Italian grissini.
ENDERUN Colleges brings the cooking school to homes with a series of culinary instructional videos in a program called Ecole Ducasse Online Culinary eXperience by Enderun. The online cooking classes are in partnership with its global culinary partner Ecole Ducasse from France, and will be taught by Enderun instructors headed by See Cheong Yan, Culinary Head of Ecole Ducasse Manila. Mr. See leads the team of virtual instructors of the program along with Executive Chef Marc Chalopin, and Executive Pastry Chef Laetitia Moreau.
BusinessWorld watched Ms. Moreau’s tutorial for making Italian grissini (breadsticks). Ms. Moreau diluted yeast in room-temperature water. She explained that anything cooler wouldn’t activate the yeast and anything warmer would kill it. She then formed a well using flour, olive oil, and salt and likened it to a “small volcano.”
She then gradually added the yeast and water mixture, mixing the flour in with her fingers. There’s a peaceful silence in the video, shot in the once-noisy Enderun kitchens, broken only by Ms. Moreau’s voice.
Everytime the dough had the consistency resembling mashed potatoes, she added more water until the dough achieved softness and elasticity. She kneaded dough with the remaining flour.
“After doing this dough, you no longer need to go to the gym,” joked Ms. Moreau.
The dough was proofed by keeping it on the oiled table for 30 minutes, then covered with a clean kitchen towel. After 30 minutes, she flattened the dough with a rolling pin to release gas from the fermentation process, then folded; then left again for a final proofing on a tray for another hour.
The dough was cut to achieve a perfect square and then cut into thin sticks, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with herbs. Then to the oven they go at 185 degrees Celsius for about 25 minutes.
The session also included a question and answer session where Ms. Moreau gave solutions to problems such as too sticky dough (mix it more and if that fails, add more flour), a too hard dough (add more water), and a too crumbly dough (also add more water).
“The quarantine imposed by the pandemic may have limited our movements but Ecole Ducasse Online Culinary eXperience by Enderun will continue to nurture your passion for learning. Students have the option to receive the ingredients of the recipes as part of the package so all they have to do is access the platform and explore the recipes,” Mr. See said in a press release. Through the program’s learning management system, students are given access to virtual activities, discussion boards, and a live interaction with the chefs. Students who successfully finish the course will earn a digital badge issued by Ecole Ducasse Manila.
The current recipes under the program include char siu pork bun, lamb tagine, Hainanese chicken, chicken fricassee, and crustaceans and salmon stew. It also includes pastry recipes such as Italian grissini, sourdough donuts, crepe suzette and creme brulee, New York cheesecake, Italian focaccia, and sacher torte.
Enrollment for Ecole Ducasse Online Culinary eXperience by Enderun is currently ongoing. For more information, visit www.enderunextension.com. You may also email meggie.salonga@thestudyph.com or call +639171301000. — Joseph L. Garcia