It’s a principle that has long been governing the operation of both restaurant and commercial kitchens since its beginning in the late 1800s: Mise en Place is a French cooking phrase that translates to “put in place” or “everything in its place.” In other words, it means having all your equipment and ingredients prepped before cooking. From chopping boards, gastro strays, pots, sanitizer spray bottles, oven cloths, tasting spoons, and more.
With an effective Mise en place, all your menu aspects will be ready for use to create the order. This is why the Mise en place method is essential.
The best tool for being a chef is your ingredients. Having all your ingredients laid out together on a counter and proportioned perfectly in Mise en place will not only simplify your cooking, but it will also paint that pretty picture.
Mise en Place in Bars and Restaurants
Today, many bar setups are adopting the Mise en place method. As cocktails are becoming more sophisticated, so too must bar setups. Time is of the essence to bartenders, and a perfect bar setup helps them to save more time for when they’ll require it most. Most guests don’t like waiting for either type of drink.
Mise en place is also essential to sous chefs in restaurant kitchens whose main job is to assemble ingredients for the chef to use. Restaurant kitchens are equipped with cooking utensils and equipment that can hold Mise en place in various proportions.
You will be able to go through any cooking project that comes your way with ease. Still not convinced? Well, below are four perfectly explained reasons why you should put Mise en place into practice.
1. It’s Time-Saving
Preparing everything prior to cooking will simplify the cooking process. By getting all the necessary ingredients and the right equipment to get the job done, this will ultimately save you time and the energy that you’d have used searching for things you knew you should have assembled earlier.
2. You’ll Be More Organized
Even the most challenging recipes become a piece of cake when you lay out everything in front of you and partition them correctly.
Better yet, as a chef, why not try to put things in order and watch what happens? You’ll be surprised and will come to think that you’ve made your own professionally-streamlined kitchen!
3. You’ll Know All the Missing Ingredients
Have you ever gone halfway through a recipe and realized that you’re short of one egg? Yes, it’s really disappointing, but what will you do? Will you substitute another thing, or will you ignore it and hope for the best?
Relieve yourself from these last-minute resolutions by arranging everything Mise en place.
4. It Makes Cleaning Fun
An effective Mise en place makes cleaning fun. You’ll not have to worry about cleaning up your mess during your preparation, and even grabbing that clean bowl with your sticky hands won’t be so stressful. When you have everything in place, you’ll know how much you’ll need to put up instantly. You’ll not have to worry about unexpected messes.
Mise en place is more than an organizing system and more than a regimen. Every chef is proud of their Mise en place. It’s a thing that many chefs aspire to stand out of others. You, therefore, have to ensure that you’re proud of your Mise en place.
Mise en place reflects on you as a cook or as a chef. The key to producing a tasty meal is making sure that you organize your ingredients, take the right measurements, and be as accurate as possible. This way, you’ll stand out to be the best for the rest of your career as a chef.
NSB Restaurant Equipment provides chefs with foodservice equipment and supplies across Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. You can stop by our showroom and speak to our experts, or you can shop with us online. If you have any questions or inquiries, please contact us.