Three-course menu: suggestions and opinions needed

[Edson Ragas]

hi guys, in a week's time ill be doing my midterms in culinary school, it'll be a 3 course menu to be done within 3 hours, i can bring marinated items before the exam:

app: caprese insalata, served with pesto and parma ham
Main:roasted marinated pork tenderloin accompanied by potato robuchon with bundle of asparagus wrapped in bacon and cherry tomato confit, and red wine glaze

dessert: mocha creme brulee,with mixed berries and brandy snap

*on my app i'm thinking doing something like a deconstructed caprese insalata tomato caviar, tomato gelee cubes, burrata or may be a reserver spherified mozzarella; basil caviar and basil oil. pesto then parma ham (sadly i don't access and money to buying a molecular gastronomy set, i'm thinking if i can use agar agar on both basil and tomato caviar, and ofcourse on the tomato gelee cubes)

*i marinated my pork tenderloin on soy sauce, garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano,(any better marination to compliment my red wine glaze?)
*i need help on naming my menu
*on my dessert i garnished it with some twirling sugar pulling thing i made (what shall i name that)
*all in all i wanna make my 3 course menu a high end one(i have problems with plating it)

thanks for the help!

[mm84321]

I don't know that a red wine glaze would be the best compliment to pork tenderloin. Simple roasting juices may work better. Perhaps deglaze your pan with a touch of white wine, which goes better with a lean cut of pork, and then add some stock, chicken or a light veal, and reduce a bit. Your marinade is too confused, in my opinion. I would stick with one herb so as not to abstract the individual characteristics of it. Sage works wonderfully with pork, of course, but is not the best compliment to asparagus and tomatoes, especially this time of year, so that may need to be changed. A simple little salad on the plate would be nice alongside the rich mashed potatoes. Work on creating a balance within the dish itself, and the meal as a whole. I don't think you should try getting too "molecular". Just do what you know how and make it taste as good as you can.

[Lisa Shock]

You're all over the place with seasonality and regionality. Asparagus is a spring vegetable. Berries are an early summer, June mostly, phenomenon. Fresh tomatoes are also a summer item.

Also, you're really heavy on protein: cheese & ham with a sauce containing cheese as the starter, tenderloin with bacon as the man, and a dessert made of eggs and cream.

I'd make a different salad as a starter -something reflecting the start of autumn like with squash and pepitos, root vegetables and/or squashes with the meat, and something like a seasonal fruit pie or clafoutis (more properly a flaugnarde, since cherries are out of season, I suggest pear) for dessert.

[gfweb]

Have they specified anything eg must use one molecular technique?

If its straight traditional cooking , I would stick to techniques you've done a dozen times.

Ditto the white wine w pork tenderloin.

Ditto the keep it to one season. A peach glaze on the pork would be in season.

Watch temps carefully and remember to let it rest properly. Duh, right? But under pressure things are forgotten.

Edited September 21, 2013 by gfweb (log)

[Baron d'Apcher]

Agreed. Simplify and focus on seasonality. A dish that tastes good will forever trump the idea of one. A tomato tastes fine just the way it is. Cubes, spheres, jellies and whatnot are gimmicky sleight of hand with too large of a window of error that are contrived and don't always taste good. Understand the fundamentals first. Get Culinary Artistry, a scale, notebook and formulate a menu that ushers in the fall. Turnip or squash soup to start. Veg, onion, butter, marjoram, water, sour cream, salt, done. Easy to plate. Garnish with some chopped toasted nuts or multi-grain croutons. Use a recipe and measure in grams by weight. Take notes and rectify as you see fit and have others taste.

Poach pears or apples in simple syrup with warm spices (replace the water with Riesling or decent port wine) and thicken with just a bit of corn starch (5% by weight of the syrup). Complement with a biscuit or simple lemon or chocolate cake.

[Lisa Shock]

I agree with going simple. As an instructor, I can tell you that the point of this exam is to see how well you can execute the techniques and principles that you have been taught during the term.

Unless you had a class in molecular techniques, don't force them into this test. Chances are, there is no 'extra credit' being offered on the score sheet. And, if molecular/modernist techniques were not covered yet, you do not know the rubric the instructor would be grading to in such a class. Therefore, the instructor grading this test, even if s/he is the molecular class instructor cannot hold you to any rubric and simply cannot give a grade for those efforts.

