two dishes that Chef Craig Hobson made was delicious and unique. The Corn Flan’s texture was interesting due to the Locust and Agar Agar but I was eager to eat it because I am familiar with Agar Agar and I couldn’t wait to try it. The Chicken Breast with Shallots was also good as well, it was a sweet and savory dish and the mint, cilantro, and parsley salad definitely complimented the chicken breast.
