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Changed my mind about mise en place after 8 years in the kitchen
I always thought mise en place was overhyped, just a way for culinary schools to look professional. But last Tuesday, my line got slammed with a 40-cover walk-in during a private event. I had nothing prepped and it took me 20 extra minutes on a single ticket. That night I watched my sous chef breeze through the same rush with everything in little bowls. Now I'm a believer. Anyone else have a moment that finally made them prep differently?
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shane65517d ago
Watched a guy plate 40 covers in ten minutes flat while I was still fishing onions out of a bus tub. Little bowls changed my life that night. Now I prep everything down to the last garnish and my ticket times actually make sense.
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anna_ross1917d ago
And not just the bowls, but the whole mise en place mindset. Once you start treating every station like a tiny production line, the whole shift flows different. I got a dozen of those cheap clear portion cups and I portion out every sauce, every herb garnish, every squeeze bottle before service. The other guys give me shit about being anal but then they're the ones hunting for the cilantro in the walk-in at 7pm on a Friday. Prepping down to the last microgreen means my hands are never empty and the expo never has to call my name twice.
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