Chapter 4

Food production Methods

 The planning of food service facilities
The planning of food service facilities is more complex than any other types of
planning projects. This is due to some of its unique characteristics, including the
following:

 The wide variety, choice and grades of raw materials available

 The high perishability of some raw materials

 The perishability of end products

 The fast turnover of some foods

 The product is rarely taken to the customer

 The product cannot be stored for any length of time

 A wide variety of customers may be catered

 Variety of production and service methods

2
 Planning Objectives
General planning objectives can, however, be identified for all types of catering
facilities and these may be listed as follows:

1. Customer appeal
2. Cost control
3. Facilitate production and service
4. Materials handling
5. Labour utilization
6. Supervision and management
7. Hygiene and safety standards
8. Cleaning and maintenance
9. Flexibility

3
The different ranks of a kitchen Brigade

1. Executive chef
2. Chef de Cuisine
3. Head chef
4. Sous chef
5. Chef de partie
6. Commis cooks
7. Apprentice

4
 The different ranks of a kitchen Brigade

1. Executive Chef:
Overall supervision of the food production areas
Plan menus and show required profit
Engage new kitchen staff
Supervise the kitchen during peak periods
Advice on purchasing of food and equipment
2. Chef de Cuisine:
This is the French terminology for Executive Chef or Head chef.
3. Head Chef:
The leader of a kitchen brigade mainly in a medium establishment. Has professional cooks
working for him.
5
 The different ranks of a kitchen Brigade

4. Sous Chef:
Replaces the Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine during his absence
Supervises the kitchen during service time
Is responsible for the physical aspects of the kitchen such as maintenance
Does the requisition for direct purchase items
Liaise with the chef de partie with regards to functions
5. Chef de Partie
Is in charge of a work section
Replaces the sous Chef in his absence
Assist in the ordering of food items.

6
 The different ranks of a kitchen Brigade

6. Commis Cooks:
These are assistant cooks to the chef de partie
Commis cooks range from commis 1 to commis 3.
7. Apprentice:
The Apprentice is learning his trade and is moved to each of the parties to gain skills and
knowledge of all the sections in the kitchen.
He is under the supervision of the Chef de Cuisine.

7
 How a kitchen Functions
A commercial kitchen consists of several work sections. Some of these are in separate rooms while
some may be located together. The size as well as the number of work section will depend on the
catering departments overall policy.
All work sections have to be built in a practical manner because several parties involved preparation
certain dishes.

1. Saucier:
Prepare all meat dishes that are not roasted or grilled.
Prepare accompanying garnishes for meat dishes
Prepare specific sauces for meat such as horseradish, mustard, mushroom.

2. Potager
Prepares most types of soup including cold soups like apache.
Garnishes for soups are also prepared by him.

8
 How a kitchen Functions
3. Entremettier
He prepares all types of vegetables, farinaceous items such as rice, potato and noodle.
Responsible for preparation of egg dishes such as omlette, fried, boiled.
4. Rotisseur
Does all roasted and grilled meat items .
Prepares all grilled and deep-fried items including vgetables like mashroom.
Also prepares roast gravy, sauces and accompaniments.
5. Garde-manger
A person who works in the cold section called larder
Prepares anything cold such as appetizers
6. Patissier/ Baker
Prepares all sweets and dseserts
Baked products such as bread

9
Qualities of a chef

10
Qualities of a chef
The top chefs who are known around the world share a set of qualities that
separate them from the others.

Creativity: A great chef must be very creative and always willing to try
something new. Creativity inspires a food’s presentation, which is very
important to the overall dining experience.

Passion: A great chef has a tremendous passion for food and cooking. They
enjoy the process of selecting foods, preparing meals, and creating menus.

Business Sense: A great chef has a keen business sense and runs a kitchen
that produces quality foods but is also cost-effective and efficient.

11
Qualities of a chef
Attention to Detail: A great chef pays close attention to detail. Cooking is a
science and every ingredient and measurement has a specific role that a chef
must be continually aware of.

Team Player: A great chef understands that he or she is part of a larger food
preparation team and that everyone must work harmoniously to ensure the
timely production of quality foods. Chefs must also work well with wait staff
and management.

Practice: A great chef knows that preparing food requires technique and skill
that must be honed after years of practice. A great chef never stops
perfecting his or her technique.

