Basic Professional French Cooking

On www.melaniff.com since 2016

Introduction to Basic Techniques

Session 1

1. General Rules of Hygiene

Good hygiene is one of man’s most precious assets, and hygiene is extremely important in this profession. External cleanliness is only part of professional hygiene. The individual professional conscience also play an essential role. Scrupulous cleanliness os required both personally and within the working environment, including materials, equipment and premises.

1. A.Hair must be clean, well groomed and covered with a clean hat.
   

2. B.Hands must be washed upon arrival in the kitchen, and after each visit to the washroom. Nails should be short and clean, with no nail polish. Wearing jewelry and perfume or cologne in not permitted.
   

3. C.Taste nothing with your fingers. Use a clean spoon for this purpose, a fresh one for each tasting.
   

4. D.Working with a skin infection or respiratory infections in prohibited.
   

5. E.Avoid direct physical contact with products which spoil easily, including sauces and stocks, meats, cream, ice cream, etc.
   

6. F.Do not smoke in the kitchen.
   

7. G.Do not sit on the work tables.
   

8. H.Uniforms should be school-issued and impeccably maintained.
   

    In our profession, lack of proper hygiene may result in serious, even disastrous results to others’ health.

2. 2.Chef’s Regulation Dress Uniform
   

Chef’s Hat - Toque - To hold the hair in place

Neckerchief - To absorb perspiration

Chef’s Jacket - School-issued white, double breasted jacket with school patch on left shoulder

White Apron - Tied around the waist

Side Towel - Thick, absorbent towel to grasp hot dishes

Pants - School-issued straight-legg black and white check

Shoes - Laced leather, to protect the feet from spills

3. 3.First Aid
   

Safety in the kitchen is crucial, that burns and cuts are unfortunately an operational hazard for chefs, so it is important to know how to treat them. How seriously a burn is depends on the degree and extent (area it covers). How serious a cut is depends on how deep, and whether it cuts any major blood sources.

Burns are classified as:

First degree - inflammation, reddening of the skin. Painful buy not really serious; caused by quick contact with a moderately hot surface.

Second degree - Blisters form on the area.

Third degree - The surface layers of the skin are destroyed; the tissue is bloody or carbonized and black.

Cuts should always be washed out, then pressure should be applied with a clean towel to stop the bleeding. If possible, elevate the cut area above the patient’s heart to show the flow of blood. If the cut won’t stop bleeding after a few minutes, is very deep, or bleeds profusely, it may require stitches. The patient should be sent immediately to the nearest hospital, still applying pressure to the cut.

Cuts which have stopped bleeding should be covered with a clean bandage and a rubber glove or finger cover. This is both to protect the cut from infection and to prevent the spread of bacteria from the cut to the food being prepared, Open wounds are a source of food contamination.

4. 4.Work Area
   

This is a universal set up which never changes. The area consists of a cutting board placed on a damp towel to prevent slipping, with knives and equipment arranged to the right of the board, and the bowls above it. When peeling vegetables, work from unprepared items, and place prepared items in a bowl to the right. Always catch the peeling in a bowl and keep your work area neat.

What to Do

Avoid at All Costs

First Degree

Cover the burn with a band as if it where a small cut

Putting on burn cream

Second Degree

Cover with sterile gauze.

Serious or Third Degree

Keep the patient warm to prevent shock. Transport patient to the nearest medical center or hospital immediately

Do not undress the patient unless his clothes are saturated with a liquid which is still burning. Do not touch the burn or attempt to treat it yourself.

5. 5.Peeling and Washing
   

The Peeling Process:

1. A.General:
   

To peel (eplucher) by removing the skin or outer layer of a vegetable or fruit.

    Peas - shell or hulk (écosser)

    String Beans - pull off the stringy side filaments (éffiler)

2. B.Technique:
   

Motions should be regular, consistent and precise. Most items can be peeled using a paring knife with a 3-4 inch blade, or a traditional vegetable peeler.

3. C.Organization:
   

4. D.The work area should be set up as descried in section 4, with the cutting board in front of you, the unpeeled vegetables in a bowl on the left and the peeled vegetables in a bowl on the right. Peelings are caught in the bowl in the center. The work is to be executed in an orderly and clean way. The peelings and residue are thrown away as soon as the work is completed.
   

Washing:

1. A.General:
   

To wash (laver) in order to eliminate impurities, dirt, sand, insects and insecticide by submersion in cold water. This is important  for aesthetic as well as sanitary reasons, especially when the vegetables are to be eaten raw - dirt and grit are unappetizing as well as unhealthy.

2. B.Technique:
   

Fill a large basin or sink with cold water, enough to completely cover the vegetables to be washed. For salads, cabbage and cauliflower, you could add a little vinegar to the water.

Mushrooms mat be washed if they will be used right away, but if they will not be used for some time after washing they should be rubbed with a damp cloth. Otherwise they will absorb too much water.

6. 6.Methods of Cutting (Taillage)
   

Proper cutting results in uniformly sized and shaped vegetables. This is important for aesthetic reasons, and also helps ensure that the items will be evenly cooked. It is especially helpful when more than one person is cutting vegetables for a particular dish, to make sure the different elements are uniform.

1. A.Finely Chopping Onions and Shallots (Ciseler)
   

This method produces fine, tiny dice, and doesn't force juices out of the item being cut as regular chopping could.

1. -Peel and wash the onion and cut it in half through the root end.
   

2. -Place each half on the flat, cut side with the root end to the left.
   

3. -Make fine slices vertically, then horizontally, extending almost all the way to the root.
   

4. -Finally, slice parallel to the root. The pieces should fall in even dice.
   

2. B.Most Other Vegetables
   

3. -Peel and was the vegetables.
   

