Learners Guide

Prepare dishes using basic

methods of cookery
SITHCCC005
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Version number 2.0

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Contents

Overview ........................................................................................................ 3

Section 1: Select ingredients ......................................................................... 3

Section 2: Select, prepare and use equipment ............................................ 13

Section 3: Portion and prepare ingredients .................................................. 25

Section 4: Cook dishes ................................................................................ 51

Section 5: Present and store dishes ............................................................ 95

Glossary ..................................................................................................... 107

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This Didasko learning resource should be used as a training tool for students and
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 SITHCCC005 Prepare dishes using basic methods of cookery

Overview

Have you ever sat in a restaurant and watched food service attendants as they hurry in
and out of the kitchen laden with plates of great looking food?

The ambiance of the restaurant is generally peaceful and relaxing. But what’s happening
on the other side of the kitchen door?

In the kitchen, a team of cooks is busy keeping up with the demands of customers. There
are ingredients, tools and equipment everywhere. The sound of mixers, fryers and timers
are adding to the buzz of the kitchen, and food is being tossed, chopped, washed,
whipped, flipped and blended.

Everyone has an important job to do. They know what ingredients and tools they need,
and exactly what they need to do to ensure each dish is cooked and presented to the
establishment’s standard and the customer’s satisfaction. To be a member of this valuable
team, you need to know how to follow set recipes, operate kitchen equipment and apply
the different methods of cookery.

There’s a lot to learn. However, with practice and patience, you’ll be joining a busy team
of cooks in no time.

Let’s look at what you will learn on completion of this unit.

Section 1: Select ingredients

Section 2: Select, prepare and use equipment

Section 3: Assemble and prepare ingredients

Section 4: Cook dishes

Section 5: Present and store dishes

Section 1:
1 Select ingredients

The success of many dishes depends on selecting the right type and quantity of
ingredients. In this section you will learn the following.

• How to determine food production requirements.

• How to calculate ingredient amounts.
• How to identify and select ingredients
• How to check quality of perishables.

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Chaos in the kitchen

Jamie works in a commercial kitchen and can’t understand why he is always frazzled.

Click on the icon and see if you can work out what’s going wrong.
‘Two cups of flour, half a cup of milk and a quarter cup of crushed nuts. Crushed nuts! Oh
no, I’ll have to clean the processor again. How much time have I got left?’

‘Add the grated carrot... where’s the grater? Has anyone got the grater?’

‘Bake for 45 minutes. Oops...forgot to set the oven!’

‘What time do you need this cake by? I’m going to need the oven for the next hour. Sorry
if that holds you up.’

It’s not surprising that Jamie feels frazzled. He’s so disorganised, it’s a wonder he
completes anything on time!

What is ‘mise en place’?

‘Mise en place’ (pronounced ‘miz-on-plus’) is a French term that means ‘everything in its
place’. It refers to all the preparation you do before cooking.

Click on the dot points to identify the mise en place tasks.

 Peeling, cutting, dicing and slicing vegetables
 Boning, marinating, crumbing and rolling meat
 Preparing garnishes
 Organising and warming clean plates
 Weighing ingredients and lots more!

Note...

These preparation tasks are fundamental to the efficient operation of the kitchen.
In this unit, you’ll learn how to avoid chaos by taking a systematic approach to complete
mise en place tasks.

A systematic approach to cooking

Commercial kitchens are busy and demanding. To deal with the pressure of work and
kitchen conditions, you must take a logical and systematic approach.

In this unit you’ll learn the six stages of preparing and cooking dishes using a systematic
approach.

Click on the pictures to see what they are.

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Stage 1: Confirm food production requirements. Know what you have to do from start to
finish and make adjustments as required.

Stage 2: Get the ingredients.

Stage 3: Get the equipment ready. Make sure it’s clean and safely assembled. Set or
preheat ovens, deep-fryers, steamers, etc.

Stage 4: Prepare the ingredients. Refer to the recipe for specific instructions: chop
onions, blanch vegetables, dice chicken, crumb meat, etc.

Stage 5: Cook the dish.

Stage 6: Present the dish.

We will look at each of these stages in detail throughout this unit.

How should Jamie get started?

Jamie was running in circles trying to get his dish completed. He never knows where to
begin and wastes a lot of time because of his poor organisational skills.

What’s the first thing Jamie should do before he starts cooking any dish?

You have 30 seconds to think of the answer.

Click on the timer to begin.

If you answered confirm all food production requirements, you’re correct! Click to the next
screen to find out more.

Stage 1: Confirm food production requirements

Food production requirements tell you how to produce a dish according to your
organisation’s standards. You find this information from food preparation lists and
standard recipes.

Click on the checkboxes to see the type of information specified.

 Deadlines (time taken to prepare, complete or reheat a dish)
 Portion control (for cooking and serving, for lunch or dinner serves, etc.)
 Quantities to be produced
 Special customer requests (no sauce, medium-rare, cream on the side, etc.)
 Special dietary requirements (no salt, nut free, gluten free, vegetarian, etc.)
 Step-by-step procedures
 Ingredients and equipment required
 Preparation and cooking methods required
 Presentation standards and techniques

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What’s a recipe?
A recipe lists the equipment, procedures and ingredient quantities you need to prepare
and cook a dish. It tells you everything you need to do and prepare from start to finish.

A good recipe breaks tasks down so anyone can follow them. Follow the recipe so the
dish turns out the same way every time, regardless of who cooks it.

Before you start cooking, read the recipe to make sure you have everything ready. You
don’t want to be halfway through preparing a dish and discover something you need is
unavailable. Be time efficient. Plan and organise food preparation tasks.

Number and
size of the
portions the Name of the dish
recipe produces
(the portion

Exact quantity and

name of each
ingredient in
sequential order

Method of
Equipment
preparing and
required
combining
ingredients

Cooking
How to serve or temperatures
present the dish and times

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Who uses standard recipes?

Restaurants chains, hospitals, aged care facilities, airline caterers and many more
workplaces do. They all require accurate planning, uniform production and high quality
standards.

Standard recipes ensure two things.

• Customers get the same dish every time they order.

• Management can calculate the total cost of ingredients so they know what to charge
customers.

Standard recipes used in commercial kitchens are the same as normal recipes, but with a
few extra details.

Standard recipe example

Click on the tabs to identify the information contained in a standard recipe.

Dish menu position

(entrée, dessert, etc.)
Photograph or
detailed diagram
of the finished Portion cost
product

Selling price

Date it was last

tested and costed

Cost of each
ingredient

Production
method

Plating and
garnishing
instructions

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Understanding recipe terms and processes

Recipes use standard cookery terms to describe food preparation. You may recall
learning some of these terms in the unit Use food preparation equipment.

Click on the icon to see some common processes and their meanings.

Au gratin Gratinate. Sprinkle with grated cheese or breadcrumbs and brown in a hot
oven or under a salamander.

Beat Stir rapidly and repeatedly with a wooden spoon.

Blanch Place food into rapidly boiling water for a short time to partially cook it. Then,
refresh in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Blend Place ingredients into a food processor, vitamiser or blender to purée and
thoroughly mix together.

Cream Beat sugar and fat together to incorporate air, dissolve the sugar, and whiten
the mixture.

Dice Chop food into even dimensions.

Flambé Ignite the cooking liquid to burn off alcohol content and intensify flavours.

Fold Gently combine delicate ingredients together without letting incorporated air
escape. This is usually done with a gentle flicking action using a wooden
spoon or a whisk.

Gratinate Place under a salamander or in an oven to brown the surface.

Knead Stretch and press dough to mix ingredients, incorporate air, improve texture,
and/or develop gluten.

Macerate Soak fruit in liqueur to soften or flavour it.

Mask Coat food with a sauce or other suitable liquid substance.

Napper Coat evenly with a sauce.

Prove Allow yeast dough to rest or ferment in a warm place so it can divide and
grow.

Purée Pass food through a sieve or blender to make a smooth liquid or semi-liquid.

Reduce Allow a liquid to simmer away and evaporate to half its volume to intensify
flavours and consistency.

Season Add flavour such as pepper or salt as necessary.

Set Leave a mixture to stand at room temperature or under refrigeration so it gets

firm.

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Sieve/sift Pass through fine mesh to remove lumps, break down, or retain coarser
matter. Sifting also aerates flour making it lighter when added to other
ingredients.

Soak Place food (usually legumes such as lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas, etc.)
into water to rehydrate and soften the outer layer.

Sweat Shallow fry slowly to cook without colour. This usually applies to onion.

Whip Beat with a whisk to stretch protein strands to the point where they’ve
trapped sufficient air so that the mixture holds its shape.

Whisk Beat into a froth or evenly disperse two or more liquids together using a wire
utensil.

What if you need to increase or decrease the portion?

Standard recipes aren’t always written for the exact number of portions you need. If you
require fewer or more portions, you can adjust the recipe by multiplying or dividing all the
ingredients accordingly.

Click on the icon to see how it’s done.

You have a recipe for 10 portions (2 L) of chicken and corn soup, but you need to make
80 portions (16 L). To convert, multiply all the ingredients by 8 to get the required amount.

80 ÷ 10 = 8, so all ingredients are multiplied by 8.

Alternatively, you may only need 4 portions. In this case, divide each ingredient by 2.5 to
work out the required amount.

10 ÷ 4 = 2.5, so all ingredients are divided by 2.5.

Hot tip

Take care when adjusting a recipe. It’s easy to make errors. Check that all calculations
and units of measurement are correct. It only takes one miscalculation to make a disaster!

Stage 2: Get the ingredients

Remember Jamie from earlier? One of the biggest mistakes he made was failing to have
all ingredients ready prior to starting his dish. Instead of transitioning through the recipe
steps with ease, he was constantly stopping and starting to collect missing ingredients.

This isn’t efficient use of time and, in some cases, may impact on the quality of your dish.
It can also cause chaos in the kitchen with unnecessary movement across the kitchen
floor and in and out of storage areas.

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Before preparing ingredients, get everything you need from the storage areas so it’s ready
for use in your work area. Refer to your recipe for a complete list of the ingredients you
need.

A quality dish needs quality ingredients

If your ingredients are of poor quality, you can expect your end product to taste the same.
Always choose fresh ingredients that meet quality standards. Check your ingredients for
signs of spoilage and contamination.

Click on the tabs to find out what these standards are.

Meat
• Colour should be appropriate for the meat type. Pink to bright red for beef, light grey to
pale pink for veal, bright pink to greyish pink for pork, and pink to dull red for lamb.
• Any overlaying fat should be firm, creamy white and odourless.
• Pork rind (if present) should be thin, smooth and have no hairs left on it.
• Flesh should show no signs of bruising, be firm, moist and have a texture appropriate
to the meat type and cut.
• The storage temperature of fresh meat should be between 1 and 5 °C and frozen meat
between -18 and -25 °C.
• Packaging should be sealed and show no signs of damage or tampering.
• Frozen meat should have no signs of freezer burn (glossary).

Poultry
• Poultry should be plump, firm and have well-formed breasts.
• Skin should be unbroken, dry and not slimy.
• There should be no pin feathers attached.
• There should be no discolouration, blemishes, cuts, bruising or broken bones.
• The flesh should be a clear colour in keeping with the variety. Chicken: pink, duck:
brownish-red.
• Poultry should have a pleasant odour.
• Frozen poultry should have no signs of freezer burn, damage to packing, or signs of
thawing and refreezing (such as excess moisture in the packaging).
• Fresh poultry should be stored between 1 °C and 5 °C. Frozen poultry should be stored
below -18 °C

Fruit and vegetables

The quality of fruit and vegetables can vary depending on what you are using them for.
For chutney, you may need green tomatoes. For salads you may need ripe, firm
tomatoes, and for soups, stocks and sauces, you may need over-ripe tomatoes.

Always check that the quality meets organisational standards and suits the dish you are
preparing. Here are some general principles.

• They should be fresh, crisp, with good colour and a fresh, pleasant smell.
• There should be no signs of insect damage, wilting, bruising, shrivelling, blemishes or
mould.
• Bulbs and tubers should have no sign of sprouting or greening on the surface.

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• Leafy vegetables should have compact leaves and no sign of wilting or discolouration
around the edges of leaves.
• Any packaging should be sealed and show no signs of damage or tampering.
• Frozen fruits and vegetables should have no signs of freezer burn.

Seafood
• Fresh fish should be top quality and meet all standard quality checks. Bright moist
eyes, bright red gills, firm flesh, moist skin, scales intact, stiff tail, natural colouring and
a fresh sea smell.
• Frozen seafood should be frozen hard with no signs of thawing. There should be no
sign of freezer burn or damaged packaging.
• Fresh fish should be stored at 1 °C or below.

Dry goods
Dry goods include flours, dried herbs and other seasoning, rice, pasta, pulses and grains.

• Dry goods should be stored correctly and show no sign of damage or tampering.
• There should be no sign of exposure to moisture or unusual clumping of dry goods.
• They should be stored in clean containers with tightly fitted lids to keep them safe from
vermin like rodents (rats and mice), weevils, flies and ants.
• There should be no other impurities such as dirt, other ingredients or pieces of packing
that may have fallen in.
• Goods should not be past their best-before or use-by date.

Dairy and eggs

Dairy products are the group of commodities derived from dairy farming. They include milk
and all products that come from milk including cream, butter, yoghurt and cheese.

• Dairy products and eggs should not be past their best-before or use-by date.
• They should look, smell and taste appropriate for the product type.
• Egg shells shouldn’t be cracked or broken.

Note...

This unit provides an overview of what to look for when selecting quality ingredients. You’ll
learn more detailed information about the characteristics and quality checks for different
food types, and specific storage procedures in future cookery units.

The importance of correct stock rotation

There are certain stock rotation procedures you must comply with when selecting
ingredients from stores.

These procedures minimise stock loss by ensuring that old stock is used before new
stock. They also ensure that the stock you select is of good quality, does not become
contaminated during storage and is safe for consumption.

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Click on the icon to find out why this is important.

When you receive new supplies of stock, place them at the rear of the shelf, behind any
existing stock. If you place new stock in front of existing stock, the old stock may never get
used. Instead, it’ll slowly deteriorate or expire and eventually need to be thrown out. A
waste of resources and money!

When unpackaged food and leftovers are stored, kitchen staff must label or code them
with the food type and storage date. This ensures that all goods are not stored longer than
is recommended for quality and safety reasons.

When you select ingredients, choose the oldest stock first. Remember to check stock date
codes, rotation labels, use-by and best-before dates to ensure the stock is safe to use.

Check ingredients for contamination

Even with great storage and food handling procedures, sometimes food can become
contaminated. You should have learnt about the different types of contamination in Use
hygienic practices for food safety. Can you remember what to look for?

Click on the icon to refresh your memory.

 Look for physical contaminants such as hair, glass, fingernails, adhesive bandages,
plastic, worms or flies.
 Chemical contaminants such as cleaning chemicals often have a strong smell so
look for an unpleasant, chemical odour.
 Highly acidic or alkaline chemical contaminants (e.g., tile cleaners) can leave ‘burn’
marks on soft foods like lettuces.
 Moulds, fungi and yeasts are signs of food spoilage but can also indicate incorrect
storage, potentially allowing the growth of food poisoning bacteria.

What if it’s too old or contaminated?

Check with your supervisor, chef or manager before disposing of old, deteriorated, expired
or contaminated ingredients.

Many establishments record stock which is thrown out on a wastage record. This helps
track how much money the business is losing due to storage problems, over-ordering or
over-preparation of menu items.

End of section
You have reached the end of section 1.

Click to the next section to continue.

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2
Section 2:
Select, prepare and use
equipment

To be an efficient and effective cook, you have to know which tools and equipment to
select for different tasks.

In this section you will learn the following.

• How to choose the right equipment.

• How to assemble and use the equipment safely and hygienically.

Stage 3: Get the equipment ready

Once you have confirmed food preparation requirements and selected your ingredients,
it’s time to assemble any tools and equipment you need.

To complete this stage, it’s essential that you are familiar with the vast array of tools and
equipment available. You can’t rely on your recipe to tell you what to use for each stage of
the cooking process.

Let’s begin by looking at the different types of tools and equipment available.

What are the different types of tools and equipment?

Click on the icon to find out the answer.
Commercial kitchen equipment includes a wide range of tools, utensils and appliances
which help you clean, prepare, process, cook and store food. This equipment is just as
important as the ingredients and recipes. Your success depends on your ability to select
the right type and size of equipment for a specific task as well as assemble and operate it
correctly.

With advances in technology, the range of tools and equipment is constantly expanding.
Some items may be complex to use while others take little technical knowledge.

It’s your responsibility to ensure that your technological skills are up-to-date so you can
use the food preparation equipment in your workplace safely and efficiently. Ask your
supervisor for the training you need.

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List the equipment

There’s an extensive range of tools and equipment used in commercial kitchens. How
many can you think of? See if you can list at least 20.

Click on the timer to begin.

How many did you think of? Find out which ones you missed on the next few screens.

Equipment classification
Despite the amazing array of commercial equipment available, you can group each item
(large or small) into four broad categories.

Click on the pictures to find out what they are.

1. Basic tools/ cook’s tools
2. Utensils
3. Mechanical equipment
4. Large fixed equipment

We’ll look at each category in detail throughout this section.

1. Basic tools/cook’s tools

Basic kitchen tools are the hand-held pieces of equipment used in cleaning, shaping,
mixing and cutting food. Most cooks own and carry them from one job to another.

Click on the icons to see the different food preparation tools.

 Knives
 Parisienne cutter
 Peeler
 Knife sharpening equipment
 Piping bag and nozzles
 Hand whisks
 Wooden spoons
You learned about these tools in the unit Use food preparation equipment. Do you
remember what they’re used for? Test your knowledge on the next screen.

2. Utensils
Kitchen utensils are the smaller equipment used in the preparation and service of food.
They are usually supplied by the establishment. They are used in the preparation and
service of food.

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Click on the icons to see the different utensils used.

 Tongs  Cake tin  Sieve and sifter
 Grater  Baking tray  Chopping boards
 Mandolin  Larding needle  Measures
 Chinois  Docking wheel  Meat hooks
 Colander  Spider  Meat bat
 Mouli  Rolling pin  Cutlery
 Pots and pans  Moulds, shapes, cutters  Crockery
 Thermometers

Note...

Thermometers are a very important tool in the kitchen. Let’s look at this in more detail on
the next screen.

What are the different types of thermometers?

There are two main types of thermometers commonly used to check the temperature of
food: probe and surface.

Click on the pictures to learn more about each type.

Probe thermometer
A probe thermometer measures the temperature in the middle of food using a long, thin
metal needle which can be inserted into the food. You can use the standard metal probe
in most situations. However, a different, stronger probe may be required if you’re taking
internal temperatures of frozen foods, so it doesn’t bend when inserted.

