Hard to believe that the last seven months have flown by and here I am on the eve on my last exam. This point in time seemed so far away when I arrived in March.

We've spent the last two weeks discussing ideas for our final exam recipes. And thank you to each person who submitted an idea. I received lots of creative suggestions along the way. After six complete revisions, I'm ready for the final.

For the fish, I'll be cutting the filets into long strips about an inch wide. On top of each strip I'll put finely chopped black trumpet mushrooms that have been cooked with shallots. The fish will be rolled up, tied, and pan fried with oil until cooked through. At the last minute I opted not to use the figs. I came up with some creative ideas like a fig butter or a fig and fennel puree, but I wanted to keep the dish simple in its design. Plus I only have four hours. During the practice run, I was a half an hour late, so I've had to cut a couple things out.

The fish sits on a bed of eggplant caviar. Eggplant is roasted in the oven with olive oil. Once cooked, its finely chopped and sweated with onion. To brighten the flavors, I add lemon juice, salt and marjoram at the end. 

The sauce is a red wine reduction with mirepoix, veal stock, tomato paste and a hint of Port. The final sauce is then mixed with a bit of butter to give it a glossy texture. The sauce is put into a squeeze bottle so I can elegantly draw lines on my plate.

Next to the fish is half a Roma tomato that has been roasted and stuffed with finely chopped snow peas, carrots, red pepper, clams and shrimp. The tomato sits in a ring of eggplant that has been dried in the oven for an hour.

The finishing touch is a parsley and basil tuile. If you're not sure what a tuile is, think of a very fine, crispy wafer. I mix flour, eggs, egg whites, melted butter and a puree of parsley and basil together in a bowl. The mixture is placed on a Silpat (non-stick surface) and spread with the back of a spoon to make a circle. On top of the circle I place a thin sliver of shrimp. The tuiles go into a hot oven for 3 - 4 minutes where they become dry and crisp. Each piece of fish is garnished with a tuile before being judged.

For the final, we have to prepare four identical plates. Everything must be hot - including the plates - and there can be no evidence of fingerprints anywhere. Of course the fish must be cooked perfectly and well seasoned. The plates should look enticing, a nice balance of color, texture and flavors.

I guess I should get to bed. My sugar final on Friday was perfect, but that's a story for later. Wish me luck! 

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