January a time for Winter Warmers.

Post-Christmas and cold weather equals a time for hearty, comforting meals.  

This week we will be making – Classic Lasagne

Making a lasagne is a labour of love, one where the rewards are evident in every mouthful. This classic lasagne is hearty, comforting and will leave you wanting more. Just perfect for cold days when you need something warm and filling. 

Lasagne is, for many, the ultimate comfort food – rich mince, creamy béchamel sauce and layers of tender pasta are all a match made in heaven.  Our dish will have a slight variation with the addition of bacon which will give the beef a boost of rich flavour.

This is a structurally sound dish that combines a slow-cooked, meaty ragù, smooth béchamel sauce and layers of pasta sheets with a little bite… Béchamel sauce is the most classic white sauce, one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine. Traditionally used as a base for other flavours, such as cheese or parsley, it is also a main component of lasagne, cauliflower cheese and fish pie.

Our Teen Chefs will learn what an onion pique is and the difference between that and an onion clouté is and where is it used?

Both are French culinary techniques used widely in French cookery.  They are used to add flavour in stocks and sauces without adding colour or texture.

We will take a small onion peel and then cut in half and attach 1 or 2 dried bay leaves to the cut-side of the onion stud with cloves securing the bay leaf, this will be used to flavour our milk for our Béchamel. Once infused the onion will be removed cloves, bay leaf and all, as it would have served its purpose.  The milk will then be thickened with a roux essential to the dish, the simple combination of equal parts fat (usually butter) and flour is a technique used to get the perfect sauce consistency.

Skills used include: Weighing, measuring, cutting, frying, peeling, chopping, sweating, browning, mixing/combining, simmering, reducing, infusing with an onion pique, making a sauce using a roux, layering and baking.

See you Saturday Teen Chefs.