Chapter 7
Mise en Place
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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.
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Mise en Place
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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
3
Planning and Organizing Production
 Selecting
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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
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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
5
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?
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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?
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Restaurants, short-order counters
3. Extended meal service
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Preparing Ingredients
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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:
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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
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Knife Safety – Extremely important
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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
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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:
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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
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Chiffonade
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Rondelles or rounds
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finely sliced or shredded
Disk-shaped slices
Paysanne
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1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/8 inch
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Basic Cuts and Shapes (cont’d)
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Fine Julienne
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Julienne
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1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 2 inches
1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 2 inches
Batonnet
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1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 1/2 - 3 inches
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Basic Cuts and Shapes (cont’d)
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Fine Brunoise
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Brunoise
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1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch
Medium dice
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1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch
Small dice
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1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch
1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch
Large dice
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3/4 inch x 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch
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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
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The Skill of the Knife
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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
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Blanching
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To increase holding qualities
To save time
To remove undesired flavors
To enable the product to be processed
further
Marinating
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Flavor the product
Tenderize the product
Control bacteria growth
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Marinades have three categories of
ingredients
1.
2.
3.
Oil
Acid from vinegar, lemon juice, wine
Flavoring - spices, herbs, vegetables
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Kinds of Marinades
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cooked
Raw
Instant
Dry
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Preparation for Frying
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Breading
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The standard
Flour
 Egg wash
 Crumbs
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Standard breading procedure
Product
to be
breaded
Flour
Egg wash
Bread
Crumbs
Finished
Breaded
Product
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Handling Convenience Foods
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Any product that has been partially or
fully prepared by the manufacturer
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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
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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
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