Quick update

Chefette is busy preparing for the Final Practical exam, so apologies for an extremely pithy posting this week.

The good news is that the written test last Friday went pretty well.

The bad news is that the final exam -- which I have to do on Thursday -- is going to be majorly difficult. We start cooking at 9am, and have five hours in which to make and serve the following three course menu:

• Puff pastry feuillete cases filled with spinach and trout, and served with sauce vierge (to be served at 1.15pm)
• Boned, stuffed quail with rosemary jus, spring vegetables and potatoes of our choice. To be accompanied by a loaf of walnut bread (both to be served at 1.45pm)
• Lemon jellies with fresh raspberries (to be served at 2pm)

Yesterday I attempted a practice run-through, and it was a disaster. I didn't get the first course ready until 1.40pm. I didn't even get my vegetables washed, let alone cooked. Nor did I get the stuffing made for my quail. I burned the jus, underbaked the bread, and my lemon jelly wouldn't clear.

In short, I have a lot of work to do over the next three days to get myself up to speed!! Oh dear.