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| Focused practice makes for a great practice! LOL! |
Culinary craftsmanship doesn't always
arrive when we plate our perfectly cooked food. The process to achieving
perfection often takes place first on paper as we attempt to write a menu that
will balance flavors, enhance the star of the plate and present a colorful,
tasty dish. Understanding how each ingredient can bring out the flavor of
another and push the profile of the dish into a delectable treat is our
goal.
I have been working on improving my
skills as a chef, specifically working on testing my own skills. In January I will be taking a practical exam
for certified executive chef. I also
have previously earned what is called ACE or approved culinary evaluator. The next level of ACE is to become a lead
ACE. This role would allow me to run ACE
exams and gain another level of professional achievement. I have already achieved
the status of CEC (certified executive chef) but due to achieving this level of
certification through competition I am required to have taken the practical
exam. Those of us who have competed know
that competition is actually much more difficult and earning a silver or better
can be much tougher! My initial thought when I decided to do this was the
benefit it would be to our students; they would see that as an instructor I am
willing to humble myself and work on honing my cooking skills. The American
Culinary Federation or ACF designates and runs certifications for chefs in our
industry. They are the only organization
recognized through the department of labor for certifications in the United States . Once
I decided to go through with pushing myself and take on the task of preparing
for this exam I realized there was no turning back!
This blog is the story of what all
of this takes and the trials and tribulations of preparing for the test. The first step was to write my menu and
utilize all of the required ingredients for the exam. The ingredients required for the certified executive
chef are:
- 1 each 10 ounce salmon fillet
- 2 each 1.25 pound live
- 2 whole chickens, 2.5 – 3.5 pounds (fabricate to your menus specifications during the exam)
- 2 ounces of smoked bacon
- 1 pound of fresh spinach
- 2 heads of Boston lettuce
- 1 piece of Belgian endive
- 1 pound of carrots
- 3 each Russet or
- 2 each globe artichokes
- 2 each
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
The amounts are only suggested as a
guideline for taking the exam; you do not need to use all of the amounts given.
The fish course must use both of the seafood items as an appetizer
portion. The salad course is tossed and
served with extra dressing on the side.
The main portion is served with two or more accompanying vegetables and
starch along with 6 to 7 ounces of protein. I also must use 4 classical
vegetable cuts (for example; Julienne, Tournee, Brunoise, Alumette, small dice,
Paysanne, and Batonette). I also must use 4 different cooking methods; these
could be fry, sauté, roast, boil, poach, steam or grill. Along with those
requirements I have to prepare emulsified vinaigrette which has to be completed
with a whisk and not with any kind of processor. The test requires 2 different sauces utilizing
different methods; this could be roux based, reduction, or butter.
With those guidelines I set out to
write my menu. For my first course I
have chosen to prepare a seared salmon, butter poached lobster, citrus braised
endive in a reduction of orange, lavender butter sauce. My salad course is a
Boston lettuce, apple cider buttermilk, blue cheese vinaigrette, julienne Granny
Smith apple, blue cheese crumble and roast grape tomatoes. For my main course I have, sautéed chicken
breast, chicken thigh and cranberry sausage, artichoke, tournee Yukon gold potato,
brunoise carrots, wilted spinach with bacon and supreme sauce.
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| Salad course: Boston lettuce wrapped in cucumber, Granny Smith Apple, Roast Grape Tomatoes, Apple Cider buttermilk vinaigrette. |
The menu has evolved each time I
have practiced and worked through some of the details. Understanding how to cook in an environment
that requires specifics can sometimes be daunting as we want to add to our
creative menu writing! This means that each time I add an ingredient it is
going to dip into my valuable time of completion. Yes, there is a time limit! I have three
hours to complete all three courses and fifteen minutes to plate my food. Each course is required to have 4 plates for
service. A good example of adding to my plate would be my recent change in the
sausage recipe; I did not like the first version and developed another version
for the sausage. This was great until I
ran the practice last night; my meat grinder was attached to the only mixer
available for my practice last night, and unfortunately it was not a great
match to my meat grinder! In the middle of stuffing my sausage the grinder came
free on the mixer and started to spin on the mixer! Holy forcemeat! I quickly
shut it off and fortunately I had enough of the sausage in the casing but I
will have to make sure I have the right equipment for the job!
