Workstations in
the
Professional
Kitchen
4
Objective
• Recall the names and roles of workstations
in the traditional brigade.
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Fine cuisine requires many cooks to perform
a wide variety of tasks
• Chefs modeled kitchen structure after the
military’s brigade system, which operates as
a hierarchy
• The brigade is organized by workstations
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Each workstation in the brigade has a
name and assigned duties
• Chef de cuisine (shef deh kwih-ZEEN)
– “Chief of the kitchen” who supervises all
kitchen positions
– Responsible for quality of food and safety of
guests and staff
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Sous chef (SOO shef)
– Second in command
– Assumes authority and responsibility in chef’s
absence
• Chef de garde (shef deh GAHRD)
– Night chef in 24-hour kitchen
– In charge after the chef leaves for the evening
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Chef de partie (shef deh pahr-TEE)
– Also called a station chef
– May be responsible for any kitchen workstation
• Saucier (saw-see YAY)
– Responsible for making sauces
– Prepares sautéed and panfried items
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Poissonier (pwah-sawn-YAY)
– Prepares all fish and shellfish items
– May head the workstation
• Garde manger (gahrd mohn-ZHAY)
– In charge of cold food station
– Makes salads, dressing, fruit plates, cold
appetizers, and buffet platters
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Butcher
– Cuts and trims meat and poultry for other kitchen
stations
• Rotisseur (roh-teess-UHR)
– Roasts meats and poultry and prepares
accompanying pan sauces and gravy
• Grill cook
– Prepares all grilled and broiled meats, poultry,
continued
and fish
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Fry cook
– Cooks deep-fried items
• Entremetier (ehn-treh-meh-tee YAY)
– Oversees preparation of vegetables, starches,
egg dishes, and hot appetizers
• Potager (poh-tahj-AY)
– Makes all stocks, soups, and mother sauces
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Légumier (lay-goo-mee-YAY)
– Prepares and cooks vegetables
– When tasks are combined with those of the
potager, called preparation station
• Pastry Chef
– Head of the baking and pastry department
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Pastry cook
– Prepares sweets and pastries
– Works in the bakeshop during the daytime
• Baker
– Makes breads and may also make breakfast
pastries
– Typically works during the night and early
morning hours
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Decorator
– Specialist who decorates cakes and pastries
– Also makes chocolate carvings or sugar
sculptures
• Tournant (toor-NAHN)
– Fills in for other staff members on their days off
– Also called the swing chef or roundsman
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
The Brigade
• Commis (koh MEE)
– An assistant
• Communard (com-muh-NAHR)
– Prepares staff’s meals at large operations
• Expeditor
– Reads the servers’ food orders to the cooks
– Organizes finished dishes for prompt delivery
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Objective
• Recognize modern variations on the
classical brigade.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Organization of Modern Kitchens
• Fewer cooks are needed in today’s kitchens
for a variety of reasons
– Smaller operations
– Modern equipment
– More limited menus
• Chain of command and organization of tasks
by stations still exist
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Organization of Modern Kitchens
• Many large hotels and
resorts operate
numerous restaurants
• Hotels/resorts employ an
executive chef and if
needed, a banquet chef
continued
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Organization of Modern Kitchens
• Cross training is popular in the modern
kitchen for the following reasons:
– Easier staff scheduling
– More flexibility in assigning jobs
– Easier to replace staff who are sick or quit
– Eases staff boredom with job
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Objective
• Explain how the kitchen interacts with other
departments to satisfy guests.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Working with Departments
Beyond the Kitchen
• Large restaurants, hotels, clubs, and resorts
have complex foodservice operations
• The kitchen must coordinate efforts with
other departments, including
– stewarding
– catering
– purchasing
– dining room
– room service
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Stewarding
• The department’s primary task
is sanitation including
– warewashing─cleaning dishes,
glasses, and serviceware
– washing pots and pans
– cleaning the kitchen
– storing, inventorying, and
transporting serviceware
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Dining Room
• Kitchen and dining
room work together to
time the cooking and
serving of food
• Food must be served
correctly and with a
friendly attitude
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Catering
• Sales staff and chefs work
closely to plan events
• During an event, banquet
chefs communicate with
the sales staff and servers
about timing of service
and special requests
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Room Service
• In-room dining is
often an option at
larger hotels
• Kitchen and roomservice staffs must
work together to
please room-service
diners
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Purchasing
• Many large operations have staff who
purchase, receive, store, and issue food and
supplies
• Chef and purchasing staff work closely to
ensure the correct products and quantities
are purchased
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Objective
• Summarize recent trends in foodservice to
reduce labor.
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Labor Saving Trends
• Labor is one of the largest costs in the
foodservice industry
• Technology and prepared foods are two
ways to control labor costs
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Technology
• Technological advances
in foodservice equipment
reduce labor costs
– Food processors and
grinders
– Vegetable cutting
machines
– Roll-in rack ovens
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Prepared Foods
• Labor savings using
prepared foods is
often greater than the
increased product cost
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Prepared Foods
• Common prepared foods include
– portion-controlled meats and fish
– precut vegetables
– trimmed and washed lettuce and greens
– prepared sauces and soups
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Prepared Foods
– powdered soup base and
sauce mixes
– frozen precooked meats
and vegetables
– ready-made breads and
pastries
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Describe the role of the following brigade
position:
– Chef de cuisine
• Supervises kitchen; responsible for food
quality and safety of guests and cooks
continued
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Describe the role of the following brigade
position:
– Sous chef
• Second in command, assumes authority and
responsibility in the absence of the chef
continued
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Describe the role of the following brigade
position:
– Chef de garde
• Night chef
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Describe the role of the following brigade
position:
– Chef de partie
• In charge of any of the particular workstations
in the kitchen
continued
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Match the position
to the duty
1. Poissonier C
2. Garde manger E
3. Entremetier A
4. Potager D
5. Légumier B
A. Vegetables,
starches, egg dishes,
hot appetizers
B. Vegetables
C. Fish cook
D. Stocks, soups,
mother sauces
E. Cold food
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Why do today’s kitchens need fewer
cooks?
– Smaller operations, modern equipment, more
limited menus
continued
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• What does an executive chef do?
– Coordinates the operation of the restaurants
and departments of a hotel or resort
continued
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• List some advantages of cross training
– Easier scheduling, flexibility in assigning jobs,
back-up if someone is sick or quits, eases
boredom of performing the same task daily
continued
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Name the departments the kitchen works
closely with
– Stewarding, Dining Room, Catering, Room
Service, Purchasing
continued
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review
• Name and describe two methods of
reducing labor costs
– Technology: better equipment that does the
work of many people
– Prepared foods: food that doesn’t require
labor to prep
© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.