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Chapter 7

Mise en Place

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The French term, mise en place literally means “to put in place” or “everything in its place”

In culinary context, it refers to elementary preparation steps of food preparation.

This means gathering and prepping the ingredients to be cooked and assembling the tools and equipment necessary to cook them.

Mise en Place

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Mise en Place

A simple but extremely important concept: A chef should have everything he or she needs to prepare and serve in an organized and efficient manner at the beginning of the process or meal period

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Planning and Organizing Production

Selecting Tools and Equipment All equipment should be clean and sanitary Knives should be sharpened Measuring devices checked for safety Assembling ingredients

Wash, trim, cut, and prepare raw materials

Ovens and cooking surfaces preheated, if necessary

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The Solution

Break each menu item down into stages of production

Determine which stages may be done in advance

Determine which way to hold each item after pre-preparation

Determine how long it takes to prepare each stage of the recipe

Check recipe to see if there is a more efficient way to prepare the item

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Adapting Preparation to Style of Service

Mise en Place depends in large part on the style of meal service.

1. Do the customers come at one time? School , industry, and banquets

If so then you have to watch quality to avoid deterioration

Could there be leftovers - plan for utilization

2. Do customer come over an extended time period?

Restaurants, short-order counters

3. Extended meal service

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Preparing Ingredients Some ingredients that are used frequently

should be stored throughout the kitchen and accessible to everyone, when needed.

Consider these tasks as part of Mise en Place: Clarifying butter Toasting nuts and spices Making bread crumbs Bouquet garni and sachet bag Marinades Rubs and Pastes Blanching foods

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Using the Knife

Knife Safety – Extremely important Use the correct knife for the appropriate task Always cut away from yourself Always use a cutting board. Do not cut on

glass, marble, or metal Keep your knives sharp Always carry a knife with the point down Never try to catch a falling knife Never leave a knife in a sink

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Knife Sharpening A whetstone is used to keep put a an edge on a knife. The knife is held at a 20-degree angle on the

whetstone A steel does not sharpen a knife, it is used to keep

the edge sharp on a knife Gripping Your knife:

Make sure your grip is comfortable, remember you have to use a knife extensively, so a firm, comfortable grip is essential

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Basic Cuts and Shapes Chiffonade

finely sliced or shredded Rondelles or rounds

Disk-shaped slices Paysanne

1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/8 inch

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Basic Cuts and Shapes (cont’d)

Fine Julienne 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 2 inches

Julienne 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 2 inches

Batonnet 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 1/2 - 3 inches

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Fine Brunoise 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch

Brunoise 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch

Small dice 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch

Medium dice 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch

Large dice 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch

Basic Cuts and Shapes (cont’d)

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Tourner- In French, it means “to turn”, a cutting technique that produces a 2-inch long x ¾ inch diameter long football shape with 7 equal sides

Parisiennes - With a melon ball cutter that allows you to cut fruits or vegetable in uniform spheres or balls

A Mandoline - A mechanical cutting tool

Basic Cuts and Shapes (cont’d)

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The Skill of the Knife

Although many slicing and dicing machines are available, none can match the skill of a chef with a sharp knife.

Possessing good knife skills is an essential part of becoming a chef.

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Preliminary Cooking and Flavoring

Blanching To increase holding qualities To save time To remove undesired flavors To enable the product to be processed

further Marinating

Flavor the product Tenderize the product Control bacteria growth

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Marinades have three categories of ingredients

1. Oil2. Acid from vinegar, lemon juice, wine3. Flavoring - spices, herbs, vegetables

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Kinds of Marinades

1. Cooked 2. Raw3. Instant4. Dry

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Preparation for Frying

Breading The standard

Flour Egg wash Crumbs

Standard breading procedure

Flour Egg washBread Crumbs

FinishedBreadedProduct

Product to be

breaded

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Handling Convenience Foods Any product that has been partially or

fully prepared by the manufacturer Remember convenience foods are not a

substitute for well prepared foods They provide a way to extend menu

offerings with out increasing labor You should make sure they are the

quality you want for your customer base.

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Guidelines for Handling Convenience Foods

Handle the same way you would fresh, raw ingredients

Examine as soon as received Store properly Know the shelf life of the product Defrost the foods properly Know how and to what extent the product

has been prepared Use proper cooking methods Treat the foods as though you did the

preparation