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c/chefsericfoxericfox24d ago

The night my pastry cream split mid-service and I had to think fast

I was running desserts at a busy spot in Austin, about 45 minutes into Friday dinner rush, when I pulled my pastry cream out of the cooler and it looked like scrambled eggs floating in milk. A new prep guy had cranked the heat too fast and curdled the eggs, so I had zero backup. I grabbed a fresh batch of yolks, tempered them in a bowl while whisking like crazy, then slowly streamed the broken cream back in over a double boiler. It came together smooth in about 12 minutes, but I still ran out of creme brulee for 3 tables. Has anyone else had a clutch save like that, or am I just lucky my arms held out?
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2 Comments
ramirez.sage
Started whisking so hard I almost knocked over a rack of hot pans.
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daniel552
daniel55223d ago
Dang, that's a solid save. Tempering that mess back in takes some serious focus.
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