Cooking Try-out/ "Mystery Basket"

About the only way to prepare is to break proteins down into gross categories. Then plan possibilities based on those categories.

For instance, if he lays fish on you, have a gameplan for preparing both an oily and a dry fish. Same with other proteins. Presumably, the fridge and pantry will provide all you need.

What works best is if you can plan multi-purpose recipes. That is, something that works equally well with various proteins. But don't plan anything too offbeat or unusual. True, you want to push the envelope to show off your skills. But what if the ingredients aren't available? So you want to do your planning based on the realistic liklihood that what you need will be there.

 

Do yourself a favor and stick to what you are comfortable with as well. It's never good to try something way out there at an interview. If you have a favorite style of cuisine, then you should pick a sauce that will work with a few things, like KY said, and be prepared with a couple things. Although you don't know the protein, you can pretty much have the dishes done in advance. Example being something like scampi sauce... works with chicken, shrimp, and various shellfish. Another word of advice... don't do a dish that is the chef's favorite or on his menu! He'll compare it to his and you will always fall short. Try picking things that are out of the area of the rest. you are applying. Best of luck! Let us know what you get.

 

What kind of restaurant is it generally?  What's the price level? What style cuisine? I have some ideas, but they might not fit your audition at all.

The advice about not poaching directly from the menu, is probably on the money -- but it's not a bad idea to stay in the general stylistic ballpark. 

Do you have to cook all your courses out of the mystery basket?  Or is it just the protein?

Aric, what's "scampi sauce?"  Butter, wine and garlic?  If that's what it is, I wouldn't do it.  Not a good idea to do anything too garlicky, or which might be thought of as greasy.  You don't want to go overboard on heat (as from chilis) either.

It's easy to forget the basics when you're under pressure.  Don't forget to season in layers, don't forget to preheat your pans, don't fool around trying to turn food that isn't ready, don't forget to touch the proteins to test for doneness, and don't forget to taste and adjust.

BDL 

 

Don't go crazy and be prepared to explain what you are doing or did. Keep quality uppermost then cost. Fast? yes, yet correctly done. Don't run around kitchen saying where is this or that, find it yourself. Chef is looking for someone he does not have to do everything for. Finished presentation and eye appeal is important, people eat first with their eyes.  GOOD LUCK

 

Good point, I wouldn't do that just based on simplicity alone, however it's was a pretty good example (i hope) of how you can plan one sauce for various proteins..