12
 Qualities of a chef
Multitask: A great chef is adept at handling many tasks at once. A single chef might be
responsible for several elements of a meal that all need to come together at the same
time, and he or she must be able to ensure everything is completed at just the right
moment.

Commitment to Quality: A great chef is always committed to preparing the highest

quality meal. They seek out the finest ingredients and use the best techniques to deliver
the best product possible.

Quick Decisions: A great chef is able to think quickly and can make good decisions when
problems arise. Because of the timely nature of the food preparation industry, problem
solving must be done quickly to keep customers satisfied and operations flowing
smoothly.

Handle Criticism: A great chef can handle criticism from customers. Not everyone will
always like what a chef prepares, and a good chef knows not to take poor reviews
personally.
13
Storage areas Preparation areas

Kitchen Layout

Wash-up area Cooking areas

14
Portion control

The type of customer or

establishment

The quality of the food

The buying price of the food

15
 Equipment of portion control
Scoops, for ice-cream or mashed potatoes
Ladles, for soup and sauces
Butter pat machines, regulating pats from 7g upwards
Fruit juice glasses, 75-150g
Soup plates or bowls, 14, 16, 17, 18 cm.
Milk dispensers and tea-measuring machines.
Individual pie dishes, pudding basins, moulds and coupes.
Standard recipe
Standard recipes are a written formula for producing a food item of a
specified quality and quantity for use in a particular establishment.
Objective is to predetermine the following:
The quantities and qualities of ingredients to be used stating the
purchase specification.
The yield obtainable from a recipe
The nutritional value of a particular dish to facilitate
Menu planning
Purchasing and internal requisition
Food preparation and production
Portion control
 Cooking Methods
Cooking always requires the transfer of heat from a heat
source to the food being cooked. All cooking methods
can be divided into one of two categories: moist-heat or
dry-heat. Understanding how each process works will
help you determine which cooking method is most
appropriate for what you are trying to achieve.
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods

In dry-heat cooking, heat is transferred to food via

air, fat, metal, or radiation. These cooking methods
generally use higher temperatures than moist heat
cooking methods because air, fat, and metal can be
heated to temperatures much higher than the
boiling point of water.
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
• Broiling
• Grilling
• Roasting and baking
• Sautéing
• Stir-frying
• Pan-frying
• Deep-frying

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 20

Baking –

Baking utilizes hot air to transfer heat to food and can yield a wide
variety of results depending on the temperature, rack position, and
type of baking sheet or dish being used.

Baking with a conventional oven uses still hot air while a convection
oven uses forced air that blows over food as it cooks. Convection
cooking transfers heat more quickly and therefore often has a shorter
cooking time than with conventional ovens.
 Roasting –

Roasting is a similar to baking but the term is

usually reserved for meat and poultry.

Unlike baking, food that is roasted is often basted

with fat or other liquids to prevent them from
drying during the cooking process.
Roasting & Baking
• These are the process of surrounding a food with dry, heated air in an
enclosed area.

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 23

 Broiling –

Broiling is a cooking method very similar to grilling that can be

achieved in the oven. Broiling consists of placing food very close
to an intense heat source for quick cooking at a very high
temperature.

The heat source for broiling is above food, as opposed to being

beneath food when grilling. Most ovens only have one
temperature setting for broiling and the amount of heat applied
to the food is controlled by moving it closer or further away from
the heat source.
 Grilling –

Just as with broiling, grilling involves exposing food to a

very intense heat source for a short amount of time.

Unlike broiling, the heat source is below the food

rather than above. The heat source for grilling can be
direct flames from either gas or charcoal, or radiant
heat from charcoal briquettes.
Broiling
It uses radiant heat from an overhead source to cook food.

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 26

Frying –

Frying utilizes fat to transfer heat to food. Although fat is a

liquid at frying temperatures, it is still considered a dry-
heat cooking method because it does not involve water.

Frying is most often used to achieve a brown and crispy

end product. Although deep frying may come to mind
first, sautéing, stir-frying, and pan frying are all methods
for frying food.
Sautéing
• It uses conducted heat from the sauté pan with the aid of a little
oil/fat to cook the food
• Stir frying is similar but is generally done with a Wok

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 28

Moist-Heat Cooking Methods

In moist-heat cooking methods, liquid or steam is used to cook the food.