Surface thermometer
A surface thermometer allows you to monitor the temperature of thinner foods (for
example, a thin hamburger patty, stir-fry meat), where a probe has difficulty in gaining an
accurate measurement. Because it only reads the surface temperature of the food, you
should only use it for quick checks of deliveries or cooked foods.

Note...

Both probe and surface thermometers are battery operated, so remember to change the
batteries on a regular basis. All thermometers must be accurate to within 1 °C.

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3. Mechanical equipment
Mechanical equipment is usually powered by electricity. You’ll develop a fondness for
mechanical equipment for several reasons.

• It can cut your preparation time down considerably.

• It often provides a better end product than traditional methods.
• It can reduce labour costs to the restaurateur.

As technology advances, more mechanical time-savers are being introduced. It’s

important to keep your technology skills current so you can operate food preparation
equipment properly. Let’s look at some now.

Mechanical equipment
Click on the pictures to identify the different types of mechanical equipment.

Food processor
This high speed device can chop, grind or powder nuts and other dry ingredients in a
matter of seconds. It also purées fruits and vegetables in preparation for sweets, sauces
and other dishes.

Mixer
Electric mixers are a standard item in most kitchens. Use them to whip cream and egg
whites, mix doughs and batters, and blend ingredients together in a uniform way.

Planetary mixers are the most common mixer in commercial kitchens. They come in a
variety of sizes, which are measured by the capacity of their bowl in litres. They’re named
after their mixing action, which replicates a planet’s revolutions and orbit around the sun.
Use them for creaming, whipping, and mixing dough.

Blender
Use a blender to mix, purée or crush ice and other ingredients. It’s ideal for small
quantities, but isn’t suitable for grating or chopping ingredients. These tasks are better
performed with a food processor.

Slicer
Use a slicer to cut meats and cheeses uniformly. Adjust the slicing blade to suit the
desired thickness. You can see a slicer in action at any butcher or delicatessen.

Microwave
Use microwaves for reheating, defrosting or melting products such as chocolate, rather
than as a cooking device. Use them for small quantities of food. Large quantities are best
cooked in other oven types.

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Scales
Scales are used for weighing recipe ingredients and delivered goods. They’re often
electrical, but could also be spring-loaded or counterbalanced. These should be checked
for accuracy (calibrated) periodically to prevent incorrect readings.

Bowl chopper
If you’re involved in sausage making, then you’ll want to use a bowl chopper. It’s a rotating
round bowl that passes meat through a series of blades which chop the meat into fine
particles.

Mincer
Use a manual or electronic mincer (meat grinder) for mincing raw or cooked meat and
poultry.

Dough break
A dough break (pastry sheeter) is a mechanical device you can use to roll pastry into
sheets of uniform shape and thickness. It’s much faster and easier than doing it by hand!

The pastry or dough is systematically passed between a set of turning rollers. On each
pass, the rollers move closer together until the pastry is the desired thickness for the task
at hand.

4. Large fixed equipment

Large fixed equipment is fixed in place and powered by electricity, gas, steam or a
combination of the above. Some kitchen designs allow them to be wheeled around the
kitchen.

Click on the tabs to identify the large fixed equipment.

Stove top ranges

Solid top This electric stove top caters for pots and pans of various sizes.
The main heat element is concentrated in the middle and rear.
Use for food that requires rapid heating.

Open range This top has four, six or eight gas burners which vary in size to
suit different pots and pans.

Induction This electric stove top is safe because it doesn’t generate heat.
Only the cooking vessel gets hot. The pot generates heat using a
powerful, high-frequency electromagnet under the ceramic stove
top’s surface. When you place your pot over the magnetic field,
energy heats it and its contents. When you take the pot off, the
element turns off.

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Grills
Bar grill Grill that has an open metal grid or bars over gas or electric heat
elements.

Barbecue or char Used to cook food on grill bars over hot coals or flames.
grill

Griddle Solid cooking surface like a flat top grill plate.

French grill A portable grooved or corrugated solid top designed for use over
stove top gas jets. These grills produce less smoke and require
less oil during cooking.

Salamanders
A salamander is a grill which has its heat source above the food.

Steamers
Atmospheric Project the steam into the cooking chamber in a continuous flow
steamers with very little build-up of pressure. Steam cooks food at just a
little above boiling point (103 °C). A saucepan with a tightly lidded
steaming basket suspended above the water is an example.

Pressure steamers Pressure steaming equipment allows the steam to build up

pressure, achieving higher cooking temperatures (121 °C). A
safety valve controls the pressure and automatically releases
excess pressure when necessary.

The door locks automatically to contain the steam. Before you

open the door, you must vent the steamer by releasing the
pressure valve. These steamers cook food quickly, so aren’t
suited to soft food items like offal and puddings.

Deep Fryers
These are gas or electric powered vats which have open tops filled with modified fat or oil
heated to 190 °C. Remember that water boils at 100 °C, so this is very hot!

Submerge small food items (chips, battered fish fillets, etc.) in the oil and cook.

The deep fryer is one of the most potentially dangerous pieces of equipment found in any
kitchen, so take great care.

Bratt pans/tilting pans

Bratt pans can be gas or electric. Use them for braising, boiling, steaming, stewing,
poaching, deep frying, or roasting. You can set some for multi-functions such as browning
off meat (frying) followed by adding liquid for braising.

Some Bratt pans have a powered tilting mechanism allowing you to pour the contents, via
a spout, from the pan into a receptacle.

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Steam kettle stock pots

There are many varieties of steam kettle stock pots: gas or electric and stationary or
tilting. All are suitable for heating large quantities of soup, stocks and sauces.

Bain-marie
The bain-marie comes in two basic forms: wet and dry. The wet bain-marie is a stainless
steel unit that you fill with hot water. You then place trays and dishes of food over the hot
water to keep them hot for an extended period. Electric or steam-driven elements run
through the water to keep it at the desired temperature.

A dry bain-marie works on the same principle as the wet version; however, the trays and
dishes of food are suspended over electric elements rather than water. The dry heat tends
to dry the food quickly, so reduce the holding time for food kept in a dry bain-marie.

Ovens
The oven is typically a large box type unit used for baking, roasting or braising food. Like
your domestic oven, you can control commercial ovens to cook your food at a fixed
temperature. Let’s look at the different types of ovens on the next screen.

Safety and food preparation

Most of us go to work every day and never realise just how often we place ourselves and
others in danger through unsafe work practices. How can you minimise the likelihood of
an incident occurring at your workplace?

Click on the tabs to learn about three areas related to food preparation safety.

Assembly
Before using any equipment (especially electrical and mechanical equipment ) assemble it
correctly.

Assembling some equipment is complicated. If you aren’t sure what to do, refer to
manufacturer’s instructions or ask an experienced operator to demonstrate for you.

Check for cracks, frayed cords, faults, and incorrectly fitted blades or components which
might make it unsafe. If something doesn’t look right, ask someone to check it for you.

Don’t take any risks. Always use safety guards.

Cleanliness
Thoroughly clean all tools and equipment (including blades, bowls, chopping boards, pots
and knives) prior to use and between different preparation tasks. If you cook with
equipment containing food particles or residues from the previous day, you run the risk of
cross-contamination. You don’t want to be responsible for making your customers sick
through food poisoning or contamination.

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Technology skills and training

Some tools and equipment are more complicated than others. With advances in
technology, manufacturers are developing more efficient and effective ways of preparing
large quantities of food. Before using any equipment, make sure you have the skills and
training to operate it safely.

Here are some tips on how to develop the technology skills you need to safely operate
equipment with advanced or pre-programmed settings and functions.

• Read manufacturer’s instructions and product manuals.

• Ask your colleagues or supervisor for guidance, support, feedback and advice.
• Attend workshops or training sessions.
• Ask a more experienced person to demonstrate.
• Practise!

Using equipment hygienically

What hygienic practices should you follow when operating equipment and preparing food?

Click on the dot points for some simple guidelines.

 Clean and sanitise equipment according to workplace and manufacturer’s
instructions.
 Use tongs, forks or serving trays (not your hands) to transfer food.
 If you have to use your hands, wear disposable gloves.
 Practise good personal hygiene and wear protective clothing.
Some equipment poses greater risk than others. Let’s look at what they are next.

Avoid cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods at all stages of food
preparation. Make sure that drips from thawed meat and poultry don’t come in contact
with surfaces, equipment and cooked or high-risk foods.

Danger! Danger!
Think of the tools and equipment you learned in section 1. Can you name three of the
most dangerous culprits?

You've got 30 seconds to think of your answer.

Click on start to begin.

Cuts and burns might give you a clue. Compare your answer to ours.

• Knives
• Deep fryers
• Food processors
• Slicers
• General hot or sharp equipment

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We’ll look at how to safely use each item in more detail over the next few screens.

Knife safety
Click on the knives for some general safety tips.
Sharpen your knife! Sharp knives require less pressure and are less likely to slip.

Chop on a chopping board (not in your hand) except when doing decorative or detailed
work such as turning potatoes.

Hold your chopping board firmly in place by placing a damp cloth or non-slip mat under it.

Cut away from yourself and your fingers.

Never try to catch a falling knife.

Never run your finger down the edge of a blade to check for sharpness.

Carry your knife with the point towards the ground and the blade close to your body to
avoid injuring others.

Never soak your knives in a sink of water. This isn’t good for the blade and is very
dangerous for any unsuspecting person who puts their hands into the water.

Always clean and dry your knife if the handle becomes greasy or slippery.

Deep fryer safety

Deep frying is potentially the most dangerous method of cookery. Always check
manufacturer’s instructions so you know how to use deep fryers safely.

Click on the dot points to find out how to reduce injury.

 Place food in the deep fryer carefully and away from your body to avoid splashing.
Remember that the fat is at 190 °C. Water boils at 100 °C.
 Keep your sleeves rolled down. This prevents skin burns from splashes and
splatters.
 If anyone accidentally spills oil or fat on the floor, clean it up immediately. You don’t
want to slip and put your arm in the hot fryer.
 Don’t put your arms and face directly over the fryer. The fryer’s steam will penetrate
straight through the pores in your skin and cause nasty burns.
 Always allow the fat to cool to room temperature before straining the deep fryer.
 In case of fire, place a fitted lid or fire blanket on top. This cuts off the fire’s oxygen
supply and smothers the flame.

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In a nutshell

If you fail to follow manufacturer’s instructions and these safety rules, you could suffer
extensive burns to the skin, become blinded, start a fire or even blow the entire
establishment up.

Food processor safety

Although we’re looking specifically at food processors, take similar precautions when
operating any electrical appliances such as mixers, vitamisers, blenders, juicers, etc.

Click on the checkboxes for some important safety tips.

 Set equipment and blades up correctly according to manufacturer’s instructions.
 Avoid contact with any moving parts. This includes your fingers, hands, knives and
other utensils.
 Check for any damage such as frayed cords, cracks, damaged or loose
components.
 Never feed food into the processor by hand. Use the food pusher provided.
 Put the cover securely in place before you switch the appliance on.
 Do not operate the appliance near the edge of the bench. Vibration during operation
could cause it to move and fall.
 Never use near water or on a sink.
 Never leave unattended.
 Switch off and unplug before removing bowl and contents.

In a nutshell

Remember to operate all electrical equipment according to manufacturer’s instructions

and your workplace procedures to avoid injury.

Slicer safety
One wrong move while working with a meat slicer can be disastrous! Its fast, sharp slicing
blades can cut through skin, tendons, arteries and even bone. Follow manufacturer’s
instructions at all times.

Click on the checkboxes for some slicer safety tips.

 Always use the push guard (not your hands) for moving food towards the blade.
 Ensure blade guards are in place if applicable to the model you’re using.
 Cut large pieces of meat or cheese into smaller more manageable sizes before
loading onto the slicer.

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 Always return the blade setting to zero when you’ve finished slicing.
 Never leave a slicer running. If you have to stop slicing for any reason, turn the
machine off.
 Use cut resistant gloves if provided by the establishment.
 As with all electrical equipment, do not operate near water or liquid.
 Never reach across the blade for any reason.
 Never leave blades soaking in a sink of water.
 Never EVER clean or wipe down a slicer while it’s turned on.

General safety
Any equipment that’s hot or sharp has the potential to cause an injury. In a kitchen, you
don’t have to look too far to find several of these hazards!

Here are some general safety tips to keep in mind.

Carry sharp tools and equipment with the blade or point facing downwards, especially
when walking around the kitchen.

Switch off hot equipment such as ovens and steamers when not in use.

Use tongs and gloves when removing trays from bain-maries and always allow the steam
to escape away from you rather than towards you.

Never leave items sitting close to stove tops where they could easily be knocked over and
start a fire.

Wear appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) such as oven gloves when using
the oven or removing hot pots from a stove.

Use tongs to add ingredients to hot pots to avoid burns from splashes or steam.

Consult manufacturer’s instructions prior to using any equipment for the first time.

End of section
You have reached the end of section 2.

Click to the next section to continue.

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3
Section 3:
Portion and prepare
ingredients

With your ingredients, tools and equipment assembled and ready for use, you’re now
ready to move onto stage 4 of the cooking process: Prepare the ingredients.

This involves preparing, cutting, portioning, weighting and measuring ingredients.

In this section, you’ll learn how to perform these tasks while minimising waste.

The next stage in the cooking process

There are many food preparation tasks you may need to perform. How many can you
recall from the unit Use food preparation equipment? List as many as you can in 30
seconds.

Click on the timer to begin.

How many did you think of? Crushing, cutting, slicing, boning, marinating, and mincing?
These are all correct, but there is plenty more. Let’s look at them on the next screen.

Stage 4: Prepare the ingredients

Different preparation tasks are required for different recipes, cooking styles and food
types. You need to be familiar with the terminology and techniques used to understand
what you need to do at this stage of the cooking process.

You learned how to complete many of the preparation tasks in the unit Use food
preparation equipment. Over the next few screens you will briefly re-cover preparation
tasks categorised by ingredient type.

• Vegetables and fruit

• Meat and poultry
• Seafood
• Dairy and eggs
• Pastry
• Dry goods
• General food items

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Vegetables and fruit

Click on the icons to learn about the preparation tasks.

Blanching
Placing food into rapidly boiling water for a short time to partially cook it, then, refreshing
the food in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Crushing
Using a garlic press or the side of a knife to crush food into a paste-like consistency.

Cutting
Using a knife to cut food into a uniform size or specific size for the recipe (slicing, dicing,
segmenting, chopping, wedging).

Hulling
Removing the leaves and core of strawberries.

Macerating
Soaking fruit in liqueur or other liquids to soften or flavour it.

Peeling
Removing skin with a peeler or paring knife.

Portioning
Dividing food into standard sizes.

Soaking
Rehydrating and softening the outer layer of pulses by soaking in water.

Trimming
Removing fibrous cores, tough stalks, coarse, woody or stringy parts of some vegetables
such as cabbage, cauliflower, beans, snow peas, zucchini, etc.

Turning
Shaping odd-sized vegetables into even-sized barrel shapes for even cooking and
presentation purposes.

Washing
Removing soil and chemicals from the skins, insects and snails from the leaves, and
residue from pickers, packers, transporters or other handlers.

Weighing
Measuring the weight of fruit or vegetables.

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Meat and poultry

Click on the icons to learn about the preparation tasks.

Barding
Laying thin slices of pork back fat over lean meat to keep the meat basted and moist
during cooking.

Boning
Removing the main bones.

Cleaning
Removing all undesired pieces (blood vessels, fat, sinew, bones).

Cutting
Using a knife to slice through tissue or bones.

Larding
Inserting strips of pork back fat into the muscle of uncooked meat using a larding needle.

Marinating
Immersing cleaned and trimmed meat into a cooked or uncooked cold liquid to tenderise
before cooking and to impart additional flavour.

Mincing
Passing de-boned meat through an electric mincer to chop it into a fine even mix.

Portioning
Dividing the meat into standard sizes.

Removal of sinew
Removing the tough connective tissue between bones or bones and muscle.

Rolling
Rolling meat into neat, evenly shaped rolls after it has been boned out.

Skinning
Removing the outer layer of the skin.

Slicing
Using an electric slicer to quickly slice cooked meat to different thicknesses.

Stuffing
Combining a mixture of dry ingredients (herbs, breadcrumbs, mushrooms, fruit, etc.) with
a binding agent such as egg or egg whites. The mixture can be cooked separately or
inserted into rolled meat or the cavity of whole birds to impart flavour or serve as an
accompaniment.

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Trimming
Removing smaller bones and trimming off fat and skin.

Trussing
Tying and securing meat or whole birds into a neat bundle or shape for cooking to help
with even cooking and prevent loss of excess juices.

Weighing
Measuring the weight of the meat.

Seafood
Click on the icons to learn about the preparation tasks.

De-bearding
Removing the beard that hangs out between both shells in mussels.

Filleting
Cutting the fillets from a whole fish with a filleting knife.

Gilling
Removing the gills from fish.

Gutting
Removing the intestines and inner organs (gut) of fish.

Peeling
Removing the exterior shell of seafood such as prawns.

Portioning
Cutting and dividing fish into even portion sizes according to recipe or enterprise
standards.

Scaling
Removing the scales from fish by scraping the back of your chef’s knife or scale remover
over the skin.

Shucking
Opening oysters with a shucking knife.

Skinning
Removing the skin from fish with a filleting knife.

Washing
Using water or water and salt to clean away residue, blood, sand, grit, etc.

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Dairy and eggs

Click on the icons to learn about the preparation tasks.

Clarifying butter (ghee)

Melting butter to separate the clarified fat from the buttermilk and salt sediment.

Compound butter
Making flavoured butter disks or rosettes by softening butter, adding flavourings and
rolling in greaseproof paper prior to cutting.

Grating
Shredding cheese into fine particles by rubbing it against the surface of a grater.

Measuring
Using a measuring cup, jug or spoon to measure ingredients.

Roux
Cooking equal quantities of plain flour and butter over moderate heat for use as a
thickening agent in sauces, soups, stews and braises.

Separating
Separating egg whites from the egg yolks.

Slicing
Using an electric slicer to quickly slice cheeses to different thicknesses.

Weighing
Using scales to measure the weight of dry ingredients.

Whipping
Thickening cream by incorporating air with the use of a whisk.

Whisking
Beating into a froth or evenly dispersing two or more liquids together using a wire whisk.

Pastry
Click on the icons to learn about the preparation tasks.

Blind baking
Baking a pastry shell prior to adding filling.

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Cutting
Using a knife or patisserie shapes, moulds and fluted cutting wheels to cut pastry and
biscuits into decorative shapes.

Docking
Randomly pricking a pastry base all over with a fork or docking wheel to allow steam to
escape from the inside of the pastry.

