HELP with 1st Practical exam

[cheeba]

Hi.
Just started doing my cert 3 and 4 in commercial cookery and catering, full time course for chef qualifications in 18 months.
First practical test in a couple of days.
We are to prepare
*clarifed butter
*chopped parsley
*chiffonade 1/2 onion
*brunois 1/2 onion
*carrot brunois
*carrot jardiniere
*duxelle
*tomato concasse
*4 turned potatoes
*orange zest
*orange segments

Within 2 hours. I ran a "test" on friday, but would like some advice on the order in which to prepare these under test conditions, for maximum efficiency.
If anyone could help out, that would be great.

- B

 

[auntdot]

Gosh, it sounds mostly like a test of knife skills, except for the clarified butter.

Would do the ones you are most comfortable with first, and then take on the ones you find more difficult.

Once you are in the groove you will feel more relaxed and things will come more easily to you.

Also would go through the items you find the most difficult before the test, you already know what the drill is.

Just my take on the thing, am not a pro. Good luck.

 

[GB]

I don't think the order would matter other than the clarified butter. You can put that on the heat to melt while doing the other things.

 

[ironchef]

Hi.
Just started doing my cert 3 and 4 in commercial cookery and catering, full time course for chef qualifications in 18 months.
First practical test in a couple of days.
We are to prepare
*clarifed butter
*chopped parsley
*chiffonade 1/2 onion
*brunois 1/2 onion
*carrot brunois
*carrot jardiniere (how exactly are you making this? there are different preparations for "jardiniere")
*duxelle
*tomato concasse
*4 turned potatoes
*orange zest
*orange segments

Within 2 hours. I ran a "test" on friday, but would like some advice on the order in which to prepare these under test conditions, for maximum efficiency.
If anyone could help out, that would be great.

- B

Do all the items that take the most attention first so that you don't rush them (the ones I highlighted in blue). You can always rush orange zest, the brunois, or chopped parsley but if you rush the potatoes, butter, or orange segments you could end up with something unappealling.

 

[Michelemarie]

I'm sorry I can't help you, but I do want to say good luck!

 

[KAYLINDA]

I can't help you either...but good luck from me too! What is a "turned potato"?

 

[Robo410]

clarified butter first...get it started
parsley and potato last as they will dry out and turn off color
eveything else will survive.
tomato concase is messiest, do that second...blanching pealing seeding etc., then onion then carrot

 

[QSis]

I can't help you either...but good luck from me too! What is a "turned potato"?

God, I love the internet! You can find anything! I didn't know what a "turned potato" was either, Kaylinda, so I googled it. Here's information on that and "tomato concasse", and "carrot brunois", neither of which I'd heard before. And even after reading, I'm not sure I get the carrot brunois.

Pretty neat to know this stuff! Good luck on the exam!

http://www.sanfranciscofoodie.com/journal/05BasicSkillsPt1.htm

Lee

 

[ironchef]

clarified butter first...get it started
parsley and potato last as they will dry out and turn off color
eveything else will survive.
tomato concase is messiest, do that second...blanching pealing seeding etc., then onion then carrot

All you have to do is immerse the potatoes in cold water and they'll be fine. You don't want to be rushing the turned potatoes unless you have excellent paring knife skills. Your oblong shapes will more than likely be inconsistent and you'll end up shaving more and more off the potato in your rush to even it all out.

 

[ironchef]

God, I love the internet! You can find anything! I didn't know what a "turned potato" was either, Kaylinda, so I googled it. Here's information on that and "tomato concasse", and "carrot brunois", neither of which I'd heard before. And even after reading, I'm not sure I get the carrot brunois.

Pretty neat to know this stuff! Good luck on the exam!

http://www.sanfranciscofoodie.com/journal/05BasicSkillsPt1.htm

Lee

Brunois or brunoise is just a type of knife cut, used mainly to describe vegetables. Concasse is a bit more ubiquitous as it can describe something that is cooked or uncooked, crushed or simply chopped; it really depends on the particular recipe.