I see students trying to show off (for me, or fellow students) by doing extra things in exams and getting bogged down and not finishing on time. When those extras aren't even going to be graded, it breaks my heart to see all the effort wasted on showboating. You were probably given a list of requirements. Those requirements are probably reflected on the instructor's grade sheet. Simply focus on meeting those requirements as perfectly as possible.

Practice what you will make, and make sure that you have a written timeline for all of your tasks. If you aren't allowed to bring it in, memorize it.

The benefits of making simple things, such as a soup, are many. You will be more relaxed without tremendous time pressure. If you ruin something, you will have time to start over. You can make sure to work cleanly and meet sanitation standards for the test. (did you change your sani-buckets when needed? did you temp the meat? did you wash your hands properly? is your station organized at all times?) You won't get so stressed out that you make silly mistakes. You'll get every dish just right. You'll have time to work on great plating.

If you wind up with 15 extra minutes at the end, you can make an extra garnish and then deep clean your station. Maybe get positive vibes by cleaning the class dishwashing sink, organizing the pantry, or somesuch chore.

Good luck!

[Edson Ragas]

thank you for the replies , ill dump the molecular anyway it's just my idea, and i don't have a molecular kit, and yes we didn't have any molecular lessons...

i don't know a thing about seasonality since we're in a south east asian country and only have 2 seasons, i'll rethink my approach thank you for suggestions!

have a nice day

[huiray]

Edson, I'll take a stab at guessing that you are in the Philippines, maybe? You might consider including your general location in your profile.

Yes, SE Asia has two seasons - Monsoon season and non-Monsoon season. Folks in the USA (except maybe Florida & related areas) might find that hard to comprehend. ;-)

Out of curiosity, what exactly does your culinary course aim at in a general sense? (I am NOT a culinary professional, I am just curious) Since you are taking this course in a SE Asian country, what are the aims of the school in a general sense?

[Lisa Shock]

From your first menu, it appears that your school has some western influences or might be a completely western style culinary program. If so, and you like using the western ingredients, then choose a season (it's early autumn right now) and a country and build your menu from there. For example, you could call your meal 'Autumn in Paris' giving you the range of vegetables and fruits to use, and a set of recipes, that is, French cooking.

If I were taking your test, and calling it Autumn in Paris, I might choose to make:

Fennel, Orange and Olive Salad with red onions and tarragon dressing

Pork Tenderloin Diane, Duchess Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

Pears Poached in Port with Toasted Walnuts and Blue Cheese

If your program is mostly local cooking, don't try so hard with the western ingredients. Just because a supplier can get them to you, doesn't mean they're automatically good.

[Edson Ragas]

Edson, I'll take a stab at guessing that you are in the Philippines, maybe? You might consider including your general location in your profile.

Yes, SE Asia has two seasons - Monsoon season and non-Monsoon season. Folks in the USA (except maybe Florida & related areas) might find that hard to comprehend. ;-)

Out of curiosity, what exactly does your culinary course aim at in a general sense? (I am NOT a culinary professional, I am just curious) Since you are taking this course in a SE Asian country, what are the aims of the school in a general sense?

yes, sir well our school's teaching us western cuisine, got this from the school's website

• To teach the theories as well as the practical skills required in the administrative and operations management of the hospitality and food service industry
• To mold the students into becoming real professionals by helping them acquire values such as discipline, service for others, honesty, efficiency and perfection in their trade
• To produce highly skilled trade professionals patterned to the up to date culinary trends
• To guide the students in the right direction for them to have an easy start for their chosen profession.
• To maintain a panel of faculties who are very experienced professionals in their field
• To ensure that the management of the school prioritizes quality educatio

From your first menu, it appears that your school has some western influences or might be a completely western style culinary program. If so, and you like using the western ingredients, then choose a season (it's early autumn right now) and a country and build your menu from there. For example, you could call your meal 'Autumn in Paris' giving you the range of vegetables and fruits to use, and a set of recipes, that is, French cooking.

If I were taking your test, and calling it Autumn in Paris, I might choose to make:

Fennel, Orange and Olive Salad with red onions and tarragon dressing

Pork Tenderloin Diane, Duchess Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

Pears Poached in Port with Toasted Walnuts and Blue Cheese

If your program is mostly local cooking, don't try so hard with the western ingredients. Just because a supplier can get them to you, doesn't mean they're automatically good.

thank you so much!!damn i didn't know there is a forum dedicated for cooking...