Glazing
Brushing egg or milk wash on pastry prior to cooking.

Greasing
Applying oil, butter or other fat to the bottom and/or sides of baking trays and cake tins to
prevent food from sticking.

Kneading
Stretching and pressing dough to mix ingredients, incorporate air, improve texture and/or
develop gluten.

Lining
Applying baking paper or greaseproof paper to the base and/or sides of baking trays and
cake tins.

Rolling
Using a rolling pin to flatten out and press pastry into a uniform thickness.

Weighing
Using scales to measure the weight of dry ingredients.

Dry goods
Click on the icons to learn about the preparation tasks.

Boiling
Cooking rice or pasta in boiling water.

Croûtons
Making crunchy shapes with bread by toasting, baking or shallow frying. Used for
garnishes.

Rinsing
Washing rice or pasta in a colander prior to cooking.

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Sifting
Passing through fine mesh to remove lumps, aerate, break down or retain coarser matter.

General food items

Click on the icons to learn about the preparation tasks.

Coating
Adding wet and/or dry ingredients such as seasoned flour, batter or egg and breadcrumbs
to create a crisp texture, to flavour food or to seal the food.

Crumbing
Coating food in egg wash and breadcrumbs.

Seasoning
Adding herbs and spices to impart flavour to the food and overall dish.

How do you cut and portion ingredients for cooking?

There are many types of cutting techniques and styles used in cooking. The type you use
depends on the recipe and ingredients you’re using.

You can cut a loin of beef, for example, while it’s still attached to the bone and then
portion it into T-bone steaks (also known as porterhouse steak). Alternatively, you can
remove it from the bone and roast as a whole strip loin or cut into sirloin steaks.

If the recipe doesn’t tell you which cutting style to use, choose a cut that suits the cooking
style and menu, or refer to your establishment’s standard procedures.

Let’s look at examples of different cuts and portions on the next few screens.

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Cutting and portioning meat

Click on the four secondary cuts of the four secondary cuts of the butt (short leg) to
learn how each portion can be used.

3 Round or knuckle
This is a lean cut that is
moderately tough. It can be
used for braising and mincing.
2 Silverside
It may include the knuckle This cut can be used for
(sirloin tip) depending on how roasting and can be sliced to
the ‘round’ is separated from make ‘minute steak’.
the loin
Silverside is also known as
‘corned beef’.

3
2

1 Topside
This cut is a lean, boneless
piece of meat suited for
casseroles, stews braising
(glossary) and roasting.
4
4 Hind shank or shin
This is the lower part of the leg
and this portion can be braised
whole.
The dish osso buco (recipe #38)
uses cross cuts of veal shanks.

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Note...

This is only one example of the different meat cuts and portions you need to know. You’ll
learn more detailed information in future cookery units.

Poultry portions
Poultry can come in different shapes and sizes. The way in which you cut up the different
poultry from its original size is covered in another unit. This section looks at how these
portions are used when cooking.

If we use a chicken or turkey as an example there are a number of standard cuts that are
used. The different poultry portions can be cooked exactly the same way in many cases,
but the following provides some suggested options.

Remember, many recipes will have serving suggestions.

Wings
Grilling and BBQing are great ways to cook chicken wings. By doing them this way you
are able to allow the fat to drain away and by applying a marinade (glossary) they can
taste even better.

Drumsticks
Drumsticks sizes will depend on the size of the poultry, so always refer to a recipe for
weight or size recommendations.

Drumsticks can be:

• Baked
• Grilled
• Used in a casserole (glossary).

Thighs
Thighs can be an extension of the drumstick. But when cut off the leg bone they can be:

• Baked
• Broiled (glossary)
• Slow cooked in a stew
• Fried.

Breast
The breast has a wide range of cooking methods. They can be:

• Stuffed and baked

• Grilled
• Sautéed (glossary). (Pronounced: sew-tayed)

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Did you know...

The nutritional value of free range poultry should not be undervalued. Not only do they
taste better but they can have:

• Less cholesterol
• Less saturated fats
• More vitamin A
• More vitamin E

At the end of the day, not only will you have a happy ‘chook’ (whilst they live the good life),
but you can also serve healthier meals as well.

Cutting and portioning fish

In professional cookery there are several terms used to identify the portions and cuts used
on menus. It is important you know the names and preparation techniques for each.

Click on the tabs to learn more about the different cuts.

Whole
Whole dressed fish with the gut, gills, fins and scales removed. Depending on the type
and size of the fish, the head may be left on or removed.

Fillet
Long piece of boneless flesh removed completely from the spine of round or flat fish. The
fillets of some fish are small enough to be served whole while the fillets from large fish
require further cutting into individual portions. Remember, flat fish have four fillets, round
fish have two.

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Butterfly fillet
Two single fillets of a round fish or two fillets of a flat fish, joined by the skin but with all
bones removed. Sometimes, this cut is also called a cutlet.

Délice
Fillet from a small round or flat fish neatly trimmed and folded, usually in preparation for
poaching. The thinner tail end of the fillet is tucked under the rest of the fillet so that the
whole fillet cooks evenly.

Supreme
The fillet from a large fish cut on an acute slant into boneless portions. This cut is also
sometimes called pavé. A medallion cut is prepared the same as a supreme but trimmed
further to form an oval or round shape.

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Paupiette
A fillet from a small round or flat fish rolled up, held with a toothpick and usually oven
poached. The rolled fillet is sometimes stuffed before cooking.

Lorgnette
Backbone and tail removed from small round fish while the two fillets remain attached to
the head. The fillets are rolled in opposite directions to each other from the tail end
towards the head. The rolled fillets are usually held in place with a skewer whilst cooking.

Goujon and goujonette

Thin even strips of flesh cut from the fillet of round or flat fish. Goujons are approximately
8 to10 cm long by 1 cm wide. Goujonettes are about half the size of goujons. Both sizes
are usually either battered or crumbed and deep-fried.

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Darne or steak
Slice of large round fish cut crosswise and through the backbone. The central bone is
easily removed once the fish has been cooked.

Tronçon
Slice of large flat fish cut crosswise and through the backbone. On very large flat fish such
as skate, the fish is usually split in half lengthwise first before cutting across the bone.

Hot tip

Whatever cut you use, make sure the pieces are trimmed in a uniform fashion and look
neat and tidy. Take care not to remove too much meat, reducing the size of the portion.

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Cutting and portioning vegetables

You can cut vegetables into many different shapes and forms. Most of these have
particular names, based on their origin, shape and size.

Click on the icons to learn about the two cutting categories used for vegetables.

Rough cutting
Use rough cutting when the vegetables aren’t going to be eaten as part of the dish.

Use to release flavour and colour to items like stocks, soups and braises. Once the flavour
has been extracted, strain the vegetables from the mixture and discard them.

Precision cutting
Use precision cutting when the vegetables need cutting into specific shapes and sizes for
serving in a dish, as a garnish, in a salad or as an accompaniment. Your aim is to make
sure that all vegetables are cut uniformly in size for appearance.

Rough cuts
The most common rough cut for vegetables is called ‘mirepoix’.

Click on the video to find out more.

Mirepoix (pronounced ‘Mirri-pwa’)

Tool: Cook’s knife

A mirepoix is a uniform mixture of carrot, celery, onions and sometimes leek. The shape
of the cut vegetables isn’t important from a visual perspective because the vegetables
never make it onto the finished product. What’s important is an even mix of each of the
vegetables so that one flavour doesn’t dominate. Some recipes call for a white mirepoix.
To prepare this, simply omit the carrot so that the orange colour isn’t transferred to the
dish.

You can add a mirepoix to stocks, soups, sauces and braised dishes. You can also place
it under meats when they’re roasting, to lift the meat off the base of the pan. This allows
air circulation for even cooking, imparts flavour and lifts the meat out of cooking fats. You
can then use the vegetables to make a sauce with the roasting juices. This is called a
‘trivet.’

Precision cuts
There are quite a few precision cutting techniques used in commercial kitchens around
the world. Each has a specific origin, size and use.

Click on the pictures to see the names of some common cuts.

 Chiffonnade
 Julienne

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 Brunoise
 Macédoine
 Paysanne
 Jardinière
 Vichy
 Turning
We’ll look at each of these precision cuts in more detail over the next few screens.

Chiffonnade
Tool: cook’s knife

This term is used to describe a fine shred of leaf vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and
spinach. Use this cut to prepare vegetables for soups, salads or as a base to support
other food. The shred must be delicate in appearance, of even thickness and not chunky.

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut chiffonnade.

Step 1 Wash the leaves under cold running water and drain well.

Step 2 Neatly stack the leaves together and secure on a cutting board with your free
hand.

Step 3 Evenly slice through the leaves at 1 to 2 mm intervals (depending on

requirement).

Julienne
Tool: cook’s knife

This name comes from a chef responsible for the development of this cut, Jean Julienne.
The cut results in fine even strips of vegetables.

You’ll often use julienne to prepare food for salads and garnishes or as a base for hot and
cold entrées.

Dimensions: 2 mm x 2 mm x 4 cm

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut julienne.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.

Step 2 Cut the vegetable item into 4 cm lengths.

Step 3 Square the sides of the 4 cm long vegetable pieces by trimming any round
edges, until all four sides are at right angles.

Step 4 Secure the vegetable on a cutting board with your free hand. Evenly slice it
lengthwise at 2 mm intervals.

Step 5 Stack 3 to 4 slices on top of each other. Secure with your free hand and
slice through the stack lengthwise at 2 mm intervals, resulting in even 2 mm
x 2 mm x 4 cm strips.

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Brunoise (pronounced ‘broon-wahz’)

Tool: cook’s knife

This cut originated in the French district of Brunoy, where fine spring vegetables are
grown. It’s a very fine dice of vegetables used for Scotch broth, soups and garnishes.

Dimensions: 2 mm even dice.

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut brunoise.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.

Step 2 Square the sides of the vegetable by trimming any round edges, until all
four sides are at right angles and then cut the vegetable into manageable
lengths.

Step 3 Secure the vegetable on a cutting board with your free hand. Evenly slice
the vegetable lengthwise at 2mm intervals.

Step 4 Stack 3 to 4 slices on top of each other. Secure with your free hand and
slice through the stack lengthwise at 2mm intervals, resulting in even 2 mm
x 2 mm strips.

Step 5 Secure a manageable bundle of strips on a cutting board with your free
hand and cut the strips at 2 mm intervals, resulting in an even 2 mm dice.

Macédoine (pronounced ‘mass-e-dwan’)

Tool: cook’s knife

This cut is named after a region in Eastern Europe: Macedonia. It describes a larger dice,
used for chunky soups, vegetable dishes and stews. You’ll often cut potatoes macédoine
for potato salad.

Dimensions: 5 to 8 mm dice.

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut macédoine.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.

Step 2 Square the sides of the vegetable by trimming any round edges, until all
four sides are at right angles and then cut the vegetable into manageable
lengths.

Step 3 Secure the item on a cutting board with your free hand and evenly slice the
vegetable lengthwise at 5 to 8 mm intervals.

Step 4 Stack 2 to 3 slices on top of each other. Secure with your free hand and
slice through the stack lengthwise at 8 mm intervals, resulting in even 8 mm
x 8 mm strips.

Step 5 Secure a manageable bundle of strips on a cutting board with your free
hand and cut the strips at 5 to 8 mm intervals, resulting in an even 5 to
8 mm dice.

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Paysanne (pronounced ‘pay-zahn’)

Tool: cook’s knife

This translates to ‘country style’ or ‘farmer’s wife style’, and refers to food cut into
triangles, rounds or squares used for soups or stews. You’ll often cut vegetables
paysanne for minestrone soup.

Dimensions: 15 mm diameter and 3 mm thick.

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut paysanne.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.

Step 2 If the vegetable is larger than 15 mm in width, cut it into 15 mm wide

(square, triangle, round, semi-circle or crescent) strips.

Step 3 Secure a manageable bundle of the prepared strips on a cutting board with
your free hand and cut the strips at uniform 3 mm intervals.

Jardinière
Tool: cook’s knife

This derives from the French word ‘jardin’, meaning garden.

Use this cut for spring vegetables like beans, carrots and parsnips.

Dimensions: 4 mm x 4 mm x 1.5 cm.

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut jardinière.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.

Step 2 Square the sides of the vegetable by trimming any round edges, until all
four sides are at right angles and then cut the vegetable into manageable
lengths.

Step 3 Secure the vegetable on a cutting board with your free hand. Evenly slice
the vegetable lengthwise at 4 mm intervals.

Step 4 Stack 3 to 4 slices on top of each other. Secure with the free hand and slice
through the stack lengthwise at 4 mm intervals, resulting in even 4 mm x 4
mm strips.

Step 5 Secure a manageable bundle of strips on a cutting board with your free
hand. Cut the strips at 1.5 cm intervals, resulting in even batons 4 mm x 4
mm x 1.5 cm.

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Vichy
Tool: cook’s knife

Named after the French mineral spring and spa district, ‘Vichy’ refers to thin round slices
of carrot. You can cut Vichy by hand or use a mandolin for greater speed. You then pre-
cook the carrot in mineral water and serve.

Dimensions: 1 cm diameter and 2 mm thick.

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut Vichy by hand.
Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the carrots ready for use.

Step 2 If carrots are large, cut them in half lengthwise.

Step 3 Neatly and evenly slice the carrot at 2 mm intervals.

Turning
Tool: turning or paring knife

Turning is the name given to the shaping of odd-sized vegetables into even-sized barrel
shapes. You do this for presentation reasons and to ensure even cooking. The actual
size of each barrel must be consistent for all the vegetables in each batch. Potato, carrot
and pumpkin are typical examples of vegetables that are turned.

Click on the steps to see how to turn vegetables.

Step 1 Peel the vegetable to be turned (optional).

Step 2 While holding the vegetable in your free-hand, cut a flat top and bottom in
the vegetable.

Step 3 Using a smooth flowing curved motion, cut the vegetable from top to bottom
so that it resembles the side of a barrel.

Step 4 Continue cutting sides in a curved fashion until all sides are even and of the
desired size.

How do you measure and weigh ingredients?

Every recipe lists exactly how much you need of each ingredient. This amount may be
given in weight, volume or quantity depending on the ingredient type.

Click on the tabs for some useful measuring tips.

Weight
Use measuring spoons and scales to weigh and measure dry ingredients such as sugar
and flour and semi-liquid ingredients such as peanut butter and sour cream. Remember to
account for the weight of any containers you use in the weighing process (measuring jugs,
bowls, etc.)

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Volume
Use measuring jugs to measure liquid ingredients such as milk and water.

Quantity
If a recipe requires a certain number of ingredients (such as eight button mushrooms or
twelve cherry tomatoes), take the time to count these out correctly rather than just
estimating that it’s ‘about a handful’.

Weighing and portioning

Organisations develop standard recipes to make sure the end products look, weigh and
taste the same every time. They accurately cost these recipes to determine the exact cost
to produce each portion.

The importance of accuracy

Make sure you count and measure all ingredients carefully.

Altering quantities or making errors impacts on the quality of your final dish and may even
require the dish to be re-made because it didn’t work out.

This wastes food and money for additional labour costs.

What do all these abbreviations mean?

There are standard abbreviations for different weights and measurements. You must
know what they are to accurately calculate ingredients.

You also need to know how to convert measurements from the imperial to metric system
and vice versa.

Click on the icons to see some common abbreviations and conversions.

Liquid measures
1 litre = 1000 millilitres = 10 decilitres

1 decilitre = 100 millilitres

Weight
1 kilogram = 1000 grams

Length
1 metre = 100 centimetres = 1000 millimetres

Abbreviation
tbsp = tablespoon

tsp = teaspoon

gram = gm = g

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kilogram = kg = kilo

litre = L = Ltr

millilitre = mls = ml

decilitre = dl = d

millimetre = mm

centimetre = cm

degrees = °C or °F

Celsius = C

Fahrenheit = F

Conversion
1 litre = 1.76 pints

1 kilogram = 2 1/5 pounds

0 °C = 32 °F

82 °C = 180 °F

100 °C = 212 °F

150 °C = 302 °F

200 °C = 392 °F

Hot tip

Although we currently use the metric system in Australia, many older recipes use the
imperial system. This is also the case for any recipes you may download from United
States (US) websites.

Do portion sizes differ?

It’s common for some enterprises to vary portion sizes to match the meal period or even
menu type.

Click on the tabs to learn more about portion sizes.

Different meal periods

Many restaurants have a separate lunch and dinner menu. Some of the menu items may
be the same on both menus. However, your customers can expect to receive a smaller
portion for lunch than what they receive for dinner.

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Here’s an example.

Lunch portion sizes 200 ml soup 3-point racks of lamb 180 gram rib-eye steak

Dinner portion sizes 250 ml soup 4-point racks of lamb 230 gram rib-eye steak

Different menu types

The type of menu can also affect portion sizes. Some establishments offer a choice of à la
carte or table d’hôte. The portion sizes for the more expensive à la carte style are typically
about 30 per cent larger than the table d’hôte equivalent.

Different foods and cooking styles

You may need to vary portions depending on the cooking style you’re using and whether
the food is being served as a starter, main course or accompaniment.

Some foods, such as pasta and rice, swell to at least double its size and weight when
cooked. It can be difficult to judge how much is required for a given number of portions.
The most accurate method is to work out portion sizes based on the raw product weight.
35 g of pasta per person is usually enough for an entrée. 60 g is usually considered a
good portion size for a main course.

Note...

Always refer to the recipe and your establishment’s procedures for portioning, weighing
and measuring ingredients.

What is a food by-product?

The food that is leftover during and after the production of a dish.

Why is it important to store and use by-products?

By storing and then using any food by-products you can reduce a kitchen’s costs. When
you use by-products in other dishes you also minimise waste.

For example, the off-cuts of vegetables and meat can be used towards making great
stocks.

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How do you store reusable by-products?

Click on the pictures for information on how to store opened ingredients and
reusable by-products.
Follow the instructions on the labels for shelf life. Some items state that the ingredients
should be used within three days of opening. It’s your job to mark the container with the
date of opening so that others can recognise when it’s no longer safe to use.

• Mark all items with the date of storage. This is an important control to meet food safety
requirements.
• Place fragile items in food grade containers to prevent damage.
• Remove canned ingredients from packaging and place in clean, dry, airtight, food
grade containers.
• Place open bags of flour and other dry goods in bins suitable for food storage.
• Cover all ingredients with plastic wrap or a lid.
• Keep plastic wrap, packaging and other materials used for food storage in clean, dry,
pest and contamination free stores to prevent cross-contamination.
• Store raw meat on shelves under rather than above cooked meats to prevent cross-
contamination.
• Keep all food stored at suitable temperatures. We’ll look at what these temperatures
are next.

Where should you store reusable by-products?