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| Seared salmon, butter poached lobster, citrus braised endive in a reduction of orange, lavender butter sauce |
To accomplish all of this a chef
needs to practice and at the same time do some research and development of
their food. This is important as we
distinguish what is working and what really does not work. For practice I have written a choreographed
plan that includes recipes, equipment list, ingredient list, and finally a prep
list. The final piece is significant as
it will assist me in guiding me along in the exam and provide me with some
important reminders of what tasks I need to be working on, if I am going to
complete the test on time. The other important
factor understands the microscope you will be working under; the evaluator will
stand, sit and watch as you perform skill after skill and see if you are in
fact ready to achieve the desired level of status. This also means you need to work neat, safe
and maintain the highest level of sanitation throughout the exam. Your plan should showcase importance of
properly storing your food as you prepare it and provide a clean and sanitary
environment throughout the exam. Many
chefs have failed this exam due to cross contamination and sadly have to walk
away with a fail. My plan needs to also
have in place storage of dirty pans, pots etc. and other non-cooking
procedures. Plating your food for
example should show a linear movement that will have your food going from point
A to Z. It should appear as if you have
danced this dance enough times that you have no issues in completing. This would be much the same as working your
line in your restaurant; you know exactly where your ingredients are, you can
easily prepare multiple plates and remain consistent in their outcome.
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| Sautéed chicken breast, chicken thigh and cranberry sausage, artichoke, tournee |
Thus far I have completed two full
runs of my practical and I can honestly tell you I am as tough on myself as I
am on my students! At the end of each practice, after cleaning the volumes of
dirty pots, pans and plates, I will sit down and review my pictures of my food
and make notes of the things I need to change.
For my practices I have recruited students to come in and assist me in
my cleanup and/or gather ingredients I may have missed in my initial
setup. They also will add notes to my
packet as I work (I will usually ask them to write down something I need to
change) and keep me on time by letting me know my time. I am grateful beyond belief for this
help! During the exam I will not have
anyone to assist me in the cleanup nor will I have a time keeper! Why am I doing this? Oh yea, to show students
I am willing to put myself through the same kinds of things I would ask of
them. The last two runs started at
around 4:30 PM and with the extra help I have been able to get out of the
kitchen by 8:30 PM. Keep in mind my day generally starts at around 7:30 AM at
the college. Not that I am complaining,
okay maybe a little venting, but this is really a typical day for a lot of
chefs. I know because that was my
schedule for many years and in some cases not only longer hours but
everyday!
Practice is a two day event; I have
to mise everything out the day before and make sure I have all of my
ingredients. This also includes going
through my equipment making sure I have all of the equipment I will need for
the test. Each course is relegated to a
specific sheet pan and each ingredient is stored in a reusable container,
properly labeled with amount and ingredient.
I am allowed to peel, vegetables, pre-measure ingredients and bring in
other items that will enhance my food but not found on the list of required
ingredients. It is amazing how much time
it takes to setup for the practice itself and if I do not do a good job of it,
the practice is marred by mistakes. Fortunately
it has not been too bad and I seem to be securing my entire product fairly well
as my times have been pretty decent.
There are so many details in taking
a test like this that if you do not properly prepare yourself you will not
pass. For me it is not just about
passing but doing so at a level that I feel I am at. The work is something I am used to doing and
understand the process. That doesn't take away the soreness I feel the next day after a full run nor does it address
the balance of my everyday work and completing this test. Yet, there is something fulfilling in doing
it, I have a sense of ownership in my work and I am happy to show students I am
willing to walk the talk.
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| Last nights notes and needed changes! |
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