I've been in the kitchen for twelve days and now it's time to show if I can get it together and produce 1 qt. of Cream of Tomato Soup, garnished and "presented," and 1 cup of Demi-glaze and 1 cup sauce Robert (roh-bare).
Well, you know me. This would be actually be my second time around making the soup, since I made the soup Monday night and had our good friends over to critique. Thank you Trainas! I then had them back the next night (no complaints) to taste my Robert sauce, which I served with a top sirloin, roasted couliflower and some sauteed spinach). I even took out my grading sheet and made them rate everything just as I would be graded for the practical.
20 points possible for the soup
20 point for the Demi-glaze
10 pt's for the Robert Sauce
Criteria:
Temperature
Appearance
Doneness/Mouthfeel
Taste Balance
Flavor Balance
They were hard on me...told me that they were disappointed their plates were not heated.
We began today by taking our real knife competency test. I finished my parsley today going for speed instead of accuracy.
I was graded on Mise en Place, Presentation, Technique and Timing. Perfect score!
On to the soup and sauces. I right away began to reduce my stock and espagnole for my demi-glaze (and eventually Robert sauce), and while that was reducing I began my tomato soup.
We had plenty of time and I felt very calm. I started to get nervous when most people around me began to finish and take their plates into the lecture kitchen to be graded. My sauce was not nearly reduced enough and I was just straining my soup. The biggest mistake is to pay too much attention to your neighbors. I just tuned it all out and willed my stock to reduce.
It all came together. I reserved enough for a demi-glaze grade then finished off my Robert sauce- which is adding a mixture of carmalized onions with reduced wine, a little mustard and sugar. It was perfect. I strained and garnished it with a fine brunoise of cornichons.
I plated my soup in a large soup plate and garnished it with a little dollop of fresh pesto, some droplets of basil oil and two croutons. Unfortunately I bumped into someone leaving the kithcen and it messed things up a bit. Oh well, I knew it started out pretty.
Well, I did ok. My soup didn't get best in show but my sauce did ok.
Glenn's soup was the medal winner. He had a beautiful presentation. (Picture to be posted when camera is retrieved...Way to go Glenn!!!)
Tommorrow I get to start Essentials skills 11.
Goodnight.
Well, you know me. This would be actually be my second time around making the soup, since I made the soup Monday night and had our good friends over to critique. Thank you Trainas! I then had them back the next night (no complaints) to taste my Robert sauce, which I served with a top sirloin, roasted couliflower and some sauteed spinach). I even took out my grading sheet and made them rate everything just as I would be graded for the practical.
20 points possible for the soup
20 point for the Demi-glaze
10 pt's for the Robert Sauce
Criteria:
Temperature
Appearance
Doneness/Mouthfeel
Taste Balance
Flavor Balance
They were hard on me...told me that they were disappointed their plates were not heated.
We began today by taking our real knife competency test. I finished my parsley today going for speed instead of accuracy.
I was graded on Mise en Place, Presentation, Technique and Timing. Perfect score!
On to the soup and sauces. I right away began to reduce my stock and espagnole for my demi-glaze (and eventually Robert sauce), and while that was reducing I began my tomato soup.
We had plenty of time and I felt very calm. I started to get nervous when most people around me began to finish and take their plates into the lecture kitchen to be graded. My sauce was not nearly reduced enough and I was just straining my soup. The biggest mistake is to pay too much attention to your neighbors. I just tuned it all out and willed my stock to reduce.
It all came together. I reserved enough for a demi-glaze grade then finished off my Robert sauce- which is adding a mixture of carmalized onions with reduced wine, a little mustard and sugar. It was perfect. I strained and garnished it with a fine brunoise of cornichons.
I plated my soup in a large soup plate and garnished it with a little dollop of fresh pesto, some droplets of basil oil and two croutons. Unfortunately I bumped into someone leaving the kithcen and it messed things up a bit. Oh well, I knew it started out pretty.
Well, I did ok. My soup didn't get best in show but my sauce did ok.
Glenn's soup was the medal winner. He had a beautiful presentation. (Picture to be posted when camera is retrieved...Way to go Glenn!!!)
Tommorrow I get to start Essentials skills 11.
Goodnight.
1 comment:
We had an unbelievable 2 meals. But then we've never had a bad one. The sauces were incredible and the presentation a match. If this girl doesn't get Chef of the Year at her school something is wrong.
We had so much fun grading her and yes, we were tough critics. But the truth is, the ONLY thing we came up with was that it would have been nice if the plate was heated....That's pathetic. The last time I heated a plate was when....well- I've never heated a plate.
We love you Beth! We'll eat at your house anytime!
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