Different types of food have different storage requirements to maintain food quality and
safety.

Click on the pictures so see what they are.

Dairy
Refrigerate milk, cream, yoghurt, butter and cheese at 3 to 4 °C.

Refer to the best-before and use-by dates.

Keep cheese sealed to avoid drying out or absorbing odours from other foods.

Meat and poultry

Refrigerate at 1 to 3 °C.

Humidity should be around 85%.

Store meat in these conditions for 4 to 6 days. Poultry for 3 to 4 days.

Store all meat on trays and wrap with plastic wrap.

Never store raw and cooked meat on the same tray.

Seafood
Store on crushed ice at 1 °C.

Cover seafood with plastic wrap.

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Gut, scale and clean prior to storage.

Replace ice as it melts and change trays daily.

Stored correctly, you can keep seafood for up to 5 or 6 days.

Fruits and vegetables

Store most fruits and vegetables at 6 to 10 °C.

Store beans at 7 °C.

Store broccoli at 1 °C (usually packed on ice).

Store bananas and other tropical fruits at 18 °C (storing below 13 °C will turn the fruit
black).

Store root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, etc.) in a dark, cool, dry, well-
ventilated room.

Frozen goods
Store frozen goods in the freezer at -18 °C or below.

Wrap and store food in sealed containers to prevent them from damage and freezer burn.

You can store fish safely in the freezer for up to 3 months, meat and poultry for up to 6
months and blanched vegetables for up to 9 months.

Dry goods
Dry goods include food items in cans, jars, bottles and sealed packaging, as well as semi-
perishable foods such as sugar, rice, peanuts, etc.

Store dry goods in a cool, dry, well-ventilated storage area.

Transfer dry goods into clean containers with tightly fitted lids to protect from vermin like
rodents (rats and mice), weevils, flies and ants.

Why is it important to minimise waste?

When you don’t manage waste properly, it can cause pollution and have devastating
effects on the environment. Excessive waste or disposing of waste that could otherwise
be reused or recycled is avoidable.

The waste management hierarchy sets out the preferred waste management practices
from the most desirable to the least desirable. Implementing the waste management
hierarchy in the workplace ensures that you minimise environmental risks and maximise
opportunities to improve business environmental performance.

Let’s take a closer look at the waste management hierarchy on the next screen.

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Waste management hierarchy

Click on the bins to learn more about the hierarchy stages.

Refuse
Refusing waste means exactly that: saying no to options that result in unnecessary waste,
for example, by using containers with lids rather than plastic wrap, refusing chemical
cleaners, or refusing beverages in polystyrene cups.

Reduce
There are many ways you can reduce waste in the hospitality environment. Here are
some simple suggestions.

• Buy products in bulk to minimise the amount of packaging used and to be disposed of.
• Compost food scraps and donate leftover supplies to a charity to reduce food wastage.
• Wash fruits and vegetables and soak utensils and pots in still water, not running water.
• Install energy efficient appliances and switch to fluorescent lighting.
• Switch off appliances, computers, heating, cooling and lighting when not in use.
• Install flow restrictors or low-flow showerheads, toilets and taps.
• Consider installing solar panels and a rainwater tank.
• Serve beverages in glasses not plastic cups.

Reuse
Ever heard of the saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure?’ This is the concept
of reusing products. When you sell used goods on eBay, accept hand-me-down toys and
clothes, go to a garage sale, or donate goods to an opportunity shop, you’re reusing
resources and minimising waste.

In hospitality, you can minimise food wastage by reusing scraps such as chicken bones
for stocks and soups or offcuts for mincing.

Use containers from your suppliers for storage of other products and reuse crates rather
than cardboard boxes if you’re otherwise crushing and disposing of them with each
delivery.

Recycle
These days most people are familiar with the recycling process because it’s a service
provided by local councils. Surprisingly, many people still get confused about what can
and cannot be recycled, and others are simply lazy or complacent.

Recycling in the workplace is no different to recycling in the home. Separate used

cardboard, glass, plastics and green waste from non-recyclable waste.

Remember, any waste you don’t put into a recycle bin is disposed to landfill. This is the
waste you want to avoid as it’s most damaging to our environment.

Always consider the option of buying recycled products such as recycled paper, toner
cartridges, toilet paper and paper towels.

Some businesses also recycle water, which is another great way to minimise waste.

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Recover
In the simplest terms, recovery is any operation that takes waste material and turns it into
something that benefits the environment. It might be in the form of material recovery
(recycling), energy recovery (reusing fuel) or biological recovery (such as composting).

When you put your recyclable products on the kerbside for collection, they’re taken to a
Material Recovery Facility (MRF or ‘murf’) where they’re sorted, baled and transported to
reprocessing or treatment factories.

Responsible disposal - least desirable

Disposal of waste is the least preferred option in the waste management hierarchy, but
sometimes there’s no other option. When necessary, dispose of waste responsibly.
Comply with council regulations, and ensure that you dispose of chemical and hazardous
material (glossary) safely and responsibly. You cannot throw out items such as batteries,
toner cartridges, chemical containers, mobile phones and computers in the trash with the
rest of the establishment’s waste. You cannot dispose hazardous chemicals and waste
from cooking oils and fats down the drain. If you’re unsure, check with your local council
for specific waste disposal procedures and regulations relevant to your workplace.

Are you in 4th place?

Something worth considering
When someone mentions ‘smarter waste disposal’ or ‘minimisation of waste’ why is it that
the majority of people think about recycling? Do you feel like you’re doing enough by
simply sorting trash into recyclable and non-recyclable bins? Remember that recycling is
the fourth option on the waste management hierarchy, not the first. The first preference is
to avoid waste altogether.

End of section
You have reached the end of section 3.

Click to the next section to continue.

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4
Section 4:
Cook dishes

With your preparation tasks complete, you’re now ready to cook the dish.

In this section, you’ll learn how to use a range of cookery methods to cook different types
of food.

You’ll be shown how to:

• complete the cooking process

• identify problems and take corrective action
• work cooperatively with colleagues.

Stage 5: Let’s cook!

With your preparation tasks complete, you’re now ready to move onto Stage 5: Cook the
dish.

Cooking is a lot of fun but this is also the stage where things are most likely to go wrong.

Click on the checkboxes for some useful tips to keep in mind as you work through
the cooking process.
 Follow each step of your recipe carefully.
 Pay attention to specific cooking instructions and don’t miss any steps.
 Use your logic and common sense.
 Don’t compromise safety for speed.
 Look out for things that might go wrong and take action to fix them.
 Ask for help when you need it.
 Be a good team player. Offer your assistance when it’s needed.
 Meet deadlines and produce quality dishes.

Why do we cook food?

Click on the dot points to find out.
 To tenderise it so it’s easier to digest.
 To destroy harmful bacteria and parasites present in many foodstuffs.
 To change the texture.
 To make the food look and taste more appealing.
 To concentrate flavours.
 To socialise when preparing and sharing meals.

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In a nutshell

Your ability to incorporate all these elements into well-combined, tasty, attractive,
nourishing and appropriate meals is the key to success.

What form does heat take to cook food?

You must transfer heat to and through food to cook it. You can use any heat source: a gas
flame, electric element, steam-pressure or microwave. Understanding what speed is
required and how heat is transferred help control the cooking process.

Click on the pictures to learn about the three ways to transfer heat.
 Heat by conduction
 Heat by convection
 Heat by radiation

Hot tip

Too much heat results in overcooked, dry or burnt food, and too little heat can result in
poor colour, loss of nutrition and poor flavour development.

Now you’re cooking!

Click on the tabs for a more detailed explanation of the three ways to transfer heat.

Heat by conduction
Heat by conduction occurs in two ways.

1. Heat moves directly from one solid to something touching it. For example, heat
moves from the gas flame to the base of a pot to the liquid inside, then into the food
in the liquid.
2. Heat moves from one part of something to another part of the same item. For
example, heat moves from the outside of a potato to the inside or from the base of a
pot to its handle.

Heat by convection
Convection occurs when the movement of air, steam or liquid transfers heat.

This transfer can happen in two ways: naturally or mechanically.

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Naturally
Example: Hot gasses and liquids rise as cool ones sink. Liquid becomes lighter and rises
to the top as it heats in the pot. The heavier cold liquid then moves to the bottom until it
too heats and rises.

Mechanically
Example: The fans in convection ovens improve the circulation of heated air. This results
in evenly cooked food in less time.

Stirring is a form of mechanical convection, as it redistributes heat and prevents food from
burning. Thick liquids cannot circulate as fast as thin ones, so the rate of convection is
slower. Stirring is needed as the heat isn’t carried away from the bottom fast enough; thick
liquids often stick and burn on the bottom of a pot.

Heat by radiation
When a heat source becomes hot, it creates infrared radiation. It then heats or cooks food
in its path. Familiar examples of infrared cooking are browning, grilling and barbecuing
food, or toasting bread in a toaster.

Radiation heat sources include electric elements, gas flames, heat-beads, volcanic rock or
grill bars.

In microwave cooking (as the name suggests) the microwaves create the radiation. The
microwaves penetrate and vibrate the food’s cell structure which causes friction. The
friction creates heat, which is what cooks the food.

What are the different methods of cookery?

The different cookery methods can be classified into three areas.

Click on the tabs to see what they are.

Wet or moist heat methods

Where heat is transferred to the food product by steam or water (including stock, sauces,
soups, sugar syrups, etc.).

• Boiling and simmering

• Blanching
• Steaming
• Stewing
• Braising
• Poaching

Dry heat methods

Where the heat is transferred without moisture, that is, by hot metal, hot air, radiation and
hot fats and oils.

• Deep frying
• Shallow frying (sautéing, stir-frying, pan-frying)
• Grilling (barbequing)

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• Roasting
• Baking

Other
Microwave cookery refers to the use of a specific tool rather than to a dry or moist cooking
method. You can use a microwave to replicate both wet and dry cooking. For example,
fresh beans placed in a covered microwave safe container with a little water, replicates
both boiling and steaming. Microwave cooking a dry unpeeled potato replicates the baking
process.

Why is it important to select the correct cooking method?

While some foods are versatile enough to be cooked by a variety of methods, the flavour
and texture of many foods lend themselves to a particular cooking method.

Follow the recipe to ensure you use the right method for the dish (glossary) you’re
cooking.

Click on the dot points to see what you will learn for each method.
 Definition of each cooking method
 Principles and practices
 Food suited to each method
 Tools and equipment required
 Troubleshooting
 Safety tips

Moist heat method: Boiling

There are three applications of boiling.

Click on the pictures to find out what they are.

 Boiling
 Simmering
 Blanching
We’ll look at each method in detail over the next few screens.

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Boiling and simmering (conduction/convection)

When cooking with or in liquids there are two main cooking methods; boiling or simmering.
Food is brought to the boil and then the heat is reduced to bring the liquid to a simmer.

Click on the icons to learn more about these two methods.

Boiling
• Boiling is a method of cooking food in water at a boiling point (glossary).
• Boiling can be seen when steam bubbles are very active.
• Boiling can also apply to cooking stock or even milk.
• Boiling is not suitable for delicate foods.

Simmering
• Simmering is when food or liquids are kept below the boiling point.
• Simmering can be seen when the formation of steam bubbles has all but ceased.
• Simmering is a gentle process.
• Simmering helps stop the food from toughening or disintegrating.

Click on the icon to find out more on boiling and simmering.

Did you know?

• It takes longer to cook with liquids at a higher altitude.
• It takes longer to cook when the surface of the container is wet.
• It takes longer to boil when you add soluble substances like salt or sugar.

The principles of boiling and simmering

Click on the pictures to find out how to get the best results when boiling and
simmering.

Liquid temperature
To boil most food items, including all green and leaf vegetables, place into rapidly boiling
liquid. Bring the liquid back to the boil as quickly as possible to retain maximum flavour
and nutrients, and to prevent the loss of colour.

To simmer food, simply reduce the boiling temperature to between 95 and 98 °C.

Liquid cover
Completely cover the food being boiled with the liquid throughout the cooking process. If
some of the liquid evaporates, top it up.

Root vegetables
Place root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, turnips, etc.) in cold salted water and bring to the
boil. This helps draw out the acrid soil taste and improves the flavour.

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Salted and pickled meat

Place salted and pickled meat such as corned beef or pickled ox tongue in cold water and
then bring to the boil. Add herbs, spices and vegetables to the cooking liquid to improve
the flavour.

Pot size
Use a pot size suited to the type of food being cooked. Rice and pasta, for example, can
swell to double their raw size when cooked. Choose a pot that allows it to expand and
move freely in the liquid.

Use the ratio ten parts liquid to one part rice or pasta as a guide.

Blanching (conduction/convection)
Watch the video to learn about this method.
Blanching is the placement of food into rapidly boiling water for a short time in order to
partially cook it. You then refresh the food in ice water to stop the cooking process. You
usually do this to prepare food for further cooking methods like sautéing or braising.

You can also blanch food in hot oil.

Let’s look at blanching in more detail on the next screen.

Principles of blanching
Click on the tabs to learn blanching principles.

Whiten meats
Use to whiten meats for a blanquette (glossary), when preparing bones for a white stock
and when preparing salted preserved meats for cooking.

• Cover the meat or bones with cold water. The cold water allows blood, salt, strong
flavours and impurities to dissolve.
• Quickly bring water to the boil.
• Allow the liquid to boil for 3 to 4 minutes and then refresh meat under cold running
water.

Removing excess flavour

Use to remove excess strong flavour when preparing some vegetables for braising or to
soften vegetables for salads.

• Place vegetables into rapidly boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes.

• Refresh under cold running water.

Blanching vegetables for salads brightens their colour but, more importantly, softens their
texture, making them more palatable for the customer. It also helps them retain vitamin C
and absorb the flavours of dressings by breaking down the cells and allowing flavoured
liquid to be drawn into the vegetable.

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Removing skin
Use to remove skins from tomatoes, peaches and grapes.

• Plunge fruits into boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds.

• Refresh in ice water.
• You can now remove the skins.

Partially cooking
You can partially cook many vegetables prior to the crucial service time to help with speed
and coordination. Some foods you can blanch before cooking them with another method.

To quickly regain boiling temperature, use a ratio of ten parts boiling liquid to one part
food (10:1).

You can also blanch food in hot oil. Raw potatoes and chips, for example, can be
blanched and partially cooked in a deep fryer at a low temperature. When the chips are
required for service, you only need to deep-fry them for a short time at a high temperature.
Follow these steps for blanching in hot oil.

• Blanch at 150 °C to partially cook the item without colour.

• Remove, drain off oil and allow to cool.
• When required for service, finish the cooking process at 190 °C.

What foods are suitable for boiling and simmering?

Not all foods are suitable for boiling and simmering. The high temperature toughens most
meat and fish. The rapid liquid movement also breaks delicate foods like lamb brains, fish
and berries. Zucchini has a high water content and disintegrates when boiled.

Click on the pictures to learn which types are suitable and how to boil them.

Green vegetables
• Examples of suitable vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bean
sprouts, peas, kale, corn on the cob, french beans, spinach, cabbage.
• Boil or simmer green vegetables in salted water (10g of salt per litre).
• When tender, rinse vegetables with cold water to stop them cooking as well as retain
colour, vitamins and minerals.
• Always put green vegetables in water that is already boiling.

Whole root vegetables

• Examples of suitable root vegetables (glossary) include carrots and potatoes.
• Start whole root vegetables in cold salted water (a lid can be used).

Dehydrated vegetables
Boil or simmer dehydrated foods, like dried vegetables (peas, mushrooms, onion, carrot),
to rehydrate them.

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Cured meats
• Cured (glossary) meats are suitable for simmering.
• Blanch, starting in cold water to draw out the excess salt and remove blood.
• Cured meats are cooked when you can press a skewer into the meat without
resistance.

Fresh meats and poultry

• Boil old, poor quality and tough meats in preparation for casseroles and stews.
• Start fresh meats and poultry in boiling liquid to seal juices and flavours.
• Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.
• Add herbs, spices and vegetables to enhance the flavour.

Stocks, soups and sauces

• Gently simmer to retain natural flavour and stop sticking to the base of the pot.
• Skim impurities and froth from the top to avoid the flavour and clarity being spoiled.
The two terms used to describe this process are dégraisser and despumate (glossary).
• Boil bones for stocks to remove excess blood, impurities and fat. Start the process in
cold water and bring to the boil for about four minutes. Rinse in cold water.

Eggs
• Boil for breakfasts, garnishes, sandwich fillings or salads.
• Eggs (recipe #19) can be cooked hard boiled (cooked until the inside has gone hard) or
soft boiled (cooked until the whites have gone hard but the yolk is still soft).

Rice, pasta and other farinaceous goods

• You need to boil rice, pasta (recipe #20) and other farinaceous (glossary) goods to
make them edible.
• Rinse rice and pasta prior to boiling
• Add to boiling water until cooked.

What equipment is used for boiling and simmering?

Click on the pictures to reveal the names of equipment and utensils used when
boiling.
 Stoves
 Pots and saucepans
 Stockpots
 Double jacket kettles
 Ladles and spoons
 Chinois and colanders

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Hot tip

Take great care to prevent burns from the liquid or steam when you strain stocks or boiled
vegetables. Stand behind a stockpot and pour liquid away from your body to avoid spills.
Use tongs to lower food into boiling water. You don’t want to burn yourself with splashes
of boiling water.

Boiling blunders
You have chosen the right ingredients and carefully timed the cooking process. Now your
dish should be perfect. Not necessarily!

There are other issues that can go wrong throughout the cooking process.

Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Vegetables have Vegetables have been in the Boil the liquid before putting in the
lost colour liquid for too long or have been vegetables.
covered during the cooking Don’t cover.
process.
Blanched Vegetables have been Shorten the cooking time and
vegetables are too overcooked. refresh in ice water to stop the
soft or soggy. cooking process.
Pickled meat is very Didn’t start the meat in cold Start the meat in cold water.
salty after boiling. water. Adding herbs and spices can also
improve the flavour.
Root vegetables Didn’t start the vegetables in Start root vegetables in cold
taste bitter after cold water. salted water to improve flavour.
cooking.
Food quality looks Impurities were not removed Skim off any scum or froth that
poor. Liquid is from the liquid during the rises to the surface during the
cloudy. cooking process. cooking process.
Rice or pasta sticks Not enough liquid in the pot or Check food to liquid ratio and
together. food not stirred during cooking occasionally stir ingredients.
process.
Rice or pasta is Incorrect cooking time. Check cooking times. There is no
wrong texture. It’s solution for fixing overcooked
either too soft or too pasta or rice. You’ll need to
firm. discard or compost it.
Rice is starchy. Rice wasn’t rinsed. Rinse rice to remove excess
starch.
Sauces or soups Heat temperature is too high. Reduce to simmer (95 to 98 °C).
stick to the bottom Don’t boil.
of the pan.

