Untitled Lesson

Basic
Preparations—Mis
e en Place

16

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• Summarize mise en place and its role in the

professional kitchen.

Objective

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continued

• Mise en place (meez ahn

PLAHS) refers to
– having all foods and

equipment ready for a
specific preparation
before beginning

– a state of mental

readiness

Mise en Place

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continued

• Mise en place includes

– reading and understanding a recipe
– assembling all ingredients for a recipe
– verifying that all necessary pieces of equipment are

available

– setting up your station prior to service

Mise en Place

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• Mise en place ensures that kitchen work is orderly

and carried out efficiently

• Coordinating the efforts of many different cooks is

also necessary

• The entire staff should know the end goal and plan

to get there

• This will prevent errors in food preparation that may

be too late to remedy

Mise en Place

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• Execute the techniques for peeling, julienning,

and dicing an onion.

Objective

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• Onions are one of the most commonly used

vegetables in a professional kitchen

• An onion must be peeled before it can be sliced or

diced

• Remove the skin, stem, and root
• All cooks must become skilled at peeling, slicing,

and dicing onions

Peeling, Slicing, and Dicing an Onion

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continued

1.

Cut the ends off the onion. Be careful to
remove only a small amount of each end.
Notice that the onion has two distinct
ends—the stem and root end.

2.

Cut the onion in half by cutting lengthwise
through the stem and root end of the onion. If
onion rings are desired, then skip this step.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling an Onion

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3.

Remove the peel from the onion using a
paring knife.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling an Onion

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continued

1.

Place peeled onion halves cut side down on
the cutting board.

2.

Remove the remaining root of the onion by
making a small triangular cut with the tip of
the chef knife or paring knife.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Julienne Onions

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continued

3.

Slice the onion into ⅛-inch wide slices using
the proper knife technique.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Julienne Onions

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4.

When the onion becomes too small to hold,
lay it face down on the cutting board and
continue slicing.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Julienne Onions

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continued

1.

Place the peeled onion half, cut side down,
on the cutting board.

2.

Place your guiding hand on top of the onion
half. Be sure that the root end of the onion
faces away from the knife.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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continued

3.

Position the guiding hand as needed for
slicing. Slice the onion lengthwise by drawing
the knife backward instead of in the usual
forward motion.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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continued

3.

The slice should begin just short of the root
end of the onion so that the root end remains
intact. Do not cut through the root end core of
the onion either.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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continued

4.

Continue slicing until the onion has been
evenly sliced except for the small area on the
root end of the onion.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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continued

5.

Reposition the guiding hand so that it is
placed on top of the onion either with
fingertips curled under or with the palm of the
hand resting on top of the onion. Be sure that
the fingertips are up and out of harm’s way.
The knife blade will be parallel to the cutting
board to make the next slices.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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continued

5.

Drawing the knife backward, cut slices that
are parallel to the cutting board. These slices
begin at the stem end and stop before cutting
through the root end.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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continued

6.

Reposition the guiding hand on the onion.
Slice the onion crosswise, perpendicular to
the previous cuts and beginning at the stem
end.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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6.

As the onion becomes difficult to hold safely,
lay it down on the cutting board. Cut this small
piece of onion into a dice by slicing and then
cutting across the slices.

7.

By changing the width of the cuts in steps 3,
4, and 5, you can adjust the size of the
finished dice.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Onions

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• Execute the techniques for mincing parsley.
Objective

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• Minced parsley is often sprinkled on food as a

garnish or added to sauces, soups, stews, and dips

• Minced parsley can be wrung out to

– remove moisture
– make the parsley easy to sprinkle
– increase its shelf life
– prevent green color from discoloring other foods

Mincing Parsley

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continued

1.

Wash the parsley in cold water. Dry between
paper towels or in a salad spinner.

2.

Separate the parsley leaves from the stems.

TECHNIQUE:

Mincing Parsley

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continued

3.

Roll the leaves
into a tight ball.
Cut finely with a
chef’s knife.

4.

Mince the parsley
using the same
technique as for
garlic.

TECHNIQUE:

Mincing Parsley

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continued

5.

To wring out the
parsley, place the
minced parsley in a
piece of cheesecloth.
Gather the ends of
the cheesecloth
together and twist the
cheesecloth tightly.

TECHNIQUE:

Mincing Parsley

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6.

Store parsley in a covered container in the
refrigerator until needed.

TECHNIQUE:

Mincing Parsley

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• Explain the chiffonade technique.
Objective

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• Certain leafy vegetables

and fresh herbs can be
cut into a chiffonade
– Stack five to six leaves
– Tightly roll the stack
– Cut thin slices across the roll
– Unroll the cuts to reveal the

chiffonade

Chiffonade

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• Execute the techniques for preparing leeks.
Objective

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• Leeks are members of the onion family
• The white and light green portion of the leek is used

most often because it is more mild and tender

• The dark green leaves have a strong flavor and

tougher texture and are often used for stocks and
soups

Washing and Cutting Leeks

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continued

Trimming Leeks
1.

Remove the dark
green leaves one at
a time using a paring
knife. Only cut each
leaf where the dark
green begins.

2.

Trim the root end of
the leek.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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continued

Washing Leeks
1.

Cut the leek in half lengthwise stopping short
of completely cutting through the root end. If
the leeks are very large, it may be necessary
to cut the leek lengthwise into quarters.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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continued

2.

