Mise en Place
"Everything Ready"
By Richard I. Cotton
A mentor of mine asked me to write this for a publication many years ago. This is more than a publication to me; it is a culture that I, and many other chefs, live by. This is dedicated to my late friend and mentor, John Castro.
People always want to know the secret of a good recipe. Unlike a magician who may never tell his secrets, a chef is usually happy to share his or her ideas. Although the meal is the end-result that people see, the real secret begins much before the first ingredient is entered. The secret of great chefs is Mise en Place.
Mise en Place is a French phrase meaning "everything ready." Being a chef is not only cooking, but it also includes the art of being organized. Any chef can go into a kitchen and cook. Unfortunately, if they are not organized, many of these chefs will eventually fail. This failure is because of the lack of organization and planning necessary to succeed.
There are many aspects of Mise en Place that operate in a kitchen. Of course, you will need solid recipes and know-how to succeed, but Mise en Place goes much further, including food, menu planning and preparation. Where does food come from? In a professional cooking atmosphere, food comes from purveyors. Usually purveyors help chefs get organized by providing product lists, product numbers and in some cases, inventory sheets. Good chefs take this even further by implementing a schedule of when to buy each product in order to effectively utilize them in a timely and fresh manner. This aspect of Mise en Place helps lower food costs by cutting down on spoilage. Menu includes the selection of what to prepare and when to prepare it. The Mise en Place chef will prepare his or her own menu based on product on hand, as well as special (and seasonal) offerings from purveyors. Not only will food cost be lowered because of price breaks, but leftover products will also be used to create additional menu items. Yesterdays roast can be todays roast beef club sandwich.
Variety is another aspect of Mise en Place. Not only menu variety to assist in sales, but also the effective use of different purveyors for different products. Many chefs fall into the rut of using a few large purveyors or the same purveyors for all of their products. This is very easy to do, but it also shows a lack of initiative on behalf of the chef. Instead of investigating new products, seeing new purveyors and hearing new ideas, this chef depends solely on the idea of a few purveyors for all of their information. Using multiple purveyors can be a lot of work, but the saving benefits outweigh the costs both financially and creatively.
Keeping track of the products ordered by each purveyor requires Mise en Place. This organization is usually in the form of paperwork. Whether it is menu planning, party planning, costing, counting receipts or doing a physical inventory, doing paperwork properly and keeping up-to-date records is an integral part of a chef's job. Completing paperwork in a timely manner rather than letting it pile up is Mise en Place. This includes the art of keeping on top of each situation and handling many projects simultaneously.
Possibly the most important aspect of Mise en Place is sanitation. Sanitation not only means a clean kitchen, but it also means good, safe food, a neat and organized kitchen and proper grooming. Sanitation certification and keeping up with the latest regulations are an integral role of all Mise en Place chefs.
Mise en Place and a good chef go hand-in-hand. Proper Mise en Place will only make a good chef better. There are many additional aspects of Mise en Place that are important to a chef, but like a magician, a chef must keep some secrets.
People always want to know the secret of a good recipe. Unlike a magician who may never tell his secrets, a chef is usually happy to share his or her ideas. Although the meal is the end-result that people see, the real secret begins much before the first ingredient is entered. The secret of great chefs is Mise en Place.
Mise en Place is a French phrase meaning "everything ready." Being a chef is not only cooking, but it also includes the art of being organized. Any chef can go into a kitchen and cook. Unfortunately, if they are not organized, many of these chefs will eventually fail. This failure is because of the lack of organization and planning necessary to succeed.
There are many aspects of Mise en Place that operate in a kitchen. Of course, you will need solid recipes and know-how to succeed, but Mise en Place goes much further, including food, menu planning and preparation. Where does food come from? In a professional cooking atmosphere, food comes from purveyors. Usually purveyors help chefs get organized by providing product lists, product numbers and in some cases, inventory sheets. Good chefs take this even further by implementing a schedule of when to buy each product in order to effectively utilize them in a timely and fresh manner. This aspect of Mise en Place helps lower food costs by cutting down on spoilage. Menu includes the selection of what to prepare and when to prepare it. The Mise en Place chef will prepare his or her own menu based on product on hand, as well as special (and seasonal) offerings from purveyors. Not only will food cost be lowered because of price breaks, but leftover products will also be used to create additional menu items. Yesterdays roast can be todays roast beef club sandwich.
Variety is another aspect of Mise en Place. Not only menu variety to assist in sales, but also the effective use of different purveyors for different products. Many chefs fall into the rut of using a few large purveyors or the same purveyors for all of their products. This is very easy to do, but it also shows a lack of initiative on behalf of the chef. Instead of investigating new products, seeing new purveyors and hearing new ideas, this chef depends solely on the idea of a few purveyors for all of their information. Using multiple purveyors can be a lot of work, but the saving benefits outweigh the costs both financially and creatively.
Keeping track of the products ordered by each purveyor requires Mise en Place. This organization is usually in the form of paperwork. Whether it is menu planning, party planning, costing, counting receipts or doing a physical inventory, doing paperwork properly and keeping up-to-date records is an integral part of a chef's job. Completing paperwork in a timely manner rather than letting it pile up is Mise en Place. This includes the art of keeping on top of each situation and handling many projects simultaneously.
Possibly the most important aspect of Mise en Place is sanitation. Sanitation not only means a clean kitchen, but it also means good, safe food, a neat and organized kitchen and proper grooming. Sanitation certification and keeping up with the latest regulations are an integral role of all Mise en Place chefs.
Mise en Place and a good chef go hand-in-hand. Proper Mise en Place will only make a good chef better. There are many additional aspects of Mise en Place that are important to a chef, but like a magician, a chef must keep some secrets.