Chapter 124 - 124. Preparing Breakfast And First Day Of Internship (1/2)
The next morning I was early when I hopped down from the bed and headed for the shower. Today is the start of the internship for the chef apprentices and I wanted to impart my knowledge as much to them as possible. It was before the cock crows when I was up and about and had dressed up for the day.
”You're up early, darling... Come on, come back to bed... Meeeooowww...” Patricia called me but I told her that I need to check the ingredients and make sure that we have enough.
”Today, I would be presenting the menus such as Tex Mex meatballs, Turkey Tetrazzini, Pork Chops in bread crumbs and Crock-Pot chicken noodle soup. So I need to make sure everything is fresh. It's been a while since I've cooked and these menus are going to be wonderful. Luckily I bought all the meats from the members last night and all we need to do is change a bit of menu for today.”
”Hhhmmm...alright then, I will be up and about soon. I just need to stretch on the bed and dry-swim on it for a while.” Patricia replied as she dived under the blankets once again.
After getting dressed I went downstairs and since the cooks arrive from 9 am, we are the ones who would prepare breakfast. I fired up the earthen stove and measured 2 kg of flour, added some fat and hot water and started to knead it. I placed a damp cloth over it and added yeast to it to make it rise.
Next, I took out the mutton and immerse it in hot boiling water to get rid of its fat before I turned it into minced meat in the manual grinder.
I took out the necessary spices and mixed with the minced mutton and I took 2 kg of potatoes and diced them into smaller pieces. I took half a kilo of green peas and corn kernels and steamed them separately before I mashed the peas into a mush. I also added diced onions, chopped garlic, spring onions and celery into it.
After the mutton had been seasoned, I mixed all the ingredients up. Today for breakfast, I'm going to make 'Golden Pillow', a super-sized baked dumpling that could serve 6 people at a time.
The earthen oven had been properly heated up and I separated about 14 lumps of kneaded dough and began to flatten them using a rolling pin. I made a base just like a pie should be and inserted equal portions of fillings inside it.
I then roll another piece and covered it up nicely as I pleat all the sides and places them onto a baking tray for up to 7 bread per layer after I brushed a bit of fat on it.
The 'Golden Pillow' looked pretty much like an Empanada but in a circular shape. A layer of fat was also brushed on top of it so that it would be constantly baked and turned golden brown.
This type of baking may need constant glazing of fat even though the mutton from the goat would also release its natural fat inside it. After baking for about 15 minutes, the trays were interchanges and the 'Golden Pillows' which were in the bottom tray were turned to the other side after I glazed some more fat on it.
It was a process of interchanging the trays, overturning the Golden Pillows and ensuring that the insides would be fully cooked. Even as mutton from a goat may take some time to cook as a whole, but when it's minced and had been immersed in hot boiling water, it is much faster to cook this way.
The earthen oven is convenient to use and the heat is very constant. Every time I opened up the oven door, the scent of freshly baked bread and the seasoned meat inside it began to waft and somehow I could hear the members stirring and preparing themselves.
”WOW...I KNEW IT MUST BE DADDY IN THE KITCHEN...” Kayla hollered and she climbed to sit on top of the counter. ”What are you cooking, Daddy? The smell is very nice and I was awakened by the smell of fresh bread too.”
”I'm making Golden Pillows for breakfast. One pillow could be eaten by 4 to 5 persons and I made 14 of these. I hope its enough to share around.” I replied as unopened up the oven door and let the heat comes out again.
I had stopped stoking the fire and the fire had died down to embers only. The release of heat when I opened up the door makes the heat within be regulated and also to spread the scent all over the Castle. Hah hah hah...