Place the leek, cut end
up, under cold running
water. Open the leek
as the water is running
on it. This removes the
dirt that is trapped
between the leaves.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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continued

3.

After washing, verify that all the dirt has been
removed from between the leaves.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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continued

Washing Chopped or Julienned Leeks
1.

Cut the leek completely in half lengthwise.
Cut the leeks according to the desired shape.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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continued

2.

Place the cut leek in a large container of cold
water. Agitate the water so that the dirt is
loosened from the leeks. Let the leeks sit
undisturbed in the water for 10 to 15 minutes.
During this time, the dirt will settle to the
bottom of the container.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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continued

3.

Scoop the leeks off the top
of the water using a
spider. Do not agitate the
water any more than is
necessary. Never pour the
leeks and water into a
colander as this deposits
the dirt back on top of the
clean leeks.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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4.

Verify that leeks are free from dirt before
using.

TECHNIQUE:

Preparing Leeks

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• Execute the techniques for peeling, seeding,

and dicing tomatoes.

Objective

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• Professional chefs must know how to peel, seed,

and dice tomatoes

• Peeling tomatoes requires a special technique
• There are two techniques for dicing tomatoes

– concassé
– fine dice

Peeling, Seeding, and Dicing
Tomatoes

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continued

1.

Remove the tomato’s core using the tip of the
paring knife. Cut an “X” through the skin of
the opposite end of the tomato.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling Tomatoes

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continued

2.

Plunge the tomatoes in
boiling water for 30
seconds. Scoop the
tomatoes from the
boiling water using a
spider or pair of tongs
and place them in ice
water.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling Tomatoes

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3.

When the tomatoes are cold,
remove them from the ice
water. Using a paring knife, pull
the skin from the tomato by
grabbing the skin where the “X”
was initially cut in the tomato. If
the skin of the tomato does not
come off easily, repeat step 2.
This may be necessary if the
tomatoes are not ripe.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling Tomatoes

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continued

1.

Cut the tomato (most often tomatoes are
peeled first) in half. Do not cut through the
core, but rather through the middle of the
tomato.

TECHNIQUE:

Seeding Tomatoes

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2.

Squeeze the
tomatoes gently so
as to push seeds
and excess moisture
from the tomatoes.
Inspect each tomato
half to be sure that
the seeds have all
been removed.

TECHNIQUE:

Seeding Tomatoes

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continued

Technique 1:

Concassé

1.

Flatten a peeled and
seeded tomato half
slightly with the palm
of the hand.

2.

Cut into strips and
then a dice using a
chef knife.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Tomatoes

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continued

Technique 2: Fine Dice
1.

Using a small knife, trim the flesh from a
tomato that has been peeled but not seeded.
As the flesh is trimmed off, the seeds should
remain inside the tomato.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Tomatoes

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2.

Cut each of these trimmed pieces into strips
and then dice. The center of the tomato can
be seeded and cut into a concassé.

TECHNIQUE:

Dicing Tomatoes

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• Execute the techniques for peeling and mincing

garlic.

Objective

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• The flavor of garlic varies depending on the

preparation method
– intense flavor when raw
– mild when cooked
– sweet when roasted

• Garlic is one of the most common flavorings in

foodservice

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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continued

1.

Place the head of garlic on its side on a
cutting board. Position the palm of your hand
on the head of garlic. Press firmly until the
head breaks apart into individual cloves.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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continued

2.

To peel the garlic, place a clove on the cutting
board. Place the side of a chef’s knife on the
clove. Press firmly on the knife until the clove
breaks.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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continued

2.

It may be necessary to tap the side of the
knife with the guiding hand. Remove the
loosened skin from each clove.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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continued

3.

Cut each clove in half and remove the germ if
it has a green tint. If not removed, the garlic
will taste bitter. Also, trim a small amount of
the root end of the garlic if brown.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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continued

4.

To mince garlic, begin by coarsely chopping
the peeled cloves. The garlic is then minced
using the mincing technique.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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continued

5.

Some recipes call for garlic paste. To make a
paste, sprinkle the minced garlic with a pinch
of salt. The salt acts like an abrasive and
helps make the paste.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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5.

Using the side of the knife, reduce the garlic
to a paste by repeatedly dragging the knife
across the garlic.

TECHNIQUE:

Peeling and Mincing Garlic

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• Explain how to make clarified butter.
Objective

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continued

• Clarified butter is a

kitchen staple

• The butter’s water and

milk solids are removed

• Clarified butter is ideal for

higher temperature
cooking

Clarified Butter

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continued

1.

Place a metal container of butter in lightly
simmering water. As the butter melts, the water
and some of the milk solids sink to the bottom of
the container. The rest of the milk solids—in the
form of white foam—float.

Clarified Butter

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2.

When the butter is completely melted, skim the
foam off the top using a ladle.

3.

Gently lift the container of butter out of the water.
Carefully pour the fat from the container into
another container. Stop pouring when the water
becomes visible. Ladle any remaining fat from the
water’s surface.

Clarified Butter

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• Explain how to prepare mirepoix and its role in

the professional kitchen.

Objective

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continued

• Mirepoix (mir eh PWAH) is

used for making sauces,
stocks, soups, braises,
stews, and roasts

• White mirepoix is a

variation of mirepoix

Mirepoix

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• The “parts” in mirepoix refer to a weight

measurement

• The size of the mirepoix varies depending on how it

will be used

• The three vegetables should be cut to the same

size so pieces can cook evenly

Mirepoix