Though I haven't written much about this level, I will say that it has helped me produce more consistent and refined food. Whether my dishes are consistent and refined this evening during the midterm evaluation is another story, but I'm starting exam day with some confidence. I've written task lists for the possible recipes that I'll have to duplicate and I've practiced each of these dishes several times over the past two months.
Basically what will happen is this: My class will arrive to the kitchen this evening and we'll take a short written exam before we learn what two dishes we'll have to make for a panel of judges out of the 16 recipes we've been practicing. Lucky for us, our chef narrowed the selection to eight recipes. It may be rumor on the street, but most classes have to memorize all 16 recipes and be ready to prepare any of them. Needless to say, we're all pretty grateful.
The possible combinations I'll be making this evening:
Filet de Orata Américaine & Pots de Créme
orata filet in a white wine sauce with mussels and shrimp & vanilla custard with a cookie straw
Aile de raie á la Grenobloise & Tarte aux pommes
sautéed skate wing with brown butter, capers, lemon and croutons & apple tart
Ofeufs poché sur macédoine de légumes, Sauce Hollandaise & Poulet rôti, grand-mére
poached egg on a bed of diced vegetables with hollandaise sauce & roast chicken, grandmother-style
Consommé Prinatiere & Cotê de porc, sauce au poivre vert
beef consommé & sautéed center-cut pork chop with green peppercorn sauce
Our chef will pick two of these combinations and half the class with produce one set and the other half of the class will produce the second set. We'll make four plates of each dish so the judges can see just how consistent and refined we cook/plate. I'm comfortable with all of the recipes, but I'm hoping that we make the skate dish with the apple tart and the consommé with the pork chop.
Once we know what recipes we'll be making, we're given two and half hours to present the first dish and about 40 minutes to finish the second dish. This seems like a lot of time, but it's a chunk of time that really goes by quickly when you're busy at work. You can't simply focus on one recipe because the recipe that's due after the first one requires prep time, and in some cases it's a lot of prep time. There's butchering to be done, stocks to be reinforced, vegetables to be cut, and a lot of actual cooking time to factor into the equation.
We've been practicing for this test for awhile now. We've had mock midterms, producing two dishes each for chef's approval. This has usually gone well, but tonight will be the first time proctors will be in the kitchen observing how we cook. They'll examine everything from our uniforms to the edges of our knives. They'll watch to make sure we're working in a logical sequence, and if we're working cleanly. Each misstep is a point off, and each misstep could potentially harm the overall dish, which would mean an additional loss of points when the dish is being judged by a panel of alumni. The timing, the temperature of the serving vessel, the temperature of the food, the presentation of the dish, the consistency and flavor of the overall product — It will all be judged.
"Once you have mastered a technique you hardly need look at a recipe again, and can take off on your own." I hope you're right, Julia Child. I hope you're right.
Basically what will happen is this: My class will arrive to the kitchen this evening and we'll take a short written exam before we learn what two dishes we'll have to make for a panel of judges out of the 16 recipes we've been practicing. Lucky for us, our chef narrowed the selection to eight recipes. It may be rumor on the street, but most classes have to memorize all 16 recipes and be ready to prepare any of them. Needless to say, we're all pretty grateful.
The possible combinations I'll be making this evening:
Filet de Orata Américaine & Pots de Créme
orata filet in a white wine sauce with mussels and shrimp & vanilla custard with a cookie straw
Aile de raie á la Grenobloise & Tarte aux pommes
sautéed skate wing with brown butter, capers, lemon and croutons & apple tart
Ofeufs poché sur macédoine de légumes, Sauce Hollandaise & Poulet rôti, grand-mére
poached egg on a bed of diced vegetables with hollandaise sauce & roast chicken, grandmother-style
Consommé Prinatiere & Cotê de porc, sauce au poivre vert
beef consommé & sautéed center-cut pork chop with green peppercorn sauce
Our chef will pick two of these combinations and half the class with produce one set and the other half of the class will produce the second set. We'll make four plates of each dish so the judges can see just how consistent and refined we cook/plate. I'm comfortable with all of the recipes, but I'm hoping that we make the skate dish with the apple tart and the consommé with the pork chop.
Once we know what recipes we'll be making, we're given two and half hours to present the first dish and about 40 minutes to finish the second dish. This seems like a lot of time, but it's a chunk of time that really goes by quickly when you're busy at work. You can't simply focus on one recipe because the recipe that's due after the first one requires prep time, and in some cases it's a lot of prep time. There's butchering to be done, stocks to be reinforced, vegetables to be cut, and a lot of actual cooking time to factor into the equation.
We've been practicing for this test for awhile now. We've had mock midterms, producing two dishes each for chef's approval. This has usually gone well, but tonight will be the first time proctors will be in the kitchen observing how we cook. They'll examine everything from our uniforms to the edges of our knives. They'll watch to make sure we're working in a logical sequence, and if we're working cleanly. Each misstep is a point off, and each misstep could potentially harm the overall dish, which would mean an additional loss of points when the dish is being judged by a panel of alumni. The timing, the temperature of the serving vessel, the temperature of the food, the presentation of the dish, the consistency and flavor of the overall product — It will all be judged.
"Once you have mastered a technique you hardly need look at a recipe again, and can take off on your own." I hope you're right, Julia Child. I hope you're right.
