Week 8 was the start of our sugar module. The module is
spread across two weeks and in this first week we started with poured sugar
centrepieces and pulled sugar roses.
Monday morning we were in early for a demo, the chef showed
us how to get the sugar ready for pouring. It needs to be heated, with water
and glucose, up to 161°C. He showed us a number of techniques to get different
textures. Examples being; coral, with the sugar poured into a jug filled with
ice, bubble sugar, with the sugar being poured over alcohol paper, and various
moulded and textured pieces. The chef built two structures, to give us ideas
and both looked really nice. We were then given around 30 minutes to come up
with our own designs before getting into the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen I got my station set up with the
silicone noodles, moulds and tin foil etc. ready for pouring, while the sugar
dissolved. My sugar seemed to take an age to come to temperature, however we
eventually got there (after a panic with my thermometer, it wouldn’t switch on
at all, even after a battery change…apart from at the end of the lesson, when
it wasn’t needed and suddenly came back to life – typical!). I’d washed down
the sides of the pan, however I don’t think I did it enough. I poured my first
few pieces and they came out really well, then it started to go down hill. I
think some crystallised sugar on the edges got into the solution, and I swirled
the pan too much as I added the colour so the crystallisation reaction started.
The pieces started getting worse and the sugar, that should have remained
clear, had gone cloudy. It got to the point I could no longer use it, however
there were still two technical elements I wanted to do, alas I couldn’t. I cut
my losses and started assembling, luckily it came together ok, but looked barer
than I planned it too. I explained to the chef what happened whilst getting
marked, and although he said I was missing a couple of elements the overall
design was good, I’d got good height but the colouring was a bit bland and it
needed more elements to give it depth. Useful feedback for next time…if there
is a next time I do a poured sugar centre piece!! Luckily it shattered when I
got down to the changing rooms, I was happy because that meant I didn’t have to
be careful taking it home. On the downside I couldn’t launch it down the garden
and watch contently as it hit the ground and burst into an explosion of sugary
diamonds. Still, after all the trouble
it gave me I was glad to see it in thousands of shards on the floor (the
cleaners probably weren’t, sorry! I cleaned up as much as I could!)
Tuesday morning was another demo, it was pulled sugar this
time. It was the same sugar method for the poured decorations however this
mixture had tartaric acid in. The chef then folded the molten mass and worked
with it, eventually pulling the sugar and creating a sugar rose, leaves and a
ribbon. The chef also showed us blown sugar. Air was pumped into the molten
sugar and moulded. He made a blown sugar ball and also started making a blown
sugar dolphin, unfortunately as he was sticking the fins on it shattered into a
thousand pieces in his hands! It was heart breaking to watch, but also made me
a bit more apprehensive about the rose, after my disappointment with the
sculpture the day before. It’s a really tough one, I want to do more with the
sugar and play with it and see what I can create, but it looks so fiddly and
delicate that I think I’d be driven insane, get disheartened and get mad every
time something breaks!
After this we had a lecture on careers, it was good to hear
how a couple of the chefs started out. We also had a guest speaker, Cyrus
Todiwala (I didn’t recognise the name but I recognised the face!), he’s done
some TV work but is known for the Spice Café restaurant he owns. He’s had a
hugely varied and interesting career and stressed the importance of passion and
drive. He gave a really good talk and was great to listen to. After this we
were ushered into the next classroom for the careers ‘event’. To call it an
event was a bit of a stretch, it was a few tables set up with various people
from the industry there. I had a couple of issues with it. Yes there was
variety in terms of hotels, restaurants, private catering, however that was it.
I don’t want to work in these types of establishments, so I had a quick scan of
the room and left. Perhaps I should have spent time mingling and asking
questions, however I was disappointed they didn’t have chocolatiers, cake
decorators or people that had set up their own businesses. On one hand you
could argue they had variety, on the other however you could also argue they’d
failed to cater to anyone that didn’t want to forge a career in the hotel and
restaurant setting. I’ve already got a couple of chocolate shops in mind to
write too and ask if they’ll take me for some work experience, if that goes
well I’ll get back in touch with the chefs at the school and ask what they
suggest regarding potential paths to follow in the world of chocolate, in that
respect the school is great. They continue to support you even when you’ve
graduated.
Wednesday was the pulled sugar rose practical, I was a tad
apprehensive given the last sugar lesson, however this lesson went MUCH better!
I got the sugar on, coloured it yellow and added the three drops of acid when
it hit 137°C, then cooked it all the way up to 163°C. After that we had to pour
it out onto a mat, put the gloves on (I triple gloved and the sugar was still
hot!) and started moving it around so it became a little more solid. Once solid
enough we had to pull it and fold it on itself to get air into it and make it
satiny and shiny. Despite having three pairs of gloves on it was bloody hot! It
must have been around 140°C, however you slowly get used to working with it.
The sugar was kept under the heat lamps to maintain it in a workable condition.
Then the pulling began, we made each of the petals and then held them over the
end of a naked flame to just melt the edges so they could be stuck together as
they were pulled. They were extremely delicate and I cracked and shattered a
couple to begin with! My first attempt at the rose was abandoned because I was
getting my eye in and wanted to do a better job, turned out to be the right
decision! I was really really pleased with the way the rose turned out, the
chef was very complimentary as well. I explained how relieved I was this sugar
lesson had gone well because of the crystallisation issue in the lesson before
and the chef was extremely helpful in explaining different issues that could
have caused it. He’d also been really helpful in the lesson showing me how to
pull the outer petals larger, I was so glad to have the chef we had, rather
than the one in the previous lesson (the same one I had the issue with in the
tea party lesson!). I was really glad this lesson went well because I didn’t
want to dislike sugar work altogether, and after today, I’m excited to play
with it a bit more!
The poured sugar centrepiece, looking back on it I'm actually really proud of it for a first attempt! I was desperate to do more on it though....maybe there will be a next time - I'm not a quitter!
Two angles of the rose, I'm extremely proud of this!!
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