Students learn to follow a recipe.
Kayla Lesure practices her skills in culinary class at Amherst Regional High.
On a recent afternoon, a small group of students at Amherst Regional High School converged in the school's teaching kitchen after hours.
The students area in a culinary arts class taught by David Jean, part of a two-year curriculum called ProStart, designed by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association for students in grades 11 and 12.
The class meets every weekday, but a few of the kids were meeting after school to practice for an upcoming culinary competition.
The competition is the annual ProStart Massachusetts Student Invitational, sponsored by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and held at the Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Cambridge.
From left, Donovan Riley, Jesse Welborn, and Kayla Lesure, students who elected to be in a culinary class at Amherst Regional High School.
Out of the 10 schools competing, Amherst Regional was the only one from Western Massachusetts scheduled to compete.
Donovan Riley, 17, said he decided to take a class in cooking because he has always enjoyed it. "My mom teaches me a lot of stuff," he said. "She went to culinary school at HCC (Holyoke Community College)."
"I started cooking when I was really little," said Kayla Lesure, 17, "and I just wanted to learn more about it. We cook a lot in my family."
"I love experimental eating," said Jesse Welborn, 17. "My favorite show is 'Bizarre Foods,' where they go to exotic countries and sample crazy foods, like brains."
Welborn said his favorite dish may turn out to be one he and his classmates would be making at the competition -- pan-seared roasted duck with a teriyaki glaze.
Jean says young people these days enter his classes with some sophistication about food. Often they have watched cooking shows on TV.
"They come up with some really creative ideas," he said.
The most important thing they learn is patience, Jean said. They are all about creativity, but they also have to learn the basics. That includes knife cuts, which range from small dice to julienne to chiffonade.
They also study management, menu pricing and mise-en-place, which is French for the arrangement of a work station. They learn everything from making stock to food safety to communicating well with fellow workers. They learn sauteing, braising, roasting and baking.
"I want them to know what it takes to be successful in the field," said Jean, who used to be a chef in an upscale retirement village in Duxbury. Another area chef, Bill Collins, also works with the students. The emphasis in the class is on technique, and on following recipes rather than inventing them.
Because Amherst Regional is an academic and not a vocational school, most of the kids who take the culinary courses wind up in other professions, but Jean says at least half-a-dozen have gone into the food industry since he began teaching there six years ago.
Currently his culinary arts class has 13 students, five of whom volunteered for the ProStart invitational. One serves as an alternate.
On the day of the competition, the Amherst Regional team was scheduled to leave town at 5 a.m., but the contest at culinary college in Cambridge had to be canceled on Feb. 8 because of the impeding blizzard.
Amherst may participate in the reschedule on March 6.
The judges score the young cooks on everything, even the temperature of the food they bring to the site. They are judged on knife skills and "chicken fabrication," the cutting up of poultry.
Once the students begin preparing their menu of appetizer, entree and dessert, the judges circulate constantly, taking notes,
The students create two separate portions of their menu, one for display and one for the judges to eat.
Even if a team doesn't win the contest, says Jean, the feedback from the judges is very useful. This year's winner
The recipe for potato burgers below has been made by the Amherst students. It was created by Dennis Samala, of San Diego, for the Idaho Potato Commission. Jean says it takes great, and he likes the way it gives the kids practice in finely dicing, finely chopping and medium dicing.
Potato burgers
Serves 6
3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 Tablespoons ginger, peeled and pureed
Ghee (clarified butter), as needed
2 Idaho potatoes, diced small
2 Idaho mashed potatoes (diced medium, boiled and mashed)
2 carrots, diced small
1 cup frozen peas
2 Anaheim green chilies, peeled, diced small
2 tablespoons garam masala (See note below.)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seed
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, as needed
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
6 rolls, buttered and toasted
Mango chutney as needed
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Curried shoestring potato fries (optional)
Saute onions, garlic and ghee until onions are brown.
Add diced potatoes, carrots and peas and cook until potatoes are tender.
Remove potato mixture from heat and add chilies, garam masala, mustard, cumin, salt and pepper. Put in refrigerator until cool.Combine mixture with mashed potatoes and beaten eggs. Form into 6-oz patties. Place on sheet tray, cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm.
Dredge patties in flour and fry in ghee until golden brown on both sides.
Place patties on split toasted buns, smother with mango chutney, garnish with cilantro.
Serve with curried fries if desired.