But now come the exams - not the chicken and lamb exams that counted but didn't really matter. For Wednesdays exams I not only have to learn 3 dishes, but we also have a written exam that could cover anything from methods, ingredients and recipes, to French terms for cutting vegetables and methods like separating eggs (clarifier, or so I think...). If you fail, then you need to take the whole course again (and pay again too). And apparently people do fail. And I really don't want to fail - the graduation with champagne reception at the Emirates Stadium just wouldn't be the same if I'd flunked for the first time ever.
And of course I haven't revised. I have started cooking the exam dishes to prepare. Last night I bought 4 whole lemon sole, filleted and skinned them, and turned them almost successfully into braised lemon sole with duxelle mushrooms, spinach and potato that I mashed rather than piping it onto the plate and browning it in the oven - I had been working in the restaurant from 8am, back at 6pm to start cooking a dinner that was only ready at about 9pm, with a little help from my guest, so I thought a few shortcuts were very necessary.
Lemon sole with mushroom duxelle, duchesse potato border and spinach
Tonight I'm practising roast beef with turned potatoes, turned, glazed carrots, and green beans with a beef jus. The only flaw is that I have lost the recipe, but I'm sure I'll find it somewhere.
And the third dish that I might be examined on is guinea fowl, half made into a herby mousse, with the other half filleted and rolled around the mousse, then wrapped in clingfilm and poached with tomato coulis and courgette spaghetti. I'm trying my best to convince myself I don't need to practise that one too!
Guinea fowl with Provence herbs, tomato butter and courgette spaghetti
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