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Problem Possible cause Solution

Pasta sauce is Sauce left too long before Serve immediately where
stodgy. serving. possible. You can thin tomato-
based sauces using water,
tomato juice or wine, but be
careful not to compromise the
flavour.
Vegetables break up Heat temperature is too high. Reduce to simmer (95 to 98 °C).
when boiling. Don’t boil.
Egg white doesn’t No vinegar or not enough Add vinegar, not salt, to boiling
coagulate (glossary) vinegar added to boiling liquid. liquid.
when shell cracks
during the cooking
process.

Moist heat method: Steaming (convection/conduction)

Watch the video to learn about this method.
Steaming is the transfer of heat to food by means of steam under pressure, either at
atmospheric or high pressure. The food is then suspended above the liquid that creates
the steam while it sits in an enclosed cooking vessel.

Steaming is one of the healthiest cooking methods. The nutrients in the food are not
dissolved in the liquid as they are when boiling, and it’s faster too.

The pressure of the steam varies depending on equipment. As a guide, approximately

0.16kg per square cm will create steam temperature of 106 to 121 °C.

The principles of steaming

Click on the dot points to learn about the principles of steaming.

Enclose the food

Enclose all food in the steaming vessel to ensure it’s penetrated by the steam.

Cooking speed
Steam is hotter than water and the vapour particles penetrate quickly into the pores of the
food, so pay close attention to cooking times!

Steam run off

Place steamed food on perforated trays to allow condensed steam to run off.

Steaming in oven
You can also steam in the oven while food is sealed in a container with a liquid. This
method is called en papillote (glossary).

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Hot tip

Take great care when you open the steamer as steam burns skin very easily, even
through kitchen cloths.

What are the different types of steamers?

Click on the pictures to learn about the different types of steamers used in
commercial kitchens.

Atmospheric steamers
• Atmospheric steamers project the steam into the cooking chamber in a continuous flow
with very little build-up of pressure.
• The food cooks by steam at just a little above boiling point (103 °C).
• A saucepan with a tightly lidded steaming basket suspended above the water is an
atmospheric steamer.

Convection steaming cabinets also use atmospheric pressure. However, the steam is fan-
assisted to evenly distribute steam for a faster cooking time.

Pressure steamers
Pressure steaming equipment allows the steam to build up pressure, achieving higher
cooking temperatures (121 °C). A safety valve controls the pressure and automatically
releases excess pressure when necessary.

On this type of equipment the door locks automatically to contain the steam. The steamer
must be vented by releasing the pressure valve before the door can be opened. Because
pressure steamers cook food quickly, they are not suited to soft foods like offal and
puddings.

What foods are suitable for steaming?

Click on the icons to learn which foods are suitable for steaming.

Meat and poultry

You wouldn’t usually steam meat or poultry unless it’s to be used to satisfy a special diet.
Steaming does nothing to enhance their flavour. However, you may steam meat or poultry
in preparation for other methods of cooking. For example, chicken drumsticks before you
crumb and deep-fry them.

• Tender cuts of meat and all types of poultry are suited to atmospheric steaming.
• Tough meat cuts and older birds are suited to pressure steaming.

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Offal
• Use atmospheric steaming for soft offal such as brains and sweetbreads.
• Use pressure steaming for tough, firmer offal like oxtail, tongue and tripe.

Seafood
Steam all seafood under atmospheric pressure, whole or portioned.

Fruit and vegetables

You can steam most vegetables. Examples include broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beans,
corn on the cob, turnip, spinach and brussel sprouts. Only dried fruits are suitable.

• Dried fruits and fresh vegetables are suitable for atmospheric steaming.
• Frozen vegetables are suitable for both atmospheric and pressure steaming.

Puddings
Sponge puddings (recipe #32) are suitable for atmospheric steaming if they are covered.
This protects them from condensed steam.

What equipment is used for steaming?

Click on the pictures to reveal the names of equipment and utensils commonly used
when steaming.
 Fixed atmospheric steaming cabinets
 Fixed pressure steaming cabinets
 Chinese bamboo steamer baskets
 Metal steamer sets
 Saucepans with steaming basket
 Combination oven and atmospheric convection steamers
 Perforated steamer trays

Note...

When using any steamer, make sure it’s preheated. This enables the food to cook
immediately and prevents loss of colour and nutrients.

Safety tips
Steam is hotter than boiling water and penetrates skin at a faster rate. To prevent burns to
yourself and others, be extremely careful when operating steaming equipment.

Click on the dot points to read some essential safety tips.

 Always stand on the hinged side of a steamer door when opening.

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 Allow enough time for the steam to escape to a safe level before retrieving or
checking steamed foods.
 If the steamer you are using is fitted with a pressure valve, the door will remain
locked until the pressure is reduced and the steam released. Don’t try and force
open the door.
 Check safety valves on a regular basis for any signs of blockage or corrosion.
 Keep steaming equipment clean at all times to prevent drainage holes from
becoming blocked.
 Remember that steam can also penetrate kitchen service cloths and consequently
burn your skin. Wet or damp cloths are even more dangerous, as the dampness
causes the steam to travel faster.

Sticky steaming
Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Steamed pudding Damaged by condensed Cover with greaseproof paper to
has gone soggy. steam. protect from condensed steam.
Pudding doesn’t rise Incorrect method used. Use atmospheric steamer.
or lift. Pressure steamers blow the
mixture apart during cooking and
retard the rising agent that gives
them their soft texture and lift.
Seafood breaks Incorrect method used. Seafood is delicate and must be
apart. steamed under atmospheric
pressure.
Meat or vegetables Incorrect method used. Steam delicate meats and all
break apart. fresh vegetables under
atmospheric pressure.

Moist heat method: Stewing (conduction/convection)

Watch the video to learn about this method.
Stewing is the slow transfer of moist heat to food cut into bite-sized pieces. You simmer
the food in just enough liquid or sauce to cover the food. Then serve the liquid and food
together as a complete dish.

Stewing relies on a slow, moist cooking process under gentle heat.

The principles of stewing

Click on the pictures to learn about the principles applied when stewing.

Cutting food
• Cut the food into even bite-sized pieces approximately 3 cm cubes or smaller.
• Cut fish into larger chunks because it has a tendency to shrink and break up.

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Liquid content
• Add just enough liquid to cover and combine all ingredients.
• Thicken and flavour the liquid before the actual stewing begins.
• The flavour intensifies while cooking. If the dish requires the addition of salt, add it later
in the cooking process.

Ingredients
• Serve everything added to the stew during cooking as a complete dish. The exception
is bouquet garni or herb sachet. Remove these in one piece prior to serving.
• Add additional ingredients, such as vegetables, at various times throughout the
cooking time.

Time
• The stewing process must be carried out slowly to maximise flavour and tenderise the
food as much as possible.

Blanching
• Blanch red meats for white stews to extract excess blood.

Sealing meat
• Some recipes require meat to be sealed in a hot pan with a small amount of oil. This
traps the juices inside the meat and gives the stew a rich dark colour.
• Any sediment that sticks to the pan at this stage is important to the flavour and the
colour of the stew. You remove it by deglazing (glossary).
• Marinate tough meat for several hours for additional flavour before sealing and
stewing.

What foods are suitable for stewing?

Click on the tabs to learn which foods are suitable for stewing.

Meat and poultry

• Stewing is generally reserved for tougher cuts of meat (turkey leg, wild duck) because
tender quality meat will fall apart.
• Any meat from the forequarter of an animal or legs of poultry is suitable.
• Navarin (glossary), blanquette (recipe #33) and fricassee (glossary) are examples of
meat and poultry stews.

Seafood
• You can stew most seafood. Cook it gently to prevent the flesh from breaking up and
toughening.
• Bouillabaisse is a common stew made with shellfish and ocean fish varieties. It is often
offered on the menu as a soup.

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Vegetables
• Most chunky cut vegetables can be stewed. Mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and
potatoes are common examples of vegetables used in stews, such as the traditional
Hungarian goulash (recipe #34).
• Ratatouille (recipe #35) is a vegetable stew made from Mediterranean style vegetables
including eggplant, zucchini, tomato, capsicum and olive oil, flavoured with garlic.
Serve this stew as a vegetable dish on its own, as an accompaniment with other foods,
or as a tart or pie filling.
• Risotto (recipe #36) is another type of stew which combines all sorts of vegetables with
short-grain rice.

Fruit
• Fresh and dried fruits are suitable for stewing. Examples include apples (recipe #37),
rhubarb and plums, prunes, dried apricots and dried figs.
• Stew fruit gently in stock syrup flavoured with spices such as cinnamon or cloves.

What equipment is used for stewing?

Click on the pictures to reveal the names of the equipment used for stewing.
 Pots and saucepans
 Enamelled cast iron casseroles
 Tilting bratt pans
 Wooden stirring spoons

Stuck stewing
Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Fish breaks up into Pieces are cut too small. Cut fish into larger chunks.
tiny pieces.
Vegetables are Overcooked Don’t add all types of vegetables at
over-softened in the the same time as the meat. Add at
stew. various times throughout cooking
depending on the vegetable type.
Meat is cooked but Not cooked long enough. Increase cooking time and check
tough. that the heat is not too high. Try
marinating meat prior to cooking.
Red meat has Excess blood has not been Blanch red meat prior to cooking in
discoloured white extracted prior to cooking. a white stew.
stew.
Food or sauce sticks Incorrect pan or pot selected. Use a heavy based pot or pan to
to the bottom of the ensure even heat distribution.
pan and doesn’t
heat evenly.
Food has taken on a Metal spoon used to stir the Use a wooden spoon to stop food
metallic taste. stew. from discolouring and taking on a
metallic taste.

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Moist heat method: Braising (conduction/convection)

Watch the video to learn about this method.
Braising is the slow transfer of moist heat to food that is half covered with an appropriate
liquid and enclosed in a tightly lidded container in the oven.

Like stewing, braising is generally designed to tenderise tougher cuts of meat and game.
However, you can braise some vegetables, such as leek, lentils, fennel, onions and
carrots.

The liquid that half covers the braise is strained off after the cooking process.

The principles of braising

Click on the tabs to learn more about braising principles.

Presentation
• Present the meat as a single large piece and then carve before serving.

Sealing
• Seal all meat in hot oil to retain the natural juices and provide colour prior to braising.
• Blanch most vegetables prior to braising to remove overpowering flavours.

Braising liquid
• Half cover the food being braised with the appropriate liquid.
• Use root vegetables to enhance the flavour of the liquid.
• Strain the braising liquid and use as a sauce to accompany the finished dish.
• Be careful using some vegetable braises for sauces. They can be too strong in flavour.

Cooking temperature
• It’s best to braise in an oven, as it gives a more even heat transfer.
• You can use the top of the stove as an alternative.
• The braising temperature for vegetables it is 140 to 160 °C.
• The braising temperature for meat is 180 to 200 °C.

Meat preparation
• Marinating meat for several hours before braising enhances flavours.
• Lard or bard dry cuts of meat and poultry to add moisture and flavour throughout the
cooking process.
• Truss whole birds like chicken and duck prior to cooking.

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What foods are suitable for braising?

Click on the pictures to learn which foods are suitable for braising.

Meat and furred game

• Tough and coarse grain meat such as the topside, flank, rump and shoulder of
venison, pork, beef (recipe #38), lamb and game.

Poultry and feathered game

• Whole birds and portion cuts of poultry and feathered game such as chicken, duck,
pheasant, guinea fowl and squab.
• Birds captured in the wild or older birds that are unsuitable for other cooking methods.

Offal
• Offal of a tough nature such as oxtail, lamb and veal shanks, ox hearts.
• Soft offal that has not been sealed in hot oil such as sweetbreads.

Vegetables
• Firm vegetables that don’t deteriorate quickly such as leek, onion, red and white
cabbage (recipe #39), fennel, carrot, celery.

Cereals
• Rice (recipe #40), lentils and pearl barley are suitable for braising.

What equipment is used for braising?

The purpose-built vessel used for braising is called a braisière. It’s a thick enamelled, cast
iron pan with a heavy, tightly fitting lid and two handles.

If you don’t have access to a braisière, use any suitably sized heavy-based pan and lid.
Alternatively, use aluminium foil to cover the cooking vessel.

Other equipment used for braising

• Frying pans or sauté pans
• Ladles
• Chinois
• Wooden spoon

Hot tip

Select a pan of the correct size for the amount of food to be braised.
If the pan is oversized, the excess liquid will dilute the flavour.
If the pan is too small, the food will be overcrowded and impede the flavour transfer.

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Busted braising
Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Wings and legs Not tied or trussed. Truss whole birds to retain their
break off whole shape and prevent them breaking
birds. apart.
Meat or poultry is Not enough moisture in meat. Lard or bard dry cuts of meat and
dry. poultry to add moisture and
flavour.
Liquid is too thin. Too much liquid added. Use a thickening agent to thicken
Possible incorrect sized pan. the liquid.
Liquid is too thick. Not enough liquid added or too Add more stock liquid.
much thickening agent added.

Moist heat method: Poaching (conduction/convection)

Watch the video to learn more about this method.
Poaching is the transfer of heat to food that is completely immersed in liquid at 93 to
95 °C. There should be no visible sign of movement in the liquid. This gentler method of
cookery is suited to delicate and tender foods such as fish, brains, shellfish and eggs.

The principles of poaching

Click on the icons to learn the principles of poaching.

Liquid cover
Completely cover the food with the poaching liquid throughout the cooking process.

Temperature control
• Bring the poaching liquid to the boil. Then adjust the heat until there is no movement in
the water.
• Maintain the temperature at a constant 93 to 95 °C.

Cold water starts

Place food into cold liquid, bring to the boil and then adjust to poaching temperature.

Adding sauce
Many poached foods become dry. Use the poaching liquid to make a sauce and make
them more appetising.

Oven poaching
Start the poaching on top of the stove before placing it in the oven.

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What liquids are suitable for poaching?

Click on the icons to learn about the common poaching liquids.

Acidulated water
Acidulated water is water with an acid solution such as vinegar or lemon juice added.

These acids stabilise the protein of soft textured food like lamb brains, eggs or fish and
help the food keep its natural colour and shape.

Stocks
Try using a well-flavoured meat or vegetable stock for poaching.

The stock you use should complement the food being poached such as poached seafood
in fish stock.

Stock syrup
Stock syrup is a solution of water, diluted sugar and lemon juice.

You may also add flavouring agents such as cinnamon, rum, wine, tea, cloves and star
anise. The selection depends on the type of food you’re poaching.

Milk
Use milk to poach smoked fish like kippers and cod or egg white meringue.

You can then turn the liquid into a sauce to accompany the poached food.

Court bouillon
Court bouillon is a strong flavoured liquid made from water, vinegar, salt, onion, carrot and
various herbs and spices.

Use it for poaching dark fleshed or oily fish to help draw out excess oil and strong
flavours. Don’t use the poaching liquid as an accompanying sauce.

What foods are suitable for poaching?

Poaching is a method suited to high quality, tender, soft and delicate foods.

Click on the tabs to learn which foods are suitable for poaching.

Eggs
• Poach eggs (recipe #26) out of their shells in acidulated water in a deep pan.
• Allow one side of the pan to simmer to help contain the egg’s shape.
• Only add one egg to the pan at a time to allow the liquid to regain temperature.

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Offal
• Poach soft offal like brains and sweetbreads in acidulated water.
• The acid stabilises the protein and maintains the shape and colour of the offal.
• Poach soft offal to firm the texture. You can then complete the cooking process using
other methods of cookery. Poach brains, for example, before crumbing and deep
frying.

Fruit
• Poach fresh soft fruits such as pears (recipe #25), peaches, apricots and plums, as
well as dried fruits like prunes, figs and apricots in stock syrup.
• Soak dried fruits in cold water overnight to allow them to soften.
• Fruit floats. Weigh it down to keep it completely submerged in the liquid and ensure
even cooking. To do this, cut a cartouche to the size of the top of the pan used for
poaching. Then, place it over the fruit and weigh it down with a clean ceramic plate.

Poultry
• Place poultry in boiling liquid to seal in the juices and flavours.
• As it comes back to the boil, return it to poaching temperature (93 to 95 °C).
• Use well-flavoured stock, champagne, wine, fruit juice or lemonade as the poaching
liquid.

Meat
• Use tender cuts of meat.
• Portions of tenderloin beef fillet poached in rich beef stock served with small turned
vegetables make a delightful dish.

Seafood
• Start large whole fish in a cold court bouillon to ensure even cooking.
• Start fish cuts and small fish in simmering court bouillon. Then, reduce to poaching
temperature.
• Shellfish such as oysters and scallops only require a very short cooking time. Don’t
overcook.

What equipment is used for poaching?

Click on the pictures to reveal the names of the tools and equipment used for
poaching.
 Pots and saucepans
 Sauteuses
 Fish kettle
 Spatula or pallet knife
 Egg slide
 Perforated spoons

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Poaching problems
Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Outside flesh of Incorrect cooking Place whole fish into cold liquid, bring to
whole fish is cooked temperature or method the boil and then adjust to poaching
but the inside is not. temperature. This allows heat to
penetrate the bones before the outside
flesh becomes overcooked.
Shellfish are very Overcooked Reduce cooking time.
dry and tough.

Dry Heat Method: Deep frying (conduction/convection)

Watch the video to learn about this method.
Deep frying is the transfer of heat to food that is totally immersed in hot fat or oil. Many
foods require coating before deep frying to seal in the juices and protect them from the fat.

Deep frying is a fast method of cookery. In most cases, the cooking process is complete
within 3-4 minutes.

It’s a popular method of cooking in the fast food sector.

The principles of deep frying

Click on the tabs to learn about deep frying principles.

Fat selection
• Use clean fat to ensure the natural taste of the food isn’t spoiled.

Fat coverage
• Before you turn the deep fryer on, the fat level must be at least two-thirds full, or up to
the indicating line marked in the vat.
• Totally immerse all foods being deep-fried in the fat or oil.

Cooking temperature
• The temperature of the fat should be between 175 and 195 °C.
• Blanch raw potatoes at 140 to 160 °C until soft and then finish at 190 °C.

Draining
• Water damages oil or fat. Drain food of excess moisture and dry before frying. Batters
are an exception to this rule.
• Drain cooked food on absorbent kitchen paper after frying to remove as much fat as
possible.
• Keep a frying basket and spider (glossary) close by. This way, you can quickly remove
food from the fryer if the fat starts to rise or bubble excessively.

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Cooking quantities
• Never overload the fryer.
• Allow the fat time to recover heat before adding the next batch of food.

Seasoning
• Season and coat all food, except raw or blanched potatoes and vegetables, before
frying.
• Shake or drain excess coating before cooking.

