The Making of a Chef

Today was the end of Module 1.

Back on August 28, we started the first of 21 lessons, two-a-day each weekend, that made up the module, the first of five through next April.

Mod 1 ended with an exam, a written and a practical. We spent much of Saturday reviewing what would be on the written part and preparing for the required cooking in the practical. A lot of talk about soups, and grand sauces and their derivatives, aromatics and garnishes, stocks and proper ingredients for making them, temperatures, thickeners and a lot of French terms. Nothing too terribly hard, it’s just keeping it all straight in your head. That while trying not to get nervous thinking about the practical.

For that, we each had 90 minutes to make about a quart and a half of cream of broccoli soup, and a small amount of mayonnaise. And I’m not talking Campbell’s or Hellman’s. Everything made from scratch. Working individually, the 15 of us started at 5 minute intervals and had set times when we were to present our finished work to the instructor. Present late, and it’s points off.

Work smart, work efficiently, clean as you go, no talking or helping each other, budget your time wisely. It’s amazing how quickly an hour and a half flies by, when you’ve got to gather all mis en place, get you equipment, jockey for burner space on your assigned stove, start your chicken stock, make your roux, cool it, whip the lemon juice, egg yolks and oil into a mayonnaise and refrigerate it, add the roux to the stock to make your velouté, simmer that, measure, clean and chop your onions, leeks, celery and broccoli, sweat them, season and skim the velouté, combine the vegetables, simmer that, remove the solids and pureé them, add them back, simmer some more, strain the whole thing, add cream, warm a bowl, put it on a plate, ladle it in, clean up your work area, and make sure you did it all following proper sanitary procedures.

Miraculously I did it, on time. Cut some corners to do it though. Would have liked my vegetables sweated a little more and all of it simmered longer, but I got a 90 on the soup, and a 90 on the mayo, so I’m happy. Damned if I didn’t get an 86 on the written though. I’m bummed, because I knew that stuff. But I did get an “A” on my class paper handed in last week. I did it on the late Patrick Clark, one of the first recognizable American chefs and still one of the best known Black chefs to ever work in the industry. Our instructor had an opportunity to work with him and so I may have scored some points in that regard. He said he appreciated reading it.

Next weekend starts a new module with a new instructor, where we focus on grilling; meats, fish and vegetables. Sometime in November, there’ll be another exam and practical.

Monday, Columbus Day, is a holiday from work and school. I’m gonna sleep in.