Determination to Finish

Today was one of the greatest learning experience's yet, so much so that I need to blog about it.

After completing a list of invoices, Chef comes up and say's your going to create a tasting... We will give you 3 hours to create 3 courses for us. By "us" I mean 4 chefs. Little nerve racking... At first I didn't believe this was actually happening and that they wanted me to do this seeing as it was Saturday and I knew we had a ton of banquet's. Then I thought to myself really the one day I don't bring my binder into work with all the recipes I've ever learned in. Yet, when the Executive sous chef sets a timer and say's you have 20 minutes to plan your menu, I then knew they were absolutely serious. Anything I may have eaten was ready to come up.. So chef hands me a notebook and a pen and say's get to work... I had no idea what to make... Another chef says to me, cook what you know... So I think through every dish I have ever made and consider the timing it could take. A stroll through the protein and produce coolers I start to think...... something simple and that Im comfotable making... After I selected my menu I knew I had to organize everything into catagories for what would be more time consuming.

First Course, (Appitizer) I made a simple scallop Benedict on english muffin with virginia ham and hollandaise. 
-- I used two fresh scallops seared in a cast iron pan, come to find out these scallops were huge, were I should of just used one scallop. Right before I plated this dish my hollandaise sauce broke.... I was ready to quit I couldn't of been more frustrated... Yet, I knew I had NO time left so I just served it, not even time to make it on the fly. I knew my mistake before even putting it before them.. Yet, It was a learning lesson... I was unhappy with this course but I know next time now what I can do better.

Second Course, (Entree) I made a kobe steak cut similar to a new york strip with bacon jam, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.
--This I felt comfortable with. I knew you can't go wrong with bacon jam so I made it, thank god I still remembered the recipe. I choose asparagus for this dish one because I love prepping it a chef once taught me how to prep asparagus and make it beautiful. Cut on bias, and peel, Blanch... etc... It turned out perfect. As for the mashed potatoes It was simple. I had originally wanted to smoke them but with the amount of prep work I had already put before myself it was not possible. The hardest part about this dish for me was breaking down the giant kobe steaks. I had help on this. Then on to the grill they went. I knew I wanted to cook them right at Medium Rare. Seeing as kobe will just be horrible cooked any longer than that. Finished my steaks in the oven and thankfully they turned out just how I wanted them. This dish saved me... A few things could of been changed adding a few ingredients here and there would of helped but they said they absolutely loved it.
Third Course, (Dessert) I made a Chocolate Bread Pudding with Kahlua Carmel Sauce topped with pecan's, Whip Cream, and a Fresh Strawberry.
-- Well, where can you go wrong here.... The only thing I did not have time to make for this was a pecan praline topping but it was just fine without it.

Overall, There is alot I learned from doing this challenge today. From orginization, to order of prep. To things I could work on.. It was definitely an incredibly hard task... I really more than anything just wanted to quit and walk out. Then I had to remind myself I picked this career field for a reason this will just strengthen me... Suck it up and get through it... In the end I'm glad they gave me this challenge it really opened my eye's to so much more.