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Cordon Bleu Cooking School, Paris | |
| A chocolate workshop at the Cordon Bleu in Paris? A dream come true! | ||
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I love France, I love cooking, I love chocolate. And I got to put them all together at the Cordon Bleu's Chocolate Workshop, a delicious and fun experience. Cordon Bleu workshops, or ateliers, range from pastry making to sauce making to market tours and culinary techniques. Classes generally are limited to about 16 participants. The chef will instruct in French, with concurrent translation into English by a Cordon Bleu staff member. To start, each student dons an apron, tea towel, and small hat (only the chef has a toque, the tall hat). Our chef, Laurent Bichon, was very exprienced, having worked in places ranging from Le Meurice and the Crillon (luxury hotels) to a cooking school in southern France. Le Cordon Bleu employs many chefs, and all will be highly qualified. Our first project was a tarte au chocolat. This required four steps: making the crust, making the ganache (chocolate filling), making the crispy praline, and assembling and decorating the tarte.
The chef blended the crust ingredients together, carefully explaining each step, and the translator clearly explained the steps in English. Then it was our turn. Each student had a work area, with countertop, stove, and refrigerator, and pre-measured ingredients. We also had a small booklet with the recipes, and a pencil to make notes. The chef and assistant were available to advise, and helpers efficiently whisked away the empty containers, leaving the work areas clear. While the crust rested in the refrigerator, we worked on the ganache, which involved combining cream, honey, chocolate, and butter, and stirring to create the lovely glossy chocolate. Next came the praliné, a hazlenut/almond/chocolate flavored filling, mixed with crisp cookie crumbs. And then we assembled our masterpieces and chilled them a bit before decorating. We also made chocolate soufflés, a simpler recipe that was done in one step. While the soufflés baked, we decorated our tartes. Et voila!
Everyone was provided with a cake box and an insulated bag to transport our goodies back home. I was very popular when I arrived home with a gorgeous tart and seven small soufflés! Even better, I was able to reproduce the tart back home and serve it to friends, since I had the recipe and specific ingredients (some of which I bought in Paris). Note that the specific recipes and experiences will vary from class to class, and your experience may be very different from mine. This description is to give you an idea of one class only. Also be aware that we were on our feet for close to four hours. If you have difficulty standing for this long, you may not wish to try this. If you decide to do the class, wear comfortable shoes! The Cordon Bleu is of course known as a premier training school for professional chefs. It offers a variety of programs geared to professionals, but it is great that they also offer programs for amateurs. We saw other classrooms where professional instruction was occuring, and also could enjoy the café and gift shop. The Cordon Bleu is located on the Quai André-Citroën, near the Beaugrenelle Shopping Center and less than 2 kilometers southwest of the Eiffel Tower (map) The Cordon Bleu sign is up high and easy to miss, but the building is at the intersection of rue de l'Ingénieur Robert Keller. Métro: Javel By the way, this was a "foodie day" for me. After Cordon Bleu in the morning, I spent the afternoon and evening taking a market dinner cooking class at Cook'n With Class. Le Cordon Bleu (workshops/short courses)
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Above, The Cordon Bleu classroom, all set up with ingredients, bowls, and rolling pins.
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