Everything can be tranquil, easy going and then, ups!!!!...... everything just falls down on an instant. You could be having a great day, and suddenly, it turns into your worst nightmare!!!
Just a couple of days ago, service at the restaurant was going fine. No problems, no long ticket times, all the food was looking good, hot food was hot, cold food was cold. As we were plating up a large table, the manager comes over and asks me out of the blue if I knew how to make a raspberry tart. For some reason, my first answer was, "well, no, not really, why?" to which I obvioulsy got a I-can´t-believe-it-your-supposed-to-be-a-chef, kinda look!
And yes, of course I know that if you are a chef, you´re supposed to now how to make not only hot food, but also pastries. I have made pastries in the past, but it´s definately not my "alma matter". Looking back at that instant, I don´t think I said "no" just as a knowledge base reaction, but moreover because I knew that what was coming afterwards, the real reason behind such an innocent question, was a problem I was about to be driven into.
As the manager got upset because of my answer, I refrased it to "what happened?" And then, all hell broke loose (including the managers mouth!)
- We need..... right now....... a raspberry tart!!!!! The guest at that table, paid for it, there was an email (thank god for that!), the pastry chef confirmed it, concierge knows about it, private dining is coming to see why its not done, and the pastry cook just told me that they don´t have it. So... can you make a raspberry tart?
- Oooooookay, you need a cake?? or... You mean a tort???
Without thinking I asked, to add insult to injury!! I really just wanted to make sure of what he needed specially because in some countries where spanish is spoken, a cake is also called a "torta".
- I need a f(/%%&#/& tart!!!!!!!
- ooohhhhh.... a tart.... a raspberry tart..... (I can´t say I was enjoying at this point upseting the manager a bit more!) Well.... I guess I can, but..... how soon do you need it (jijiji)?
- I need it nnnnoooowwwwww!!!!!!!!
- Ok, well, that ain´t gonna happen, bud! But we can try to make it as fast as possible, so... why don´t you go talk to the guest, I´ll get it going and we´ll forget about the 40 orders I have on the fire!
- Just go make the godddam tart will you!!!!!
- Al righty... I´m guessing 20 minutes, more or less!
- Ok!
And so, I left the line praying to the Virgin Mary that my cooks would be able to make it to the finish line unscratched and without a problem while I was making the unfamous tort, i mean.... tart!
As things would have it, I don´t think I´ve ever made such a good tart. For the record, the guest and his companion ended up eating the whole thing, that is, a 10 inch tart!!!!!!!!! Maybe it was luck, or being able to remember recipes that I hadn´t used for years. In spanish, I call it "el burrito toco la flauta" to which the closest thing to a translation would be "the donkey just played a tune!".
Right away I asked the pastry cook to set up a tart shell. Thankfully he new that mayhem was impending and had already taken out the short dough from the cooler. We worked it to warm it up and had the shell in the oven in no time. I grabed the only raspberries that we had on the house (of course!! only one pint), butter, salt and yelled out to the bartender to get me two ounces of dark rum. What else... yes... sugar and lemon juice. I told my now "little helper" that we had until the crust was done -8 min- to make the raspberry filling, but it wasn´t gonna be enough!
- Let´s get going with some lemond curd, all right........, to help us out filling the shell.
- Ok!
This little thought, just made wonders latter on with the tart.
We each made one filling, myself sauteeing the raspberries first in butter, then adding the rum, lemon juice and finally slowly adding sugar to make it sweet but not overpowering and help in the consistency of the filling. In the end, I added some diced strawberries and presto! By the time I was done, Emilio was done with the curd (he is quick!) and both fillings went into the freezer.
A couple of minutes later, the tart shell was done, immediately throwing it into the flash freezer (talk about breaking every single rule in the pastry world!!!). We just needed now to build it. We placed the lemon curd on the bottom, threw it back into the freezer for it to congeal. I took it out, and placed the raspberry filling on top and back into the freezer.
- ok.... what else...???
- the topping chef?
- crap!..... ok,..... mmmhhhhhhh......whip up some cream add some rum and some powder sugar... a bit of vanilla..... on the quick step!
Once the cream was done, we took out the tart from the freezer to which our amazement the fillings had set and we piped the whipped cream on top. To finish, we just placed some fresh raspberries on top and some chocolate shavings. Emilio wrote "happy birthday" and we were done! Fiuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!
The manager and the server took off running with the tart, to which at least the element of surprise was still there, for the birhtday guest had gone to relieve himself!
As for Emilio and myself, were both sweating, still don´t know if it was from nervousnes or the work! To put a name on it will call it:
Raspberry and lemon curd tart, on the quick step!!!!!
And so, at least, for not having done any pastry work in a few years, my guess is, it came out pretty good and as the donkey would have it, we played a very nice tune!!!!
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