The Next Step

You are already a good cook. Your family and friends compliment you on your dishes, but there is something lacking. You have that urge to take your skills up another notch, to get raves instead of just compliments, to have your diners ask to take leftovers home or for you to share your secrets.

As a volunteer chef's assistant at a cooking school, I went from a good cook to the next level. In this series of articles, I am going to share with you some of the tricks and techniques that I believe attributed to my transformation. In my second article, we are going to cover -

Mise en Place:

Do not let the name mislead you. This is not just for professional chefs. Mise en Place, or "Everything in its place", is one of the most useful, helpful, and efficient techniques I learned.

By organizing ingredients, you are less likely to make mistakes.

Having all of the ingredients prepared ahead of time puts you in control of the order and timing of additions. This is often critical in cooking. Each ingredient needs to reach the right temperature and level of doneness to maximize its contribution to the overall flavor of the dish. Mise en Place may add a few bowls to your cleanup, but you can minimize this by figuring out from your recipe which ingredients are added at the same time. These can be put together in one bowl as you prepare them. I have a selection of small to medium size bowls that I use for this purpose. (Graduated shot glasses are convenient for measurements of about half an ounce to two ounces. Just make certain that you are comfortable with the way the shot glass is marked before you buy it.)

If you have a small kitchen like me, then there is another advantage. Once the cutting is done, you can move the cutting board and knife to the sink. This opens up a clean work area. I take advantage of this by rearranging the bowls in an order that is convenient for adding their contents to the pan.

Mise en Place is invaluable for stir fry. You need high heat and constant motion to make really good stir fry. If everything is prepared and ready to dump into the wok or skillet at the right moment, you can use the very high temperatures that produce wok-hey or "wok flavor".

Why is a clean work area important in cooking? Besides the health issue, the cleaner the work area is, the easier it is for the cook to work effectively and efficiently. When your hands get soiled, give them a quick rinse. (Unless we are talking about raw meat. In that case, wash your hands immediately with soap and water.) Not only does this make you feel better, it avoids getting food on the handle of your knife or skillet. (Few things in the kitchen feel more unpleasant than grabbing onto an ooky skillet handle.) Keep a damp sponge handy. Use it to mop up spills, when you have a moment between additions.

Try Mise en Place, and I am confident that you will find cooking easier and more satisfying. Make it a habit, and you will be gratified at the improvement in the quality of the food you serve.

Next article: Taste your food

Learn more about this author, Rich Kroll.
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