The Mid-Atlantic Culinary Intensive

Build essential techniques and professional habits ranging from knife skills, flavor development, and sauce making to French pastry and bread fundamentals. Through instruction in both savory cuisine and classic French baking, students develop confidence, precision, and workflow, while learning how to cook sustainably and seasonally.

In partnership with École Ducasse Paris.

1) Discipline, Precision, Extraction, & Structure

Build the technical foundations of classical French cuisine through professional kitchen organization, knife skills, poultry fabrication, stock and sauce production, and chicken chasseur. The day concludes with whole fish fabrication, preparing students to apply seafood cookery techniques on Day 2.

2) Fish Cookery & Sauce Systems

Students refine classical protein cookery through fish and red meat applications, preparing seafood velouté, poisson meunière, sauce Bordelaise, and Pommes Duchesse. The course concludes with a timed assessment plate that integrates sauce work, protein execution, classical garnishes, plating, and professional kitchen workflow.

3) Pâte à Choux, Paris-Brest, & Macarons

Establish professional pastry fundamentals while producing pâte à choux, Paris-Brest, and French macarons. Students begin the viennoiserie process with croissant dough preparation, building the technical foundation for lamination and baking in the following sessions.

4) Tartes Modernes & Viennoiserie Lamination

Produce refined French tarts while advancing croissant dough through professional lamination and folding techniques. The day emphasizes precision in dough handling, butter management, and pastry finishing to prepare for final shaping and baking.

5) Croissant Rolling, Shaping, Proofing, & Baking

Students complete the viennoiserie process by rolling, shaping, proofing, and baking croissants and pain au chocolat. Through final evaluation of structure, layering, and crumb, students connect the complete workflow from dough preparation to finished pastry.