Hot tip

Deep frying is potentially the most dangerous method of cookery. Remember the safety
tips you learned in Section 2 of this unit before using a deep fryer.

What foods are suitable for deep frying?

Click on the icons to learn which foods are suitable for deep frying.

Vegetables and fruits

• Place small or thin-cut potatoes (recipe #43) and other starchy raw vegetables straight
into the fat without coating.
• Coat fruits and other vegetables prior to frying to seal in the juices and protect from
loss of flavour and nutrients.
• Potato chips, long shavings of sweet potato, parsnip and beetroot make great
garnishes to modern dishes.

Meat, offal, poultry and seafood

• All small portions of wet or dry coated poultry, meats, offal and seafood are suitable for
deep frying.

Frozen goods
• Cook frozen crumbed and battered items in their frozen state.
• Deep-fried ice-cream makes an interesting dessert. Before frying, double crumb with
cake crumbs or coconut or wrap in a crepe and then single crumb.

Wet and dry coatings for deep frying

There are several wet and dry coatings you can use for deep frying.

• Batter - Beer batter, yeast batter (recipe #46), tempura (recipe #42).
• Paner à l’Anglaise (Crumbed English style/plain) - Seasoned plain flour, egg wash and
fresh or dry breadcrumbs.
• Paner à la Milanaise (crumbed Milanese style) - Seasoned plain flour, egg wash,
mixture of ⅓ parmesan and ⅔ breadcrumbs.

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• A la Française (French style) - Dipped in milk and then lightly coated in plain flour.
• A la Juive (Jewish style) - Coated in seasoned plain flour and then dipped in beaten
eggs.
• Velveting - Coated in seasoned cornflour and then dipped in egg white.

What type of equipment is used for deep frying?

It’s very important that you use the correct equipment when deep frying. Doing otherwise
can have serious consequences.

Click on the icon to find out why.

Modern, purpose-built deep frying equipment have well-adjusted thermostats and controls
to maintain the cooking medium at a safe range and holding temperature.

Don’t use stove top pots filled with fat. They’re dangerous and make it difficult to gauge
the temperature. Overheated fats and oils explode when they reach flash point (glossary).

Recent model deep fryers have an area at the bottom of the fat vat that remains cool to
catch any falling food particles. This is called the ‘cool zone’. It prevents food particles
accumulating over the heat elements, burning and then sticking to other foods.

Other equipment used for deep frying

• Spiders
• Fine mesh skimmers
• Fryer baskets
• Fine mesh chinois for straining fats
• Absorbent kitchen paper
• Tongs for transporting hot foods to the plate

Deep fry disaster!

Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Outside of food has Dirty fat used for frying Keep the fat clean by straining it
a burnt taste or has regularly to remove crumbs and
burnt particles from food particles.
other fried foods.
Food is soggy or Incorrect temperature used The temperature of the fat should
oily. be between 175 and 195 °C. This
is hot enough to seal the food
without the fat or oil penetrating
and absorbing into the food.
Food is not cooked Food needs blanching prior to Blanch raw foods like potatoes at
through. frying 140 to 160 °C until soft and then
finish in deep fryer at 190 °C.

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Problem Possible cause Solution

Food not frying Too much food in the deep Don’t overload the deep fryer.
evenly fryer Too much food reduces the fat
temperature and causes uneven
cooking.
Coating separates Melting ice crystals have been Cook in its frozen state.
from frozen absorbed into the food.
crumbed and
battered items.
Frozen crumbed Melting ice crystals have been Cook in its frozen state.
and battered items absorbed into the food.
are soggy when
cooked.

Dry heat method: Shallow frying (conduction)

Watch the video to learn about this method.
Shallow frying is the transfer of heat through conduction to food that’s in a small amount of
hot fat or oil in a pan. It’s a quick and versatile method of cooking used for a wide range of
foods.

Shallow frying includes sautéing, stir-frying, sweating and pan-frying.

The principles of shallow frying

Click on the icons to learn shallow frying principles.

Portion sizes
Use single portions, and quality, tender food.

Seasoning
• Season food before shallow frying.
• When dusting food, combine appropriate seasoning into the flour before cooking.

Sealing in juices
Make sure the pan and cooking medium is clean and hot before adding food. This seals
the juices and prevents the absorption of fat.

Presentation
Cook the best side of the food item in the clean oil first. This way, when you turn the food
over half way through the cooking process, the best side is ready for presentation.

Coating
• Some foods require dry or wet coating prior to shallow frying.
• Many of the coatings used to deep-fry food can also be used for shallow frying.

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Cooking medium
• The amount of fat or oil used depends on the item being cooked.
• When using butter as the cooking medium, select clarified butter. Buttermilk burns at
low temperatures, causing black spots in the finished product.
• Drain shallow-fried food of fats after cooking.

Shallow frying techniques

Click on the tabs to look at the different shallow frying techniques.

Sautéing
The French word ‘sauté’ means ‘to jump’. It refers to tossing small pieces of food over and
over in a frying pan, to seal or brown all sides of the food. Usually a small amount of
butter, oil or a combination of the two is used.

• When sautéing, the pan and cooking medium must be hot enough to prevent the food
from simmering in their own juices.
• Never overload the pan because you’ll lose too much heat.
• Sautéing is usually only part of the preparation of a dish before further cooking by other
methods.
• High heat and speed are essential when sautéing.
• An example of the use of sautéing is sealing turned potatoes in a pan before roasting.

Pan-frying
Pan-frying is similar to sautéing except the temperature is significantly lower, so more fat
is used in a longer cooking time. Unlike sautéing, where the food is continually turned
over, pan-frying involves cooking on one side and then turning it over to finish.

You’ll often use pan-frying as a complete cooking process, rather than in preparation for a
further cooking method.

Sweating
The purpose of sweating foods is to partially cook them and drive out some of the
moisture. Use this method for vegetables such as onions, shallots or garlic.

Sweat the food in a shallow pan over low heat to ensure it doesn’t take on any colour. Use
a moderate amount of fat (usually butter) and stir constantly to prevent browning.

Stir-frying
Originating in Asia, stir-frying is a form of shallow frying carried out in a rounded-based
pan called a wok. Maintain a high heat to seal and cook the food in a short amount of
time.

Cut the food into small and uniform sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Use only a small
amount of cooking oil, as it remains in the completed dish and is often part of the
flavouring. Strong aromatic oils like sesame oil or peanut oil are often used.

Stir continuously. Use tender cuts of meat and don’t over-cook vegetables. Keep them
bright and crunchy.

Food can be marinated before cooking to provide additional flavours and tenderise meat.

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Note...

Stir-frying is a quick method of cooking enabling you to extract the natural flavours in food.
It’s a healthy and nutritious cooking style as it instantly seals nutrients and requires only a
small quantity of fat or oil.

What food is suitable for shallow frying?

Shallow frying is very popular due to the intensity of flavours released. It makes the
outside of the food crisp and coloured and retains the moisture. Most tender, high quality
foods are suitable for shallow frying.

Click on the tabs to learn which foods are suitable for shallow frying.

Meat, poultry and offal

• All tender, finely grained cuts of meat and poultry.
• Finely chopped or minced and formed meats, such as hamburgers or rissoles.
• Leaner meat cuts too dry for grilling. The oil helps keep them moist.
• Tender offal pieces such as calves liver, sweetbreads or ox kidneys.
• Veal medallions (recipe #48), lamb cutlets and chicken breasts can be left plain or
coated.

Seafood
• Whole small fish or fish cuts. Cook quickly to prevent them drying out.
• Prawns, scallops, crayfish and many other forms of shellfish. Cook quickly to prevent
their delicate flesh from drying and toughening.

Vegetables
• Most vegetables can be shallow fried on their own.
• Use to heat pre-blanched vegetables prior to service time.
• Use to prepare vegetables for braising, stewing or soups.

Fruits
• Whole, chopped or sliced fruits.
• Flambé bananas, strawberries, peaches or grapes. Flame them in a pan with a
flavoured spirit or liqueur. The alcohol burns away and the food takes on the flavour of
the cooking liquor.

Eggs
Use to make fried eggs, omelettes, scrambled eggs, pancakes and crepes for breakfast.

Farinaceous goods
Pre-cooked pasta, rice, gnocchi, noodles and potatoes are often finished for service by
shallow frying, sometimes with the addition of other ingredients. Popular examples include
fried rice, Singapore noodles, spaghetti or gnocchi napolitaine and sauté potatoes.

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What type of equipment is used for shallow frying?

Most shallow frying is performed in low-sided frying pans of all different shapes, sizes and
designs. To ensure even cooking, the surface must be flat (except for stir-frying) and have
a heavy base to retain the heat.

Click on the shallow frying equipment to find out what it is and how to use it.

Sauteuse (pronounced sor-terze)

A sauteuse is a shallow pan with sloped sides used for sautéing or sweating foods. It’s
deeper than most frying pans but not quite as deep as a pot or a saucepan. It’s usually
made of stainless steel with a copper core plate inside the base to help retain heat.

Sautoir (pronounced sor-twa)

A sautoir is a heavy and wide-based frying pan with shallow, curved sides. This makes it
easier to toss foods as you sauté them. It’s constructed of cast iron, blackened wrought
steel, stainless steel or aluminium.

Wok
A wok is bowl-shaped so you can stir and toss food quickly without spilling. Most woks are
made of lightweight materials so you can lift them easily.

Crepe pan
A crepe pan has a narrow base, shallow sides and a wide lip to allow a pallet knife to lift
and flip crepes. They are usually made from blackened wrought steel and are very heavy.

Omelette pan
Omelette pans are made from heavy blackened wrought steel. The sides are sloped with
rounded corners at the base to help with the shape and form of the omelette.

Flambé pan
As flambé is often performed at the table, flambé pans are more attractive and
constructed of tin-lined copper. They come in a range of shapes, depending on the nature
of the food being flambéed.

Fish pan
A fish pan is oval shaped for shallow frying plate-sized whole fish such as trout, whiting
and baby snapper.

Shallow fry failure

Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Outside of food is cooked but Temperature too hot. Reduce temperature.
the inside is not.
Exterior of food is pale, Temperature not hot Increase temperature.
washed out and soggy. enough.

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Problem Possible cause Solution

Meat, fish or poultry is dry or Natural juices have Use tongs or a spatula to
tough. escaped. Incorrect tools turn food. A fork punctures
used to turn food. the surface and allows
Cooked for too long. natural juices to escape.
Cook quickly to prevent
drying out and toughening.
Food isn’t evenly cooked. Food cut into uneven Make sure you cut food
Some pieces are cooked, sized portions. into small and uniform
others aren’t. sized pieces to ensure
even cooking.
Final dish is oily. Too much oil used. Reduce quantity of oil.
Remember, it remains in
the final dish.
Crepes stick to the pan. Pan has been washed. Don’t wash crepe pans.
Wipe out the pan firmly
with a cloth or absorbent
paper.

Dry heat method: Grilling (radiation/conduction)

Watch the video to learn about this method.
Grilling is the transfer of radiated heat to food directed from below or above or both. The
heat source may be gas, electric or charcoal.

Grilling is one of the most widely used methods of cooking, mostly due to its speed and
release of fats. The taste of the food being grilled is often enhanced by the smoke and
flavours imparted from the grill.

The principles of grilling

Click on the tabs to find out how to get the best results when grilling.

Portions sizes
Foods for grilling must be small or of single portion size. Large items are generally not
suitable because they become charred or burnt on the outside before the inside has a
chance to cook.

Temperature
The grilling equipment must be preheated and operate at a high enough temperature to
sear or seal the food at the start. You can reduce the temperature once the food has been
sealed.

If there are two grill controls, it’s advisable to set one on full heat to seal the food, and the
other on a medium setting to cook the food through.

Preparation
Brush foods with oil and season prior to grilling to prevent sticking and to minimise
dryness.

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Season, flour and oil fish prior to cooking to stop it from sticking and to create a thin crisp
crust.

Grilling surface
Clean and oil all grilling surfaces to prevent foods from sticking to the surface and burnt
food particles sticking to the food. Take care not to add too much oil, as the grill bars may
flare and catch on fire.

Cooking utensils
Use tongs and flat spatulas to turn food.

Quality
Meats, poultry and fish must be tender and of top quality.

What equipment is used for grilling?

There are several forms of grilling, each of which requires different equipment.

Click on the pictures to learn more about grilling equipment.

Bar grilling
Grilling is conducted on an open metal grid or bars over a heat source of gas, or electric
or gas-heated element.

Barbecuing or char-grilling
Barbecuing or char-grilling refers to food that is cooked on grill bars over hot coals, flames
or hot volcanic rock.

Griddling
Griddling is conducted on a solid cooking surface like a flat top grill plate, with or without a
small amount of oil to prevent sticking.

Salamander or broiler
These terms are used for grilling equipment where the radiant heat source is situated
above the food being cooked.

French grill
A French grill is a portable grooved or corrugated solid top designed for use over stove
top gas jets. These grills produce less smoke and require less oil during cooking. The
grooved surface produces an attractive trellis-like grill mark on the surface of the food.

Gratinating
Gratinating refers to food that has been sprinkled with breadcrumbs or cheese and glazed
or browned under the salamander or in a hot oven. Dishes used for this purpose are
called ‘au gratin’ dishes and are usually made from glazed ceramic.

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What foods are suitable for grilling?

Click on the tabs to learn which foods are suitable for grilling.

Meats and poultry

• Beef steaks (T-bone, sirloin (recipe #52), fillet, rump)
• Lamb chops and cutlets
• Pork cutlets and medallions
• Ham steaks and bacon
• Chicken breasts and wings
• Whole baby chickens, quails, squab
• Turkey steaks
• Liver and kidney
• Skewered meats
• Marinated meats

Seafood
• Whole small fish (recipe #53)
• Fish cuts
• Octopus
• Prawns
• Oysters (salamander only)
• Whole crayfish, split down the middle

Fruits and vegetables

• Tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Eggplant
• Capsicum
• Pineapple rings and slices
• Vegetables mornay (salamander only)
• Zucchini
• Sliced onion

Grilling glitch
Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Food sticks Surface is not clean or oiled. Clean and oil the surface.
to the grilling Food is not coated. Coat and season food prior to cooking to
surface. prevent sticking.
Meat is dry. Overcooking or puncturing Use tongs and flat spatulas. Forks
food when turning. puncture the surface and allow the juices
to escape.
Pay attention to cooking times.
Coat foods or brush with oil to minimise
dryness.

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Problem Possible cause Solution

Meat is Poor meat quality or choice Use tender cuts of meat, poultry and fish
tough. of meat used for grilling. that are of top quality.

Dry heat method: Roasting (oven: convection/conduction;

spit: radiation/conduction)
Watch the video to learn about this cooking method.
Roasting is the transfer of heat to food that is enclosed in an oven or rotated on a spit. In
both cases, you use fat as a basting agent.

Roasted food is an important part of the diet in most cultures around the world.

The principles of roasting

Click on the pictures to learn about the principles of roasting.

Sealing in the juices

Start roasting in a hot oven, (220 °C) or over hot coals to seal in the juices. Once the
sealing process is complete, reduce the heat. You can seal meat and vegetables on a grill
or in a hot pan prior to roasting.

Drain well before serving.

Meat quality and preparation

All meats, poultry and game to be roasted must be high quality (tender), otherwise they
become tough and chewy when cooking. Roast meat containing a layer of fat should be
cooked with the fat side up. As the fat melts, it further bastes the roast. This also helps
retain the moisture levels in the meat.

Trim excess fat and sinew from meat before roasting.

Meats roasted on the bone require a longer cooking time because the bone acts as a
conductor of heat.

Trivet
Raise all meats and poultry off the bottom of the roasting dish to prevent the lower part of
the meat from shallow frying. You can do this by placing the meat on a raised roasting
rack or by sitting the meat on a mirepoix of vegetables and bones. This is called a ‘trivet’.
The mirepoix and bones add flavour and colour to the sauce made from the pan juices.

Seasoning
Season all foods for roasting with pepper, salt, herbs and spices prior to sealing. Baste
them periodically throughout the roasting period by pouring the pan juices back over the
food. This keeps them moist and assists with the browning process.

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Trussing
Truss whole birds such as chicken and duck and boned-out joints of meats prior to
roasting.

Larding and barding

Lard or bard lean meats and poultry to add moisture.

Cooking
Don’t crowd food in the roasting dish. Good spacing allows the hot air to circulate and
enables even cooking and colouring. Roasted food must be cooked uncovered during the
cooking process to stop it steaming.

Temperature probes
Modern convection ovens are fitted with meat thermometers or probes. You can insert
these into the meat to determine the exact temperature in the centre of the meat, which
indicates the degree of doneness.

Resting meat
Rest roasted meats for 10 to 15 minutes prior to carving. This allows hot juices to settle
and evenly disperse throughout the meat.

What foods are suited to oven roasting?

Click on the tabs to learn which foods are suitable for oven roasting.

Meat, poultry and game

• Most tender, good quality meat joints on the bone or off the bone
• Whole young birds (chicken (recipe #57], turkey, duck, pheasant, guinea fowl)
• Joints of tender game (venison, goat, and kangaroo)
• Whole small animals (rabbit, hare, suckling pig)

Vegetables
• Most root vegetables including potato (recipe #56), carrot, onion, parsnip, turnip and
swede.
• Other vegetables such as pumpkin, capsicum and eggplant.

Note...

The length of time needed to cook each of these items depends on the oven temperature
and the size of the item.

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What foods are suited to spit roasting?

Spit roasting is a little more difficult than oven roasting because temperature control is not
as accurate, especially over an open fire or hot coals. Modern rotisseries are a form of
roasting on a spit. Although this style removes the problem of temperature control, the
flavour is not quite as good.

Click on the icon to learn which foods are suitable for spit roasting.
 Large joints of meat (butt of beef, saddle of venison)
 Whole animals (lamb, goat, suckling pig)
 Whole birds (chicken, duck, turkey, goose)
 Vegetables (if the spit has a basket attachment)

Note...

Take care when basting food on a spit. The flame may flare as the dripping juices fall onto
the coals or electric element.

What equipment is used for roasting?

Click on the pictures to reveal the names of the tools and equipment needed for
roasting.
 Roasting pan and rack
 Meat thermometer or probe
 Ladle and spoons for basting
 Carving knife, meat fork and chopping board
 Oven or spit

What sauces are served with roast meats?

Roasts are often complemented by a sauce. This enhances the flavour and makes the
meat easier to digest. The best sauce for roast meat is made from the sediments and
residue from the roasting dish.

For best results, drain the pan of all fat and then deglaze with wine or brown stock. To
concentrate the flavour, reduce and strain. This is called a jus de rôti (juices from the
roast). If this jus is thickened, it’s called jus-lié (thickened juice).

