Lacroix 2/16/08

I walked into the Rittenhouse at 11:30, put on my chef's coat and apron, and stepped in to the dish room carrying a green cutting board I had acquired from the dish room. I greeted the guys then got right to work on preparing the potato gratin for the sunday brunch (Lacroix's sunday brunch is the best meal in Philadelphia. I'm not receiving any compensation for that statement). I peeled about 8 potatoes then placed them in water to prevent browning. I then grated half a block of gruyere, and filled a pan with already grated mozzerella and parmesan.

I steeped some cream with sage and rosemary then sliced the potatoes thinly on the meat slicer and placed them directly on a buttered hotel pan. I overlapped each potato to cover the bottom then added each cheese, cream, salt, and lemon rind to each layer.

I continued this until it got to the right height. I needed more cream however, and I began to steep some more cream with herbs. I started on making croutons for the panzanella bread salad for brunch when I heard chef call "nick what's going on with this gratin?" While I had been waiting for the cream to steep my potatoes had taken on a pinkish color, and were beginning to turn brown!

I should've been prepared! I hate to make mistakes like this but I always learn from them. I would rather make them at this point in my career rather than later.

I added the remaining cream and was ready to put the gratin in the oven however both ovens were full. I asked Jason if I could take his stuff out while I baked the gratin. He told me I could, but stressed that I better put his stuff back in when I was done. I was scared to think of what he would do to me if I forgot.

The gratin came out looking amazing. Unlike last time, I had remembered to put it in a water bath and to cover it with foil for most of the cooking time.

Once service started I helped out the Garde Manger station by making salads, plating the bouche, and helping with the other dishes at the station.

Before leaving I picked duck confit by seperating the meat from the bones and the skin. It's the type of thing where you eat just as much as you pick, but hey, that's the fun in cooking.

Also, that picture at the top isn't mine. I don't take the camera to work.