The Rules of the Game

Somehow, we have reached our final term at school and are now the big kids on Superior that put fear in my heart on day one. The thought of this is both very exciting and terrifying, but there is still a way to go.

This term is a totally different ball game from the last two. We no longer have demonstrations and spend 90% of our time in the kitchen. If we are learning any new techniques the Chef shows us them in class just before we copy. Its good to see things so close up and is much more one-on-one learning than before. Another diffence is that we are now learning in modules, meaning that everyone in the year isnt doing the same thing at the same time. For example, I am now on my chocolate module whilst others are doing sugar work. This means we get a good few solid weeks focused on one thing, trying to perfect specific skills, before moving on.

The other big difference is the exam. The final, final exam. Scary. The exam this term has gone from 2 and a half hours to 6. Although, in light of what we have to produce, six hours seems like a minascule time slot.  During the term we have to build up a portfolio of specific dishes which we have to make in our exam. For our portfolio we have been given a list of what we need to make and a list of ingredients. Writing the recipes, methods and time plans is down to us. So from out list we have to make:

1. Two identical plated desserts.

These must include a filled and encased mousse, a glaze, two sauces, chocolate and tuille decoration.

2. Six idential moulded chocolates

These must contain a ganache, but the flaouring is left to us. They must also be decorated in both white and dark chocolate.

3. Six idential sable biscuits

These must have an identical pattern made up of two flavours

4. A sugar sculpture

This is to present the chocolate and sable. It has to have at least 5 different techniques on it.

5. A brioche

Fortunately this has a standard recipe.

We get marked on all of the dishes individially in different criteria (taste, texture, apperance, method etc) as well as being marked on our portfolio and, importantly, our time plan.

As we go through our modules we get a chance to focus on individual elements of the portfolio so hopefully it will become less scary as time goes on.