London part 2

After time, you become accustomed to the hours and attitude that comes with the environment. It was not that long that i was asked to move to the larder section, not really the step up that I wanted, pastry section was good, but it required a different type of concentration. I wanted to get into the hot section, where you sweat, work hard, all the people on that side of the kitchen seemed so determined and committed. It was like you get to that side, and you have made it, not just someone who they would forget about in 2 months time.
Any way, back to Larder section, it was a minor step up, but i wanted more, so i called a few restaurants, including Tom Aitken, the 1 star that i had previously done a stage in. He was very keen to talk to me, so i made a time for my next day of, in 3 days time.
The next day at work, on larder, was an interesting day. Just after lunch service, the chef starts to head to the office, follwed by the junior sous. 1 minute later, i hear yelling, 'your only giving me 1 week's notice, a fucking commis gives me 1 weeks notice, are you fucking serious, fuck off now, go on, fuck off, don't waste my time.'
Another minute, and the now ex-junior sous comes to me and says goodbye, and runs out of the kitchen.
Another minute, later, and the chef comes to me and asks to talk to me in his office.
'yes chef' i reply
In his office he quickly explains to me that the chef resigned resigned, and only offered 1 weeks notice (it is standard to give 4 weeks for senior staff), and he said why......bla bla bla........fuck off. 'Would you like to step up to the meat section. It is the most important section in the kitchen, if you go down on that section, the whole kitchen goes down. Your always busy, and its fucking tough, are you up to the challenge'
'Absolutely' I say, 'its what i want'.
I was put on sauce that evening, under the guidance of the senior sous, it was tough, and i was completely lost, this kind of cooking meat was like no method I had ever used before, so much more intensive. you do not just throw the meat on the char grill, turn it with your tongs, and say yeah no worries mate. there are no tongue in this kitchen,  everything is turned gently, with a spoon, so as not to damage the appearance of the meat. Some is cooked in foaming butter, all about heat control, to much heat, and the butter burns, not enough, and heat meat just stews. other in buerre noisette, more problems here. The whole service, i had no idea what was going on. Every thing i did was checked by the senior sous, the temp of the meat, the seasoning of the food, And the carving of the meat had to be so precise, even slices, no sawing the meat.
So much to take in in one night.
I got through that night, and the next day was even harder, I had to start learning how to prep the section, the (i thought over the top method of mash potato. By the time i got to the end of that day, I was ruined.
The next day, my day off, i had arranged to talk with Tom, but i no longer wanted to leave, I new now that if i stayed, I would learn heaps, and I had the chance to make in this kitchen. this was the point, after 8 months, I new i had to talk my partner into staying in the U.K for longer. I new something good could come of this.
to be continued........