1. 1 FRMCA Level 1, Chapter 5 Kitchen Essentials 2: Knife Skills, Mise en Place, and Cooking Techniques 2015 Summer Institutes Level 1

2. 2 Session Objectives Apply effective mise en place through practice. List the different types of knives used in the foodservice kitchen and give examples of their uses. Demonstrate correct and safe use of knives. Explain how to care for knives properly. Describe and demonstration basic pre-preparation techniques. List and explain how the three types of cooking work.

3. 3 Session Objectives continued Describe dry-heat cooking methods and list the foods to which they are suited. Describe moist-heat cooking methods and list the foods to which they are suited. Describe combination-heat cooking methods and list the foods to which they are suited. Identify ways to determine if a food is done cooking. List proper procedures for storing food and supplies.

4. 4 Mise en Place Preparing to cook is called mise en place, a French phrase that means “to put in place.” Mise en place refers to the preparation and assembly of ingredients, pans, utensils, equipment, or serving pieces needed for a particular dish or service. The goal of pre-preparation is to do as much of the work in advance as is possible without diminishing the quality of ingredients. The basic elements of mise en place—knife cuts, flavorings, herbs and spices, and basic preparations—are the building blocks of a professional chef ’s training.

5. 5 Parts of a Knife Blade Knives are used in most cooking preparations. Each knife is designed for a specific purpose. Knives made of stainless steel are very durable and stay sharp for a long time. A knife has two main parts: the blade and the handle. The blade is made of metal and is either forged or stamped. Knives and Knife Care

6. 6 Knives & Knife Care continued Honing: The regular maintenance required to keep knives in the best shape Sharpening stone: Used to grind and hone the edges of steel tools and implements Steel: A long metal rod used to remove the microscopic burrs created by knife use 5.1

7. 7 Knife Basics Hold the food on the cutting board with one hand and hold the knife by its handle with the other. In a basic knife grip, the hand that is not holding the knife, called the guiding hand, prevents slippage and helps to control the size of the cut. 5.2

8. 8 Knife Grips

9. 9 When using a knife, move the knife in a smooth downward and forward slicing motion. With practice, a cook is able to cut food in many different ways while increasing knife speed and becoming more accurate with cuts. Knife Basics continued

10. 10 Knife Basics continued

11. 11 Knife Basics continued

12. 12 Types of Knives Boning Butcher (Scimitar) Butter Chef’s (French) Cheese Clam Cleaver Deli Fillet Lettuce Oyster Paring Santoku Serrated slicer Slicer Steak knife Tourné Utility knife Vegetable peeler

13. 13 Mise en place also involves pre- preparing certain ingredients that need to be refined before they are ready for use at the time of preparation. Basic cooking techniques in pre-preparation include: –Separating eggs –Whipping egg whites –Setting up a bain-marie –Making parchment liners for pans Pre-Preparation Techniques 5.2

14. 14 Blanching is another pre- preparation technique. It is a moist-heat method of cooking that involves cooking in a liquid or with steam just long enough to cook the outer portion of the food. The food is immediately placed in ice water to stop carryover cooking, also referred to as shocking. Blanching

15. 15 Heat Transfer Heat is a type of energy. When two items of different temperatures make contact, energy—in the form of heat—transfers from the warmer item to the cooler item, until they both reach the same temperature. 5.3

16. 16 Heat Transfer continued Conduction is the transfer of heat from one item to another when the items come into direct contact with each other. Convection is the transfer of heat caused by the movement of molecules (in the air, water, or fat) from a warmer area to a cooler one. Radiation does not require physical contact between the heat source and the food being cooked. Instead, heat moves by way of microwave and infrared waves. Infrared heat is created when the heat from a source is absorbed by one material and then radiated out to the food. 5.3

17. 17 Dry-Heat Cooking Methods In dry-heat cooking, food is cooked either by direct heat, like on a grill, or by indirect heat in a closed environment, like in an oven. To add moisture before cooking foods prepared with dry heat: Barding: Wrap an item with strips of fat Larding: Insert long, thin strips of fat with a special needle Marinating: Soak an item in a combination of dry and wet ingredients 5.3

18. 18 Dry-Heat Cooking Methods continued These dry heat methods do not include a cooking fat: Broiling: Rapid cooking method that uses high heat from a source located above the food. Grilling: Dry-heat method that is excellent for cooking smaller pieces of food. Roasting and baking: Cook food by surrounding the items with hot, dry air in the oven.

19. 19 Dry-Heat Cooking Methods continued Griddling: Cooking a food item on a hot, flat surface (known as a griddle) or in a relatively dry, heavy-bottomed fry pan or cast-iron skillet. Sautéing: Cooks food rapidly in a small amount of fat over relatively high heat. Fat adds to the flavor. Stir-fry: A quick-cooking, dry-heat method. Closely related to sauté. 5.3

20. 20 Pan-fry: Food is cooked in oil over less intense heat than used for sautéing or stir-frying. Dry-Heat Cooking Methods continued

21. 21 Dry-Heat Cooking Methods continued Deep-fry: Bread or batter-coat food, immerse (completely cover) it in hot fat, and fry it until done. –Breading: Has the same components as batter, but ingredients are not blended together. A standard breading would be seasoned all-purpose flour and an egg and buttermilk dip. 5.3

22. 22 Dry-Heat Cooking Methods continued “Float” of the item: Point when the item rises to the surface of the oil and appears golden brown, indicating doneness. Recovery time: Amount of time it takes oil to reheat to the correct cooking temperature once food is added. Smoking point: Temperature at which fats and oils begin to smoke, indicating the fat has begun to break down.

23. 23 Moist-Heat Cooking Methods Moist-heat cooking techniques produce food that is delicately flavored and moist, which can be served as a separate course or used as a sauce base. Simmer: Completely submerge food in a liquid that is at a constant, moderate temperature. Poach: Cook food between 160°F and 180°F. The surface of the poaching liquid should show some motion, but no air bubbles should break the surface. 5.3

24. 24 Moist-Heat Cooking Methods continued Blanch: A variation of boiling. When blanching, partially cook food and then finish it later. Steam: Cooking food by surrounding it in steam in a confined space, such as a steamer basket, steam cabinet, or combi-oven. Direct contact with the steam cooks the food.

25. 25 Combination-Cooking Methods Combination cooking: A combination of dry-heat and moist-heat cooking methods. Braising: Sear the food item in hot oil and then partially cover it in enough liquid to come halfway up the food item. Then, cover the pot or pan tightly and finish the food slowly in the oven or on the stovetop until it is fork tender. Stewing: Cut the main food item into bite-sized pieces and either blanch or sear them. As with braising, cook the food in oil first, and then add liquid. Stewing requires more liquid than braising. Cover the food completely while it is simmering. 5.3

26. 26 Sous Vide Sous vide: A French term meaning “under vacuum.” Food is placed in airtight plastic bags that are placed in water that is hot but well below boiling point. Food is cooked for a long time, sometimes more than 24 hours. 5.3

27. 27 Microwaves cook food with waves of energy or radiation, rather than with heat. Microwaves alter and denature protein, causing it to toughen. Microwaves are used in restaurants and foodservice operations primarily to thaw and reheat foods. Microwave Cooking

28. 28 There are two important qualities to look for to determine a product’s doneness: Has it achieved the desired texture? Has it reached the minimum internal temperature it needs to be safe? Determining Doneness 5.3