Level 3 complete.

Let’s start off with a few important things. I’ve been really bad posting, I know, but after you do the same dishes over and over, it gets redundant. I’ve also been really busy with work. Yadda yadda, you don’t care.

So level 3… it’s a rock ‘em sock ’em type of class. Chef Rob was DRILLING us on time since the 2nd or 3rd day. Apparently we’re a more intense class than some of the others. And we’re all able. That is the key part. Chef Rob noticed that we were taking off from the gun shot and he ran with it. Which, I would say was fantastic because not only has he prepared us for our final, but he gave us a taste of the pressure. We are busy preparing 8 dishes (4 orders of 2 things) in 3-4 hours. In a kitchen we will have to crank out 50-100 plates in 3-4 hours, and I assure you they won’t be the same two orders.

So if we were doing the soup/appetizer, there were times that we had to present the first dish at 7:30. Class starts at 5:30ish. That’s two hours to cook/cut and prepare usually very intricate dishes (and get going on our second dish due only 1 hour after the first, and usually took at least an hour of cooking). For the actual midterm, we started at 5:45 and the first dish was served at 8:45. THAT’S 3 HOURS!!! So Chef Rob really prepared us. In fact he stressed the hell out of us for a few weeks, and you know what… we nailed the final. Everyone passed to say the least, but we all had sufficient time to get everything done. Some people mentioned they had harder times, and their dishes didn’t go as well as they would have liked (and this was confirmed on their review with the tasters).

What did I make? You don’t even know… I’ll tell you, but after I discuss the written portion of the exam. The written portion consisted of reciting, on paper, an entire recipe, 1 of 16, ingredients, amounts and procedures. Don’t forget the garnish!

We all had the same recipe, and it was the grenobloise skate. (Dusted in flour, sautéed in clarified butter, served with pommes rissole (footballs, sautéed then finished in the oven), and a beurre noisette with capers and lemon bits.

I am pretty sure I nailed the written part. All the way down to finishing with croutons and a lemon and parsley garnish. So, if I’m not mistaken, I should have gotten a 100 on it. (Although I may have written 175g of butter for the sauce, rather 125, which in theory shouldn’t make a difference) It was a very easy dish to remember the amounts for and to cook. And sure enough, I HAD TO COOK IT!!

I had to make the apple tart and the skate. I was SO happy I chose those two and not the other two, which were the consommé and the grand mer roasted chicken. That dish is so much harder and time consuming than the fish and tart. I was cruising along with that meal! AND, I didn’t have to present 1st, or 2nd! I either went 3rd or 4th amongst the fish and tart people. That gave me two things. First, a little more time (my first dish was at 9:06!!!). Second, I am confident in my cooking, especially my ability to make a mean apple tart, and garnish it beautifully. So it allowed a few weaker presentations to go out before mine, and allow for a nice contrast when mine came up. I guess this is all a little cocky of me to say, but I see it as confidence.

My apple tart received by Chef Rob, in the flesh, a 20 out of 20 on taste, and a 20 out of 20 on presentation. My cuts were perfect, my whipped cream channelles were on point, my strawberry fans were gorgeous. It was really photo worthy. The flavor, as Chef Rob noted was dead on as well. The whipped cream was delicious. There was one gripe. The guest chef taster though the dough was undercooked. It wasn’t. But it was on the thin side, which in my opinion was good. But it absorbed some of the apple compote juice and therefore did not get as crispy as it could have (only under the compote, but the bottom was well cooked and browned and flaky). Either way the judges saw past that, and I got a great score on the apple tart. I will have to make one at home for all to see. It is quite beautiful when executed perfectly.

So level 3 is OVER. And I did well. My last evaluation grade was a 92, so it should all work out.

Level 4 is next and our first task is to work in a group of 3 and create a buffet. We chose an Asian theme and we have some great ideas. I’ll go deeper into this when I’m ready. For now, it’s Friday night, just past level 3, and there’s no work on Monday. Let’s go have fun.