MISE EN PLACE: “EVERYTHING READY”
Even on the simplest level, preparation is necessary. If you prepare only one short recipe, you must first
· Assemble your tools.
· Assemble your ingredients.
· Wash, trim, cut, prepare and measure your raw materials.
· Prepare your equipment (preheat oven, line baking sheets etc.)
Only then you can begin the actual preparation.
When many items are to be prepared in a commercial kitchen, the situation is much more complex. Dealing with this complexity is the basis of kitchen organization.
PLANNING AND ORGANISAING FOR PREPARATION.
The Problem:
Every food service operation faces a basic conflict between two unavoidable facts;
1. There is far too much work to do in a kitchen to leave until the last minute, so some work must be done ahead.
2. Most foods are at their best quality immediately after preparation, and they deteriorate as they held.
The Solution:
To solve this problem, the chef must plan the pre preparation carefully. Planning generally follows these steps;
1. Break each menu item down into its stages of production. Note that the procedures are divided into a sequence of steps, which must be done in a certain order to make a finished product.
2. Determine which stages may be done in advance.
a. The first step of any recipe, whether written or not, is always part of advance preparation; assembling and preparing the ingredients. This includes cleaning and cutting produce. Cutting and trimming meats, and preparing breading and batters for frying.
b. Succeeding steps of a recipe may be done in advance if they can then be held without loss of quality.
c. Final cooking should be done as close as possible to service, for maximum freshness.
Frequently separate parts of a recipe, such as a sauce or a stuffing, are prepared in advance,, and the dish is assembled at the last minute.
In general, items cooked by dry-heat methods, such as broiled steaks, sautéed fish and fresh fried potatoes do not hold well. Large roasts are an important exception to this rule. Items cooked by moist heat, such as braised beefs, soups, and stews, are usually better suited to reheating or holding in a steam table. Very delicate items should always be freshly cooked.
3. Determine the best way to hold the item at its final stage of preparation.
a. Sauces and soups are frequently kept hot, above 1400 F (600 C), for service in steam tables or other holding equipment. Many foods such as vegetables, however kept hot for the only short periods, because they quickly become overcooked.
b. Refrigerator temperatures, below 400 F (40 C), are best for preserving the quality of most foods, especially perishable meats, fish, and vegetables, before final cooking or reheating.
4. Determine how long it takes to prepare each stage of each recipe. Plan a production schedule beginning with the preparations that take the longest.
Many operations can be carried on at once, because they don’t all require your complete attention the full time. It may take 6 to 8 hours to make a stock, but you don’t have to stand and watch it all that time.
5. Examine recipes to see if they might be revised for better efficiency and quality as served. Foe e.g.
a. Instead of preparing a full batch of green peas and holding for service in the steam table, you might blanch and chill them and then heat portions to order in sauté pan, steamer, or microwave oven.
b. Instead of holding a large batch of veal scaloppine, in mushroom sauce in the steam table, you might prepare and hold the sauce, sauté the veal to order, combine with a portion of the sauce, and serve fresh from the pan.
The Goal
The goal of preparation is to do as much work in advance as possible without loss of quality.
At service time, all energy can then be used for finishing each item immediately before serving with the utmost attention to quality and freshness.
Many preparation techniques in common use are designed for the convenience of the cooks at the expense of quality. Remember that quality should always take highest priority.
PREPARATION OF INGREDIENTS (Mise-en-place)
Many techniques are used for food preparation before cooking and they are done according to the requirements of the various dishes. This helps to improve appearance, texture, palatability and favour and foods combine readily. They techniques are divided into two:
Sub-division and fractionalization
Combining and mixing in the preparation of foods
Mise-en-Place
“Everything in its place”’ preparation prior to a task or service.
Sub – Division and fractionalization
1. Washing
This is necessary to remove superficial dirt. Meat, fish vegetable and fruits are washed in cold water before any preparation, if peeling or cutting. If cut and soaked for a long period or washed after cutting, there is a great loss of water soluble vitamins and mineral. The more cut surface exposed, the more nutrition is lost.
2. Peeling
Spoilt, soiled and inedible portions are removed. Skin of vegetable or fruits is either peeled or scraped.
3. Paring
Paring is removing the surface layer in circular motion by pressure of a knife edge all round the object.