Adding a mirepoix and bones helps to add flavour and colour to the sauce. These items
are often used to make the trivet at the start of the cooking process.

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Roasting risks
Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Meat or poultry is Overcooked. Pay attention to cooking times
dry when cooked. and remember to allow for
Meat or poultry not basted or resting time.
cooked correctly.
Lard or bard to add moisture.

Baste during cooking process.

Roast meat containing a layer of

fat with the fat side up.

Meat or poultry Type of meat or poultry cooked Truss whole birds and boned-
loses its shape needs trussing to hold its out joints of meat prior to
when roasted. shape. roasting.

Dry heat method: Baking (convection/conduction)

Watch the video to learn about this cooking method.
Baking is the transfer of dry heat to food in an oven. The dryness of the heat may be
modified by steam produced by the water content of the food being baked.

Baking is a skill that can take many years of experience to learn properly. It is the basis for
specialised professions such as pastry cook (patisserie) and baker.

The principles of baking

Click on the tabs to learn the principles of baking.

Pre-heat the oven

Pre-heat the oven to the desired temperature before loading with food. Each oven heats
differently and has ‘hot-spots’, so ensure you know the oven you’re working with.

Temperature
The temperature for baking ranges from 130 to 235 °C, depending on what’s being baked.

Egg custard bakes, for example, are baked at the bottom end of this range, while bread
and some pastries are baked at the upper level.

Even cooking
Place small baked items such as biscuits, evenly on the baking tray. This ensures an even
temperature across the tray and hot air circulation. Even browning is aided by rotating the
tray from time to time during cooking.

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To ensure even cooking of large, heavy cakes, line the cake tin with baking/kitchen paper.

Added moisture
Some baked products require steam to improve volume and add crispness. Most bakers’
ovens are fitted with steam mist injectors. If not, place a tray or pan of water on the bottom
of the oven to create moisture or humidity.

Bain-marie
Some foods, such as baked egg custard, are placed in containers or moulds and then
positioned in a bain-marie or water bath for baking. This water helps slow down the
cooking process and provides even distribution of heat.

Some items are cooked en papillote (glossary). Although this is cooked in a dry oven, it’s
more like steaming because of the steam created from the contents of the sealed bag.

What foods are suitable for baking?

Click on the icon to find out the answer.
You can bake most foods, including pastry items, yeast goods, fish, meat, poultry, fruits
and vegetables.

Items such as potatoes (recipe #62) can be simply placed in the oven on a bed of rock
salt. Others you may need to wrap in pastry or some other protective skin, to retain
moisture in the product or to protect it from direct heat.

Sit baked egg custards (recipe #64), crème caramels and some types of soufflés, terrines
and cakes in a bain-marie to help with heat distribution and to assist the setting of proteins
and emulsifiers.

What type of equipment is used for baking?

The oven is the main piece of large fixed equipment used for baking. You learned about
the different types of ovens in the unit Use food preparation equipment and in Section 2 of
this unit.

Another piece of fixed equipment used for baking is a proving cabinet.

If you’re involved in the production of yeast-based pastries or dough, it’s likely you’ll use a
proving cabinet.

A proving cabinet doesn’t bake or cook food. It provides the ideal temperature conditions
(20 to 37 °C) and humidity (85%) for yeast growth in preparation for baking.

Utensils and equipment used for baking

• Baking trays
• Pastry brush
• Rolling pins
• Mixing bowls
• Pastry cutters
• Wire cooling racks

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• Moulds
• Pans for water baths
• Cake rings
• Bread tins
• Dough break
• Electric mixer

Baking bad
Baking is one of the most difficult techniques to master. The slightest variation in heat,
method, timing or ingredients can impact on your end product.

Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Cake sinks in the Too much sugar, milk, fat and Weigh ingredients accurately.
middle during raising agent in the recipe.
Check that the correct flour is
baking.
Very weak flour was used. used.
Too much aeration during the Monitor the correct timing and
creaming stage. processes.
Poor volume in Oven too cold Preheat the oven correctly before
cake. baking.
Raw ingredients were not
creamed enough. Monitor the correct timing and
processes.
Butter and eggs were too cold.
Allow for sufficient aeration in the
batter at the correct temperature.
Fruit sinks in fruit Fruit wet/not drained. Drain fruit well.
cake.
Not enough egg or too much Weigh ingredients accurately.
sugar.
Monitor the correct timing and
Raw ingredients were not processes.
creamed enough.
Cake has dried out. Curdled batter. Weigh ingredients accurately.
Oven too cool or too hot. Preheat the oven correctly before
baking.
Not enough egg or fat in
recipe. Monitor the correct baking
temperatures.
Over-baking.
Large, open texture Too much baking powder or Weigh ingredients accurately.
when cake is cut. fat.
Check the flour is correct.
Weak flour (low gluten
Weigh ingredients accurately.
content).
Too much sugar.

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Problem Possible cause Solution

Cake has a very Oven too hot. Monitor the correct baking
thick crust. temperatures.
Too much sugar in the recipe.
Weigh ingredients accurately.
Not enough or too much egg
content in the recipe.
Dough has shrunk The dough was overworked. Minimise kneading during
during baking and preparation. Don’t stretch or force
has a hard, chewy dough.
texture.
Baked pastry is The dough was not rolled out Ensure even thickness and turn
uneven with very evenly. occasionally when rolling. Apply
thick or thin even pressure.
sections.
Underside of baked Too much bottom heat Place silicon or baking paper on
items is burnt or the baking tray (under the food).
shows excessive Alternatively, place an empty tray
browning. on a lower oven shelf to act as a
heat shield.

Other method: Microwaving (radiation/conduction)

Watch the video to learn about this cooking method.
Microwaving is the transfer of radiated electromagnetic energy waves to and through the
food. The cell structure of the food reacts with the microwaves causing friction that creates
heat and results in the cooking, defrosting or reheating of the food.

Microwave cooking refers to the tool rather than the cooking method.

The principles of microwaving

Click on the microwave numbers 1 to 5 to learn about microwaving principles.

Cooking times
• Different foods absorb microwaves at different rates, so cooking and heating times
vary.
• To ensure even heating and cooking, the food must be small and of even size, shape
and thickness.
• Food with a high moisture content cooks faster than drier foods.

Microwave penetration
• Microwaves can only penetrate into foods about 4 cm in diameter.
• Complete heat transfer relies on the conduction from the heated part of the food to the
cooler part of the food.

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Food safety
• Microwave cooked and reheated foods are often safer to eat because the entire food
item is heated at the same time.

Manufacturer instructions
• All microwaves have different power capabilities, so it’s essential to follow
manufacturer’s instructions. This determines correct selection of cooking and time
controls.

Operation
• Never operate the microwave when it’s empty. You’ll damage the microwave oven.

Hot tip

Never stand too close to a microwave oven when it’s operating as some microwaves may
leak from the cabinet. Use a leakage detector on a regular basis to ensure the microwave
is operating within safety guidelines.

What foods are suitable for microwaving?

Microwaving is not suited to all types or sizes of food.

Click on the checkboxes to see when you are likely to use a microwave in
commercial cookery.
 Heating prepared foods
 Melting chocolate
 Thawing frozen goods
 Partially cooking food
 Cooking whole foods

Hot tip

Pierce foods such as potatoes, whole apples and tomatoes to release pressure and
prevent bursting.
Never microwave eggs in their shell.

What type of equipment is used for microwaving?

The types of dishes used for microwave cookery must be penetrable by microwaves.
Toughened glass, china and microwave safe plastics are suitable.

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Don’t use materials such as metal or foil. They create sparks and permanently damage
the microwave.

Cover foods with a correctly fitting microwave safe lid or cover to retain the heat build-up
and reduce condensation and splashing.

Microwave mistakes
Click on the icon for some common problems and how to resolve them.

Problem Possible cause Solution

Food is not cooked Too much food in microwave. Don’t pile food into mounds. Keep
evenly. it level and spread out.
Food not evenly placed in
microwave. Use small pieces of even size,
shape and thickness.
Food of uneven sized pieces
or thickness.

Food is soggy. Alternative method of cookery A crisp surface cannot be

required. obtained in a microwave oven
because the inside of the oven is
cooler than the food. The action
of the microwaves on the water
molecules condenses, making it
soggy. Use an alternative cooking
method.

Taking the right approach

Well done. You’ve just learned how to apply thirteen different methods of cookery! With
practice, you’ll gain more confidence using a range of tools and equipment and know the
best cooking method to use for different types and cuts of food.

Remember to take a systematic approach. Complete the cooking process in a logical and
safe manner, referring to task lists and recipes as you go. This ensures you complete
tasks on time and have food and equipment ready when you need it.

Let’s look at the importance of self-management skills on the next screen.

The importance of self-management skills

Effective and efficient cooks complete tasks to a high standard using the least amount of
time, effort and energy, while at the same time maintaining the highest possible safety
standards.

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Click on the dot points to check out an example of a systematic approach you can
use to manage your speed and time.
 Make a list of tasks you need to complete.
 Prioritise your tasks.
 Avoid distraction. Concentrate on the job at hand.
 Ask for help if you’re struggling to meet deadlines.
 Observe other experienced cooks in action to identify more efficient ways of
working.
 Don’t take shortcuts or compromise safety.

Note...

The head chef ultimately runs the kitchen, but you must organise your own tasks to
minimise work and maximise productivity.

What if something goes wrong?

Click on the icon to find out the answer.
It’s important you identify when something doesn’t look, feel, smell or taste right, and take
action necessary to save your dish from disaster. Sometimes it’s necessary to start the
dish again from scratch. If this happens, make sure you know why it didn’t work out the
first time. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t repeat them!

We’ve looked at many situations that could potentially go wrong throughout the cooking
process. Do you remember the troubleshooting tips for the different methods of cookery?

On the next screen you’ll be faced with four problems. See if you can take the right steps
to avoid these problems occurring in the future.

First impressions
Click on the icon to find out why first impressions are so important.
You have been working all day, you have had the dinner date in your diary for a week,
and you’re really looking forward to trying out this new restaurant that everyone is talking
about. And you’re hungry!

You order your food, enjoy some wine and relax, anticipating the meal you are about to
eat.

The waiter heads towards your table….arms laden with plates of food. He serves the first
course.

This is the moment of truth.

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You look down with great expectations, and the first thing you see is a gluggy mess of
overcooked pasta with sauce drizzled over the side and thumb prints all around the rim.

What is the moment of truth?

The ‘moment of truth’ is any time that a customer has an opportunity to form an opinion
about the standard of service and quality of product. In your case, the moment of truth
takes place when the first plated dish is presented to a customer.

Click on the faces to see where it can end up.

 You give the customer a positive experience.
 You give the customer a negative experience.
 You fail to make any impression whatsoever.

What is a team?
Click on the icon to find out the answer.
A team is a group of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal. In
hospitality, that goal is to provide timely, quality food and service to the customer.

Food service attendants and kitchen staff are part of the same team.

To help kitchen staff work productively, most commercial kitchens work on the brigade
system, where the kitchen is divided into various sections called ‘parties’.

Each partie has clearly defined preparation and service roles, depending on the
requirements of the menu. The larder section, for example, is responsible for boning and
cleaning meat. When the meat has been prepared, it’s passed on to the roast section or
the sauce section for cooking and service.

Cooperation between each section is crucial to ensure quality and timely production of
dishes.

What are the benefits of working cooperatively?

Click on the icons to learn the benefits of working cooperatively with others.

Increased productivity
Productivity is increased when you help other team members, understand your role, and
the importance of your contribution. When there is conflict, lack of respect, poor
communication or misdirection, you lose focus and become unproductive. Time is wasted
on remedial tasks and sorting out personality and performance issues.

Improved efficiency
Smooth and efficient operations exist when you contribute to team goals and cooperate
with other staff.

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Don’t stand around waiting to be told what to do. Eagerly offer your help where it’s
required.

Better customer service

More often than not, poor customer service is a result of poor teamwork and
miscommunication amongst team members.

Establishments that have cooperative teams receive fewer customer complaints. Team
members are quick to help and support each other and take responsibility for resolving
customer requests and issues.

Increased morale and motivation

Morale and motivation increase when employees feel like they are part of the ‘bigger
picture’ and when they know that their contribution makes a difference and is important to
others in the team.

Objectives met
It doesn’t matter if you are talking about basketball or hospitality, you won’t reach your
objectives if team players don’t work cooperatively. Everyone needs to contribute,
communicate with each other and take responsibility for their role. This is what makes
great teamwork and will ultimately make the difference between you attaining your goals
or not.

How can you cooperate with colleagues?

It’s important you cooperate with and help your colleagues to ensure timely preparation of
dishes.

Click on the icons for some useful tips on how to work cooperatively.

Cooperative behaviour
• Be prepared to do tasks that help the team achieve its goal.
• Assist other team members with their tasks if required.
• Listen to and respect the ideas and opinions of other team members.
• Complete tasks on time.
• Keep your work area clean and tidy.
• Be honest.
• Produce quality work. Don’t take shortcuts.

Uncooperative behaviour
• Leaving others to do the work by not volunteering to carry out tasks or assisting other
team members with theirs.
• Being aggressive or hostile towards other team members.
• Being judgmental or not respecting the ideas and opinions of others.
• Not taking the work of the team seriously.
• Producing sloppy work.
• Being unprepared, disorganised and untidy.

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End of section
You have reached the end of section 4.

Click to the next section to continue.

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Section 5:
5 Present and store dishes

When food is poorly presented or looks like it was just thrown on the plate, customers will
think that it was handled and cooked with the same lack of care.

Don’t disappoint your customers.

Present dishes attractively.

In this section you’ll learn how to plate a meal for visual appeal and add garnishes and
accompaniments when required.

You’ll also learn how to clean your work area and dispose of or store stock ready for the
next service period.

Presentation principles
‘A good meal is eaten first with the eyes, then with the nose and finally with the mouth.
Satisfy these and the stomach will rejoice and the mind will be at peace.’
- Chinese proverb

Presentation is important as it’s often how the colours, shapes and textures are put
together that first captures the customer’s attention.

Whether presented on a plate, platter, bowl, or other serviceware, using contrasting

colours, shapes and textures provides the best impact.

Always try to select sauces, garnishes and accompaniments that add colour and interest.
Vary the textures of ingredients and arrange them on the plate so that similar-textured
foods are not placed side by side.

Stage 6: Present dishes

Over recent years, customers have become more educated about the essential elements
of a quality dining experience. These days, there is an expectation for far more than a
sprig of parsley on every main course, or a strawberry or mint leaf on every dessert.

Click on the customers to get some typical reactions to food presentation.

When food is poorly presented or looks like it was just thrown on the plate, it’s easy for me
to think that it was handled and cooked with the same lack of care. And when the colours
are washed out or pale, I expect the flavour to also be bland and unappealing.

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If the food I order is served on a plate that is chipped, dirty, too large for the food or too
small and overcrowded, I leave that establishment feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. I
believe that a cook’s success depends on making their customers happy.

I eat for enjoyment, for nutrition and to ‘fill that spot’. In my view, it is the chef’s job to get
me interested in their food or, better still, excited about it. When I see good food presented
well, my appetite is stimulated and my digestive juices start flowing.

Present according to the recipe and organisational standards

Establishments have set standards for the way each menu item is presented to the
customer. This ensures that every customer receives the same portion size as others who
order the same dish, and that each plated menu item looks the same.

The recipe also tells you how to present each item: what garnishes, sauces or
accompaniments to use, the portion size, etc.

Some establishments keep photos of finished menu items on display for staff to refer to
when finishing dishes. This ensures consistency from one employee to the next.

What are the different presentation styles?

The presentation of food has long been a form of creative expression. In the past, tradition
played a big part in the way it was positioned on the plate, garnished and presented to the
customer. For example, if seafood was battered and deep fried, it was presented with
deep fried parsley, tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon. Each dish had a specific garnish.

Click on the tabs to see how times have changed.

Modern trends
There are no longer rigid rules about which garnishes you have to use. Tradition has
given way to flexibility. The variety and combination of ingredients, styles and garnishes
that you can use is endless.

Modern presentation may involve intricately carved vegetables and precision cut fruit. Or it
may be based on simplicity, where the main food item is placed in the centre of the plate
on a pool of sauce without garnishing. Alternatively, it may be decorated with a scattering
of finely chopped herbs.

Food fashions
Fashions in food presentation never stand still. They are constantly changing and
evolving. To help keep abreast of industry trends, study some of the many interesting food
magazines that are available, check out different recipe web sites or those of well-known
chefs.

Click on the icon to see some commonly used presentation ideas.

Presentation ideas
• Fresh herbs such as snipped chives, little bouquets of herb flowers, roughly chopped
coriander and sprigged dill

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• Precision cut vegetables such as brunoise of capsicum, julienne of leek or spring onion
diamonds
• Fine zest from citrus fruits such as lemon, lime or orange
• Finely sliced and deep fried vegetable chips such as parsnips, beetroot and kumara
• Cooked puff pastry crescents called ‘fleurons’ served with poached fish

Consistency is the key

Although creativity is an important quality for every chef, remember the importance of
consistency. It is not appropriate to experiment with new presentation styles when
preparing dishes for customers or in the middle of a service period. Always present dishes
according to the recipe and organisational standards.

Choose appropriate serviceware

You have taken the time and effort to create a great tasting dish. Add the finishing touch
by making sure it looks great by serving on the right type of serviceware.

Click on the buttons to find out how.

When serving individual portions, make sure the plate or bowl is an appropriate size. If it’s
too big, the portion looks meagre. If it’s too small, it might not hold the correct portion or
look like it is going to overflow. An over-loaded plate is also difficult and dangerous to
carry.

Check that all dishes, plates, platters, trays and bowls are spotlessly clean and free from
any chips, cracks or stains. Cracks can harbour bacteria and chipped pieces can fall into
the food!

Check that service dishes and platters match and complement each other and that they
are consistent in size, shape, colour, etc.

Place serviceware for hot dishes in a plate warmer. Chill serviceware for cold dishes. This
helps maintain them at the correct temperature.

Adding sauces
Sauces are liquids that are used to improve the flavour and appearance of a meal, making
it appealing to the tongue, eye, and nose.

Click on the icon to find out more.

In the past, before refrigeration, sauces were very rich and highly concentrated. They
were mostly used to mask or disguise the staleness of poorly kept meat or fish. These
days it is completely different. Sauces are now delicate and have natural flavours that
complement the food they are served with.

Not all sauces are used to enhance flavour. Some are used to aid digestion and act as a
contrast to the food, such as mint jelly, cranberry sauce and parsley cheese sauce.

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Hot tip

Different types of food suit different types of sauces. Your recipe will tell you exactly which
sauce to use and how to make it. Let’s look at some common examples on the next few
screens.

How many sauces can you think of?