Flavored liquids, such as broth or wine, can be used as the heat transfer
medium and will also add flavor during the cooking process. Leftover
liquids from the cooking process can also be used to make sauce or stock.

Moist-heat methods are particularly useful for softening tough fibers, such
as meat protein or plant cellulose. Conversely, the softening effect can be
detrimental to some food, therefore making moist-heat a poor choice
Blanching -

Blanching involves dropping food into boiling water briefly and then
immediately halting the cooking process by submerging the food into
ice water.

Blanching is used to loosen on fruit and vegetables and to halt

enzymatic action that causes fruit and vegetables to deteriorate. Fruit
and vegetables are often blanched prior to freezing to maintain their
color and freshness during storage.
Boiling –

At sea level, water boils at 212° F. Boiling water has large,

vigorous bubbles, which can disrupt or damage delicate
foods.

Boiling is used to cook stronger, hearty foods such as beans,

pasta, or tough vegetables. Because of the high heat
involved, boiling is usually a relatively quick cooking method.
Braising – Braising involves simmering large cuts of meat
in a small amount of liquid in a covered dish.

Keeping the braising dish covered traps

moisture within and helps intensify the
flavors. Liquids used for braising are often
wine, stock, or the meat's own juices.
 Poaching –

Partially or fully submerging food into water or another

liquid that has reached 160-180° F is called poaching.
Water at this temperature is hotter than scalding but is
not vigorously bubbling like boiling water.

This allows for delicate foods to be cooked without

being disrupted or damaged. Poaching is often used
with eggs and fish, both of which would break apart if
exposed to rapidly boiling water.
 Scalding –

Water that has reached 150° F is considered scalding. At

this temperature, water will have bubbles attached to the
side or bottom of its container that do not release or
move as they do with simmering or boiling water.

The scalding technique is sometimes used to help solids,

such as sugar, flour, or chocolate, dissolve more easily into
the liquid. Scalding was also used in the past to kill
bacteria in milk before pasteurization was so prevalent.
Simmering –
Simmering liquids are above 180 F but not vigorously
bubbling like boiling water. Simmering liquid has gentle
bubbles that rise swiftly from the bottom of the pot.

Simmering is a more gentle cooking method than boiling and

is often used for long and slow cooking processes because
there is less evaporation than with boiling. Tough meat,
soups, and stews are often simmered over low heat for long
periods of time.
Steaming –
Steaming involves the transfer of heat through vaporized
water or other liquids. This is by far the most gentle
moist-heat cooking method.

Because food is not allowed to steep in the hot water,

steamed food retains more nutrients than food that is
boiled or simmered. Pressure cookers utilize steam and
pressure to increase the cooking temperature above the
boiling point of water.
 Stewing –

Stewing is similar to simmering in that the liquid is heated

until it forms gentle, yet quickly moving bubbles.

The difference between stewing and simmering is that

stewing generally involves a much smaller amount of liquid
that is retained and served with the food as a sauce.
Stewing is great for softening tough cuts of meat or fibrous
vegetables.
Combination Cooking Methods
• Braising
• Stewing

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 38

Braising
• It uses both dry & moist cooking methods.
• Braised foods are first browned using a little fat, then liquid is added,
the pan is then covered & the food is simmered.

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 39

Stewing
• It is similar to braising but is generally used on smaller cuts of meat &
the cooking time is shorter as compared to braising.

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 40

12/10/2023 BAC 101 Culinary Foundation Level 1 41
 Choosing the Right Cooking Technique
Using the appropriate cooking method for the type of food being prepared is a major part
of the culinary arts. Tough cuts of meat like beef brisket or lamb shank need to be cooked
slowly, at low heats, for a long time, and with plenty of moisture. Prepared properly, these
cuts can be incredibly tender and delicious.

On the other hand, dry-heat methods typically involve very high temperatures and short
cooking times. A piece of brisket cooked in this way — on a grill, let's say — would be
tough, chewy and largely inedible. Interestingly enough, a beef tenderloin steak cooked
using a slow, moist-heat method such as braising would also turn out tough, chewy and
inedible — albeit for different reasons.
“When you go to a restaurant, the less you know about what
happens in the kitchen, the more you enjoy your meal.”
– Jeffrey Wrigh
Thanks

46