Day 52: Black Box Exam

Have you ever seen "Chopped"? I haven't, but apparently the premise is the same. We'll get a box of ingredients and 2.5 hours to cook them in to something you would serve in a fine dining restaurant. The exam is done individually and a very controlled list of supporting ingredients is supplied.

Unlike "Chopped" we do get a bit of a heads up on some of the ingredients we can expect.

One of these protiens:
Quail, Cornish game hen, trout, salmon

One of these grains:
quinoa, puy lentils, course bulgur, chick peas

One of these vegetables:
squash, beets, chard, savoy cabbage

From the assigned protein, grain and veg we have to create 2 portions of an appetizer dish and 2 portions of a main.

Our restrictions include:
 - Only one component for the whole black box can be deep fried.
 - No soups
 - No square plates, no bowls, nothing served on the side

The combinations are vast and some deep thinking and organization are in order. Thankfully organization is one of my strong points, (who knew?) and I'll have a plan of attack mapped out  before the big day, which is less than two weeks away.

I need to graduate from this class already! My nerves can't take it!