4. -If necessary, trim the round sides to obtain flat surfaces so even pieces can be cut.
   

5. -Cut the item into segments 4 to 5 cm long.
   

Traditional taillage cuts the item into slices (tranches), then into sticks, then into dice. Each size has a specific name.

Unprepared Vegetables

Prepared Vegetables

Cutting Board

Peelings

Work Table

Equipment

Other Cuts:

    Mirepoix: Unshaped chunks, usually 1 - 2 cm. Used as aromatic garniture to flavor the final product, and strained out at the end of cooking so a perfectly regular appearance doesn’t matter. Pieces are cut without prior shaping of the vegetables. They should, however, be uniform in size so they cook evenly.

    Paysanne: Tile-shaped, either square (cut from jardinière, sliced 1 - 2 mm thin) or without pre shaping. Vegetables cut ‘paysanne’ are used for soups titled ‘tailles’.

100. C.Chiffionade
     

The method produces thin strips of lettuce, herbs, of other leafy vegetables.

1. -Clean the leaves and make a flat stack of three of four.
   

2. -Roll them up into a cigar shape.
   

3. -Finely julienne the roll so that thin strips are formed.
   

500. D.Concassé - Chopped
     

Herb sprigs of tomatoes are coarsely chopped with a chef's knife and used for adding flavor to dishes.

5. E.Haché - Minced
   

Herb sprigs are finely minced in small batches. Used for flavor in dishes and to sprinkle on top of finished dishes for garnish.

6. F.Some vegetables must be prepared in certain ways because of their unusual shape of structure.
   

1. a.Watercress (‘cresson’) should be washed carefully. Eliminate wilted or discolored branches and cut off the leaves, leaving approximately 5 cm of stem attached.
   

2. b.Leeks (poireaux’) should be cut slightly above where the stalk becomes green. Cut the leek in half lengthwise and hold each half under cold running water. Separate the leaves and rinse out the grit between the layers. Hold the root side up - otherwise the water tends to force grit deeper into the leek. (Note: for Leeks Vinaigrette, don’t cut the leeks in half)
   

    To slice, the layers may be separated, flattened out and stack up to create an even surface.

3. c.Lemons (‘citrons’) can be decorated with ridges using a special instrument called a ‘canneleur’ or channel knife. After fluting the whole lemon, it may be cut into slices or half slices.
   

Lemons can also be cut into baskets, or sliced in half with a paring knife to leave a zigzag edge known as ‘dent de loup’ (wolf’s tooth). This is often used to decorate fried and poached fish. The technique can be also be used on oranges and grapefruit.

7. Two Classic Cooking Methods for Vegetables

1. A.A l’Anglaise - ‘English’ Style, boiled with much water. The salt helps keep the color. Mostly used for green vegetables.
   

1. -Fill a large pot with water.
   

2. -Add plenty of salt - it should taste like sea water.
   

3. -Bring to a rolling boil.
   

4. -Add vegetables and cook, uncovered, until cooked but still slightly resistant - most vegetables will be reheated for service and will cook further then.
   

5. -Refresh in an ice bath.
   

6. -Drain and set aside until ready for services.
   

2. B.A l’Etuve - Cooked at the time of service
   

3. -Place the vegetables in a pot and add water halfway or to the top of the vegetables, depending on how much water they contain and how long they cook.
   

4. -Add a pinch of salt and a little butter.
   

5. -Cover with parchment cut to the size of the pan. The parchment allows evaporation.
   

6. -Bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Keep an eye on them while cooking to make sure the water doesn’t boil away. Ideally, the water should all have evaporated just as the vegetables are cooked.
   

General Guidelines for Cooking Vegetables:

1. -Peeled and washed vegetables should never be left in water as it will leach out their flavors and nutrients (exceptions are those items which will discolor if exposed to air, including potatoes and artichokes).
   

2. -Different vegetables should be cooked separately so each retains its own flavor. Also, cooking times vary so combining different types inevitably means one will be overcooked by the time the other is ready.
   

    RECIPES

    Taillage: Methods of Shaping and Cutting Vegetables

Taillage

The purposes of taillage are:

1. 1.To give a particular form for uniformity of cooking.
   

2. 2.To improve aesthetic presentation.
   

Taillage Methods

- Emincer: a method of thinly slicing vegetables

- Ciseler: a method of finely chopping onions and shallots

- Julienne: thin matchsticks

- Brunoise: minute cubes, 1 to 2 mm square

- Mirepoix: unshaped large chunks, 1 to 2 cm

- Jardiniere: thin sticks 4 to 5 cm long by .5 cm squared

- Macedoine: cut from Jardiniere, small cubes .5 cm squared

1. -Paysanne: cut into cubes or triangles, When cubed, formed from Jardiniere sliced 1 to 2 mm thin.
   

    Methods of Cooking Vegetables

À l’Anglais (cooked ahead and reheated at the time of service)

1. -Fill a large pot with salted water - should taste like sea water.
   

2. -Bring to a rolling boil, add the vegetables and cook until tender.
   

3. -Refresh vegetables in ice cold water to stop the cooking and set the color.
   

4. -Drain and dry the vegetables and reserve for service.
   

5. -To order, reheat with butter as seasonings and serve.
   

À l’Etuve (cooked at the time of service and served immediately)

1. -Place vegetables in a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.
   

2. -Add water to come a little more than halfway up the sides of the vegetables.
   

3. -Add butter, salt and pepper and cover with parchment paper.
   

4. -Bring to a simmer and cook until tender. Serve right away.

Square the Sides

Slice

Batonnet

Dice

Batonnet Form

Dice Form

Jardinière

.5 cm square X 4 - 5 cm long

Macedoine

.5 cm cube

Julienne

1 - 2 mm square X 3 cm long

Brunoise

1/2 mm cube