There are literally hundreds of different sauces you can use for different types of foods.
Pasta alone has several traditional and modern sauces depending on the type of pasta
you’re cooking.

How many can you think of? You have 30 seconds to list as many pasta sauces as you
can.

Click on the timer to begin.

Bolognese? Mornay? Hollandaise? Aioli? How many did you think of? Over the next few
screens you’ll learn the different types suited to a range of different foods. Let’s begin with
pasta.

Pasta sauces
Italian tradition indicates that certain pasta shapes are best suited to certain sauces.
However, there are no set rules in this regard. In most cases, one type of pasta can
readily be substituted for another of similar size and shape.

Click on the pictures to identify some common guidelines.

 You usually serve long pasta varieties like spaghetti with a topping sauce such as
bolognese. Alternatively, you can mix the sauce through, as in fettuccine carbonara.
 Flat pasta is usually layered with prepared sauces and baked, as in lasagne.
 You can use short or shaped pasta in salads, or serve with a sauce mixed through
such as macaroni and cheese.
 Filled pasta such as ravioli and tortellini are usually tossed in flavoured butter or
served in a sauce.
 Stuffed tubular pasta such as manicotti and cannelloni, are usually placed in a flat
dish, covered with sauce and cooked in the oven.

Click on the icon to take a look at the different pasta sauces.

Traditional pasta sauces

• Bolognese is a rich minced meat and tomato-based sauce.
• Marinara is a mixed seafood, garlic, and parsley sauce moistened with tomato purée.
• Carbonara sauce consists of egg and bacon in a cream and cheese sauce.

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• Pesto is a sauce made from finely chopped basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic,
and oil.
• Panne funghi is a mushroom cream sauce.
• Napolitaine is a sauce made from tomato concassé flavoured with fresh herbs.

Seafood sauces
Like many things in modern cookery, there are no strict rules governing which sauce goes
with what seafood. It depends on the flavour and characteristics of the flesh and the
method used to prepare and cook the dish.

Click on the pictures to learn about the types of sauces you can use.

Stock-based sauces
Sauces based on fish velouté, such as sauce bercy (glossary), are suited to white-fleshed
fish and shellfish that have been poached, grilled, shallow fried, sautéed or baked.

Cream sauces
Sauces based on cream, such as vin blanc (glossary), are suited to white and oily fleshed
fish and shellfish that have been poached or pan-fried.

Butter sauces
Butter sauces, such as hollandaise, béarnaise, beurre blanc, beurre noisette and beurre
noir (glossary), are suitable for oily and white-fleshed seafood that has been poached,
grilled or pan-fried.

One of the best known butter-based sauces is meunière, for example, sole à la meunière.
This is a simple sauce consisting of butter, lemon juice and parsley.

Mayonnaise based sauces

Mayonnaise and derivative sauces, such as tartare, rémoulade and aioli (glossary), are
suited to crumbed or battered seafood that has been cooked in the deep fryer. Plain
mayonnaise and the derivative cocktail (glossary) sauce are suited to cold seafood
dishes.

Vinegar-based dressings
Vinegar-based dressings, such as vinaigrette, are suited to warm and cold seafood dishes
like seafood salad with strawberry vinaigrette or grilled swordfish with carrot vinaigrette.

Vegetable and fruit purée sauces

Puréed vegetables, such as tomato and capsicum, complement grilled and deep fried
white and oily fleshed fish and stronger flavoured shellfish species. Sauces based on
puréed fruit complement many poached, grilled and pan-fried shellfish.

White sauce
Béchamel (glossary) or white sauce is often used in baked fish pie and as a basis for
Mornay (glossary) or cheese sauce. This is used for some cuts of fish which have been
poached or pan-fried or with smoked fish, oysters and lobster.

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Poultry sauces
Most sauces used for poultry are based on stock, such as velouté, demi-glace, and jus lié.
(pronounced ‘li-ay’) The stock is made from the bones and trimmings of the bird or other
suitable animals. This is then thickened with a starch-based thickening agent or reduced
until a light glaze consistency is achieved.

Stock-based sauces usually have other ingredients added to produce suitable derivative
sauces. This may be fruit juice/purée/jellies, precision-cut vegetables, herbs and spices,
and/or alcohol. The choice depends on the desired flavour accent required to complement
the flavour of the meat. Birds with a high fat content, like duck and goose for example, are
often served with an acidic sauce to counteract the fat and to help with digestion.

Some common sauces served with poultry include mornay, tomato, honey mustard,
cranberry and white, just to name a few.

Meat sauces
Click on the icons to learn about the different sauces suited to meat.

Butter sauces
Butter sauces can be created simply by melting butter in a pan. The correct name for this
sauce is beurre fondu (glossary). To create a beurre noisette (glossary), heat the butter
for a little longer until it becomes brown. Beurre noir (glossary) is created when the butter
is heated for even longer. The application of heat for longer periods creates a nutty and in
the case of beurre noir, bitter flavour that complements some meat dishes.

Béarnaise sauce
Use clarified butter and egg yolk to make béarnaise sauce. Place a bowl on top of a pot
with simmering water. Slowly add the yolks and the butter while whisking over a low heat
until you have achieved the desired consistency.

Wine sauces
You can create wine sauces using red or white wine. Beurre blanc is a white wine and
cream sauce which is finished with butter to create a velvety sheen. Red wine sauce is
made with beef stock, pan juices or roux and red wine. Bourguignon sauce is a red wine
sauce made with onion and other vegetables.

Pepper sauce
You make pepper sauces by adding peppercorns to jus or to a cream-based sauce.

How are sauces served?

Most sauces are served on or under the main food item. Others are served as
accompaniments beside the dish to add complimentary flavours or textures to the dish.

Click on the pictures to learn more about serving sauces.

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Sauces for deep-fried and some shallow-fried dishes are traditionally served beside the
food item to keep the coating crisp. They may be placed in a small dish and placed on the
plate or table.

Napping means to coat the food with a thin, even layer of sauce. The food may be
completely coated or only one section covered, leaving the rest of the item bare so the
customer can see the food.

Dipping sauces such as sweet chilli, soy, tartare and aioli are served in a separate
container beside the item or placed directly on the table.

Use a spoon or ladle when placing sauces to control the amount and placement of the
liquid.

Always check the plate or serviceware for drips and spills before serving the dish.

What are garnishes and accompaniments?

Garnishes and accompaniments are additions to the main ingredients used to make up
the dish. You provide them to enhance the flavour, colour, texture, and presentation of the
meal.

Accompaniments can include a side dish, such as a side of vegetables, salad or chips
served with the main meal.

Like sauces, there are an infinite number of ingredients you can use for garnishes and
accompaniments.

Click on the icon for some common examples.

Garnishes Accompaniments
• Sliced or wedged • Cranberries (usually served with turkey)
lemon • Mint sauce or rosemary jus-lié (usually served with roast
• Heart-shaped lamb)
croutons • Sage and onion stuffing (served with pork)
• Sprigs of rosemary • Rosemary and onion stuffing (served with chicken)
or other fresh • Red currant jelly and stewed pear compote with roast venison
herbs • Yorkshire pudding, English mustard or horseradish (usually
• Delicately carved served with roast beef)
vegetable • Slice or wedge of lemon (served with fish)
• Sliced fruit • Fruit compotes
• Crushed nuts • Berries
• Noodles
• Dumplings
• Nuts
• Rice
• Glazed vegetables
• Crispy gaufrette potatoes
• Side salads
• Pappadams, chutney, naan bread and raita (served with
curries)

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Hot tip

If the main part of the dish provides an attractive balance of colour and texture on its own,
a garnish may just clutter the plate. If this is the case, leave it off.

The final check on presentation

Click on the icons for a few presentation tips.

Presentation standards
Check that the positioning of vegetables, portion size, sauces, accompaniments and
garnishes all comply with the recipe and organisational standards.

Check that the dish matches the standard description or photo before it leaves the
kitchen.

Adding sauce
Take care when adding sauce to the plate. Don’t drown everything, as it will affect the
overall flavour and presentation.

Flood a part of the plate first and then place the food on top.

Alternatively, put the sauce on last and only coat part of the food.

Equipment use
When using a ladle to add sauce to a dish, hold a small plate under the ladle until it is in
position and ready to pour. Use the same plate when returning the ladle back to the
saucepan.

This prevents any drips from falling in unwanted places.

Plating up
Make sure the plate isn’t too big or small for the menu item: too big and the food looks lost
and small, too small and the plate looks crowded and messy.

If serving a hot dish, make sure the plates are hot. A cold plate will cool the food very
quickly.

Presenting the main food item

Consider your customer’s convenience when placing meat, poultry or fish on a plate.

Place fat trim and bones facing away from the customer and ensure the customer doesn’t
need to turn any food around before they can start eating it.

Allow some space between items on the plate so that it doesn’t look like a jumbled mess.

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Final check
Before allowing any plate to leave the kitchen, check it over to ensure that there are no
drips, spills or fingerprints on the plate, especially on the rim.

Use a clean wet service cloth to polish the rim of the plate if necessary.

Note...

Once service is over, it’s time to clean up and get ready for the next shift. Let’s look at
some of the tasks you’ll need to complete.

Store or dispose of food

Procedures for how to store and dispose of a wide variety of different types of food
correctly is covered in a number of other resources, mainly Participate in safe food
handling practices and Maintain the quality of perishable items. Let’s look at how to apply
some of the basic principles of food storage and disposal outlined in those resources.

Click on Andy so he can learn more about the storage or disposal of food.

‘What needs to be stored?’

All food must be stored once it is no longer needed for preparation, production or service
or at the end of the shift. This helps keep your work area uncluttered and makes the
cleaning process at the close of business easier to complete. It also reduces the risk of a
pest invasion.

All raw, partially or fully prepared perishable ingredients and dishes must be refrigerated
or frozen if they are going to be used at a later time.

‘What can I store?’

Two basic food safety principles to remember are that cooked food can only be reheated
once and food held in the temperature danger zone (glossary) for more than four hours
cannot be sold to customers. If any food left over after service meets this criteria, it must
be disposed of. If you are in any doubt, ask your supervisor.

‘How should it be stored?’

If a menu item has been prepared or displayed in a container, it must be transferred to a
clean container for storage. For example, hot soup held in a stockpot, lasagne displayed
in a bain-marie container, or a dessert cake displayed on a plate should all be placed into
clean containers.

All food should be securely covered with cling wrap or aluminium foil, or placed in a
lidded, sealed container. This prevents cross-contamination between different foods in the
storage area.

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‘Should it be labelled?’
Any food placed in storage containers at the end of service should have a date label
clearly placed on the outside of the container. The label may also name the contents of
the container and who stored it. This helps other staff to rotate stock correctly and decide
if the food is safe to use if it has been stored for a period of time.

‘Why are good storage techniques important?’

Any business has a lot of money invested in its stock. Poor storage leads to food spoilage
and more wastage. This increases expense and decreases profitability (and hence their
ability to pay your wages!).

‘How do you dispose of food?’

Always separate food waste from edible foods to avoid cross-contamination. Place any
food to be disposed of in a lined garbage bin. When your shift ends or the bin gets full,
carefully remove the liner and contents. Place it in a sealed external waste storage
container to keep pests out (and odours in!).

Store reusable by-products

In section 1 we looked at how to store reusable by-products. By-products are the food that
is leftover during and after the production of a dish. Some is waste and must be disposed
of and some by-products are reusable in other dishes or service periods.

Can you remember the key principles for storing reusable by-products safely and
hygienically?

You have 15 seconds to list four different things you should do when storing reusable by-
products.

Click start to begin.

List four things you should consider when storing reusable by-products.

How did you go? Compare your answers to these.

• Mark an opened product container with the date of opening

• Mark all items with the date of storage.
• Place fragile items in food grade containers to prevent damage.
• Place canned ingredients in clean, dry, airtight, food grade containers.
• Place open bags of flour and other dry goods in bins suitable for food storage.
• Cover all ingredients with plastic wrap or a lid.
• Store plastic wrap, packaging and other materials in clean, dry, pest and contamination
free area.
• Store raw meat on shelves under cooked meats.
• Store raw, prepared and processed foods at their correct temperatures.

Clean and tidy your work area

If you have followed the policy of cleaning as you go, you may not need to complete as
many cleaning tasks in your work area. Some tasks cannot be completed until the service
period is over, all food production is completed, and the kitchen is ready to be closed.

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These final, end-of-shift tasks usually include cleaning and sanitising all surfaces such as
bench tops and shelves, putting away the last items of cleaned equipment, placing dirty
linen such as tea towels and cleaning cloths in the linen bag, and emptying and washing
the rubbish bins.

Clean dirty equipment and utensils and store correctly

Effective cleaning procedures are very important in any kitchen. To make cleaning quicker
and easier at the end of the shift, try to clean as many items as possible during
preparation time. Many items of equipment, such as pots and service utensils, can be put
through the dishwasher. When manually cleaning equipment and utensils there are six
steps you should follow.

Before you click on each step, can you guess what is required?

Step Action
1 Pre-clean: scrape, wipe or sweep away food scraps and rinse with water.
Wash: use hot water and detergent to remove any grease and dirt. Soak if
2
needed.
3 Rinse: rinse off any loose dirt or detergent foam.
4 Sanitise: use a sanitiser to kill any remaining bacteria.
5 Final rinse: wash off sanitiser.
6 Dry: allow to air dry.

How can you make end-of-shift cleaning procedures easier?

Coordination is the key. Make sure everyone has been allocated tasks and they know
what their responsibilities are. This helps to ensure cleaning tasks are not duplicated or
missed.

The simplest method of making sure everyone knows what they have to do is to have a
cleaning schedule. This allocates tasks to specific people or job roles. It can also describe
how to complete a task and when it should be done.

Click on the filing cabinet to see an example of a cleaning schedule.

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Cleaning schedule
Item to be cleaned Stove top griddle plate.

How Scrape off all food particles using a flat-edged grill scraper.
Spray with a degreaser and wipe with a warm, damp cloth to
remove fat deposits.
Rub the flat griddle surface with a drill brick to remove any
baked on carbon deposits.
Rinse in warm water.
Wash in warm water with detergent, use brush and scourer as
needed.
Rinse in clean water.
When dry, wipe plate over with an oiled cloth to prevent it from
rusting.

When Every day after use.

Cleaning equipment/ Degreaser, detergent, grill scraper, grill brick, brush and
chemicals scourer, oiled cloth.

Who 3rd year apprentice.

End of section
You have reached the end of section 5.

Click to the next screen to read the unit summary.

Summary
The information you’ve learned in this unit forms the basis for every cooking task you’ll
need to perform in a commercial kitchen.

Now that you understand the different methods of cookery, you can pick up any recipe
and with some supervision, confidently carry out the tasks required.

So, next time you’re dining out, you’ll know exactly what’s going on behind the kitchen
door. Pay attention to the plates that arrive at your table and reflect on what you’ve
learned about timeliness, presentation, food quality, portioning and correct cooking
methods.

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 GLOSSARY

Glossary

Word Meaning
Aioli Garlic flavoured mayonnaise.
Béarnaise Warm emulsion sauce made from egg-yolks, clarified butter, white wine
vinegar and tarragon.
Béchamel A white sauce consisting of milk thickened with a butter and flour roux.
Beurre blanc Semi-emulsified white butter sauce made from a flavoured liquid
reduction, cream and whole butter.
Beurre fondu Plain butter sauce.
Beurre noir Butter sauce made from blackening salted butter in a pan.
Beurre noisette Butter sauce made from cooking salted butter in a pan until it turns a
nut brown in colour.
Blanquette A white stew made from lamb, veal or chicken with a rich velvety sauce.
Boiling point The temperature can vary depending on the liquid but a boiling point is
normally around 100 °C.
Braising Also known as pot roasting. A method that includes using moist and dry
heat.
Broiled To cook with radiant heat (such as directly over a fire).
Cartouche Literally means ‘cartridge’. A circle of greaseproof paper used as a lid or
barrier.
Casserole A kind of stew cooked slowly in an oven.
Coagulate When the proteins present in some foods group together and become
firm.
Cocktail Mayonnaise derivative sauce consisting of tomato sauce,
worcestershire sauce, cream, lemon juice and brandy.
Cured meat A method of preserving meat by soaking in a heavily salted liquid called
brine, to kill bacteria and improve the keeping quality of the meat.
Deglazing To dilute pan juices with stock, wine or cream.
Dégraisser To skim or remove the fat from a stock or sauce.
Despumate To remove the scum and froth from a stock or sauce.
Dish In this unit you’ll learn cooking methods for a range of dishes including
appetisers, breakfast items, café-style items, fast food, partially-
prepared items, pasta and dishes of limited complexity (containing a
small number of ingredients or a single cookery method).
En papillote Pronounced ‘ahn-pa-pee-yort’. Cooked in a sealed greaseproof paper
or foil envelope.

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Word Meaning
Farinaceous From the Latin ‘farina’ meaning flour. This term is used collectively to
describe all products with a high starch content including pasta, rice,
potatoes, polenta, semolina, couscous, etc.
Flash point The temperature at which fats or oils catch on fire or explode. The
temperature for this varies, depending on the type of cooking medium in
use.
Freezer burn Discolouration and drying on the surface of protein foods when they
have not been correctly covered during freezing.
Fricassee A white stew made from tripe, chicken or veal where the meat is cooked
in the thickened sauce. The meat is usually fried before stewing.
Hazardous Hazardous materials are any substances that are listed on the national
material Occupational Health and Safety Commission’s list of Designated
Hazardous Substances, or have been classified as a hazardous
substance by the manufacturer. In hospitality, this may include
dangerous cleaning chemicals such as alkalis and caustic soda,
pesticides and rodent baits.
Hollandaise Warm emulsion sauce made from egg-yolks, clarified butter, vinegar
and lemon juice.
Marinade Sauce made of oil, vinegar, spices, herbs, etc., in which meat, fish, or
other food is soaked before cooking to flavour or soften it.
Mornay A béchamel-based sauce with cheese added.
Narvarin A brown stew made from diced lamb and vegetables.
Rémoulade Highly seasoned sauce made from mayonnaise, gherkin, onion,
tarragon, capers, anchovies and chervil.
Root vegetables All vegetables grown below the soil surface (underground). Examples
include carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips and onions.
Sauce bercy A seafood sauce based on fish velouté with the addition of shallots, dry
white wine, butter, chopped parsley and lemon juice.
Sautéed Food that is cook or browned in a pan containing a small quantity of
butter, oil, or other fat.
Spider A large wire mesh spoon used to remove food when deep frying.
Tartare Mayonnaise derivative sauce consisting of chopped capers, gherkins
and fines herbes.
Temperature The temperature range between 5 °C and 60 °C, within which bacteria
danger zone grows best.
Vin blanc White wine sauce based on a reduction of white wine, velouté and
cream.

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