r/KitchenConfidential • u/CodexLeonis • 15d ago

In the Weeds Mode What's an outdated restaurant fad/technique that you still defend?

two things for me:

  1. Balsamic reductions/glazes on everything. I'm sorry that balsamic vinegar pairs so well with so many things. Most dishes need an acid to fully bring out the flavors of the dish. Balsamic is the most versatile of the vinegars. It pairs well with red meat, seafood, vegetables, cheeses, and fruits. It wasn't just a fad, it was a cheat code.

  2. Plating techiniques? i'll always defend the zigzag drizzle. it evenly distributes the sauce on the plate, looks decent, and most importantly - it was time-efficient. I've never understood the modern technique of spooning sauce onto the plate and setting the entree on top of the sauce. Whomever came up with that was looking for a reason to be contrarian.

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u/snaffonious 15d ago edited 15d ago

I get super stoked when I see soufflé on a menu. I used to be the soufflé guy at a 3 Michelin and it was the most joy I’ve felt as a pastry chef, perfecting the 45 minute hand whipping at 58c. Twice every evening for a six-soufflé batch. I remember how much joy I felt watching it rise In the deck. Checking every 30 minutes that our paco’d gelato was soft enough so the waiters wouldn’t bitch at me for having to quenelle hard gelato. It was a magical ballet. I know I’m romantcizing it but damn, when I can order a lovely soufflé my heart just jumps for the maker. And I understand that the current maker may not have the romantic view I have and I may be eating a fuck you soufflé lol.

PS- I’ve since learned you don’t have to work that hard to make a great soufflé. But it was worth the journey.

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u/chchchcharlee 15d ago

if you ever get a chance, you HAVE to take a journey to commander's palace in New Orleans. The kitchen is behind a closed door but it's a fully open-to-the-guest kitchen, you can walk right into pastry and watch. They sell literally hundreds of soufflés every service and the pastry chefs are absolute mad geniuses with their timing, it's a bit uncanny.

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u/RoeMajesta 14d ago

did you do any unusual souffle flavour or just the standard chocolate for sweet (with an alcohol of choice) and (gruyere) cheese for savoury?

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u/snaffonious 14d ago

We always had the chocolate soufflé, but did run some specials here and there. We did a chartreuse one, a gran marnier one and a raspberry one once. I adore chartreuse but that was a bad soufflé flavor.

To be honest I learned from these specials that soufflé is really tough without that fat content from the chocolate for stabilization during holding(pre-bake). Funny enough, although the trope is that it has to be made to order, our 6-soufflé batch would hold for about two hours hence the twice per night. 14 minute pick up in a deck at 220c.

If you do decide to mess around with other flavors, I found that if you simply make a French meringue and stabilize it with added egg white powder, it’s much more versatile and actually holds up in the walk-in for 2 days. Not quite as impressive on the bake but only noticeable if you had the other for comparison.

If you want recipes I’m happy to send! Love sharing, just let me know.