4. Cutting
Reducing to small pieces with a knife. When a similar result is obtained with a chopping knife, or with a mechanical food chopped the process is called chopping (small pieces). Dicing – cutting in cubes in known as dicing, as in dicing potatoes, carrots etc.
5. Mirepoix
Coarsely cut root vegetables. Desired shape for turning vegetable is barrel
6. Mincing
Cutting into very fine pieces. Eg. Mutton, Onions, etc.
7. Grating
Reducing to small particles by rubbing on a rough surface, as in grating lemon peels, cheese etc.
8. Grinding : Reducing to small fragments by crushing, as in grinding spices, of coffee in a mill or on a grinding stone.
9. Mashing : This is a method of breaking up of soft foods with pressure, with a potato masher or with a fork
10.Pureeing
To press food through a food mill or fine strainer to make it smooth and semi – liquid.
11.Pressing
Separating liquid portions from solids by weights or mechanical pressure, as in making cider from apples, paneer etc.
12.Steeping
Extracting coloring flavoring by allowing ingredients to stand in water to a temperature just below boiling point
13.Milling
This is used for cereals to remove husk etc.
14.Sieving
Passing through a fine wire mesh to remove impurities. It also helps in enclosing air and mixing ingredients evenly, like sieving of flour for cakes
15.Refining
Freeing any material from impurities, as in refining cane sugar/oil.
16.Skimming
Removing a floating layer by passing a utensil under it (ladle) as in skimming cream from milk.
17.Rendering
Separating fat from connective tissues by heat as in rendering lard (dripping).
18.Filtration
Separating solids from liquids, through fine meshed materials, as in filtering fruit juices for jelly through a cloth bag, or fine wire mesh strainer.
19.Flavouring
A bundle of herbs and vegetables to impart flavor to stocks and sauces in Bouquet Garni.
20.Homogenization
Subdividing large drops into smaller ones by forcing them through a small aperture under great pressure as in homogenizing the fat in cream.
21.Emulsification
Even dispersal of one liquid throughout another immiscible liquid.
22.Evaporation or Reduction
Removal of water, commonly accelerated by heating without lid.
Combining and Mixing in the Preparation of Foods
Food preparation often involves the combining and mixing of different foods or food materials. Important effects of the methods of combining foods or ingredients are those related to palatability. Texture and flavor are often controlled to an important degree by the skill and method employed in combining component materials.
1. Beating
Mixing materials briskly, lifting and dropping them with an appropriate tool. Some times used synonymously with whipping as defined below. This is done to thin mixture of liquids. The aim is to mix well and incorporate air.
2. Blending
Mixing two or more ingredients thoroughly, e.g. blending milk into white roux for bechamel sauce.
3. Cutting in
Usually the incorporation of fat in flour and other sifted dry ingredients with a knife, a method which produces relatively coarse division of the fat and dows not result in blending as in cutting the fat into a pastry mixture.
4. Creaming
Softening fat by friction with a spoon usually followed by gradual incorporation of sugar as in cake making.
5. Folding
Mixing materials with palate knife or wooden spoon, by a careful lifting and dropping motion as in folding whipped egg whites into a cake mixture. Palate knife is to lift.
6. Kneading
To work dough by pressing and folding until it becomes smooth and elastic.
7. Marinating
Coating the surface of food materials, a marinade, which is usually a mixture of oil and acid as in marinating the components of a vegetable salad with French dressing.
8. Sealing
Sautéing or pre-cooking roast, to develop colour and flavour
9. Stirring
Mixing materials with an appropriate tool, such as spoon by a circular motion, as in stirring white sauce, while cooking.
10. Whipping
Rapid beating with a wire eggbeater or mechanical beater usually to incorporate air, as in whipping egg white.
11. Whisking
Whisking is done when a mixture needs a lot of air, items need to be mixed together so that they do not separate.
12. Blind baking
To cook an empty pastry shell before filling it with a liquid (or) creamy mixture, which would other wise soak the bottom or with delicate fruit that does not need to be cooked.
13. Docking
a. Small holes are made in Pastry
b. Aim is to allow steam to escape during baking to avoid distorting the pastry.
14. Rubbing in
a. Fat and flour are rubbed together
b. Fat is reduced to bread crumb sized particles
c. Fat particles melt during baking, giving off steam which makes the pastry expand and rise.
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