Exam Time!

I think it is time to take a few minutes and explain how my classes are organized. The culinary arts program is made up of six modules, each of which is divided into individual courses. At the end of each course we take a written exam and at the end of the module we take a practical exam. Friday was the last day of our first module. In the next module we will be covering:

Course 4- dry heat cooking methods

Course 5- moist heat cooking methods, vegetable preparations, grains, and legumes

Course 6- breakfast cookery, salads, and sandwiches.

The focus of module three is world cuisines, with an emphasis on France, Italy, and Asia. Module four is all about pastry, module five is about contemporary cooking and garde manger, and module six is the externship. Our class is assigned a different chef for each module (except for module six where we get to work in a restaurant kitchen of our choice).

So, as I said before, Friday was the last day of mod one, which means it was time for both a written and a practical exam. For the practical exam I had to medium dice potatoes, make mayonnaise, and make broccoli soup.

It turned out to be a really good day for knife skills because my medium dice potatoes have never been better. My mayonnaise turned out to have way too much vinegar so I ended up screwing the recipe and kept added oil until it tasted right. In addition, while I diced potatoes and made mayonnaise, I also had to blanch broccoli florets for the soup.

The key to making a successful broccoli soup is blanching your florets correctly. If they are undercooked, the soup will not purée properly. If they are overcooked, the soup will not be green enough. Remember, you should always blanch green vegetables in lots of salted, boiling water and be prepared to shock them in an ice bath once they reach the correct doneness.

Here is the recipe I used during the exam:

1 oz butter (which is about 2 tbs)

1.5 oz onions, diced

4 oz broccoli stems, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 oz flour (which is about 2 tbs)

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

Sachet (parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and whole black peppercorns tied into a cheesecloth)

8 oz broccoli florets, blanched and shocked (3-4 minutes)

Salt, to taste

• Melt the butter in a small sauce pan
• Add onion, broccoli stems, and a pinch of salt, cook 3-4 minutes without developing any color
• Add minced garlic, cook 30 seconds, stirring
• Add flour, cook 1-2 minutes, stirring (you're making a mini-roux)
• Whisk in 1/3 of the stock and bring it to a boil
• Add the rest of the stock and bring it back to a boil while whisking
• Add the cream and sachet
• Bring the soup to a boil again and simmer 25-30 minutes
• Heat broccoli florets in soup, 1 minute
• Remove sachet
• Transfer soup to blender and purée until completely smooth
• Taste and adjust seasoning
• Serve immediately

*Makes about 2 servings