Mise En Place

• [ meez-on-plass] , literally "put in place" is a French meaning“ everything in place", as in set up.

• It is used in professional kitchens to refer to the ingredients, such as cuts of meat, relishes, sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly chopped vegetables, and other components that a cook requires for the menu items that they expect to prepare during their shift.

Planning and Organizing Production

1) Assemble your tools

2) Assemble your ingredients

3) Wash, trim, cut, prepare, and measure raw materials

4) Prepare your equipment

5) Pre heat the oven, line baking sheets, etc.

Using Your Knife Safely:1) Use the correct knife for

the task at hand2) Always cut away from

yourself3) Always cut on a cutting

board4) Keep knives sharp5) When carrying a knife,

hold it point down6) Don’t attempt to catch a

falling knife7) Never leave a knife in a

sink of water

Handling the Knife

• The Grip – gives you maximum control over the knife. The proper grip increases your cutting accuracy and speed, it prevents slipping , lessens the chance of accident.

• The Guiding Hand –

1) Hold the item being cut firmly

2) Guide the knife

BASIC CUTS & SHAPES

2) Small Diced

¼ inch x ¼ inch x ¼ inch

3) Medium diced

½ inch x ½ inch x ½ inch

4) Large Diced –

¼ in x ¼ in x ¼ in

5) Julienne

1/8 in x 1/8 in x 2 ½ in

• Batonnet

¼ in x ¼ in x 2/12 in• French Fry

1/3 in. square x 3 in long• Rondelle

Basic Cuts and Shapes

1) Brunoise - is a method of food preparation in which the food item is first julienned and then turned 90° and diced gain, producing cubes of a side length of about 3 mm on each side or less. Common items to be brunoised are leeks, turnips and carrots

Small Diced Minced¼ in x ¼ in x ¼ in chop very fine pieces

Rondelle Batonnet slant and thin ¼ in x ¼ in x 2 ½ in

Julienne Chop 1/8 in x 1/8 in x 2 ½ inch Irregular shaped pieces

Jardinere

• A long thin baton, about 2cm long andapproximately 3mm wide and 3mm thick.They can be slightly larger depending ontheir use.

Macedoine

• This is a diced cube, 0.5cm (5mm)square, which is larger than the brunoisecut. Typical vegetables used are carrot,onion, turnip, beans and celery.

Matignon

• Roughly cut vegetables cooked in butterwith ham, thyme and bayleaf, finished bydeglazing the pan with a little Maderia

Paysanne

• This cut may be squares, triangles,circles or half-rounds. In order to cuteconomically, the shape of the vegetablewill decide which shape to choose. Allare cut thinly, about 1–2mm thick.