ITo be honest, there are definitely a few lessons from my childhood days that are now in a web-filled slit deep in my brain. Think in the spirit of the Pythagorean theorem, what does a prime number mean in general, and how to actually perform division into a long number on paper and pen. Of course, from time to time I go through the archives of my memory to extract one of these facts, when in the middle of a hot night of quizzes or carefully watching an episode Danger! But for the most part, those lessons have largely remained intact. (sorry mom). Children, stay at school.
However, as I got older and found my true calling in life – that is, my absolute obsession with food – I was able to go to culinary school, where I learned several important tricks and lessons that I still use in my daily life. In addition to learning how to properly prepare five basic sauces and how to cook potatoes (UGH, IYKYK), the first week of cooking school taught me one of the most important ways to succeed in the kitchen. And no, I’m not talking about always seasoning your food (although of course that’s the second best).
By far the most valuable time saver I learned was the importance of mise-en-scène. It’s a simple culinary skill that involves meticulous cooking (and Marie Kondo-style organization) ahead of time. The good news is that it’s very easy to learn and it will make a noticeable difference in how easily you can cook meals for an entire week, or how quickly you can get dinner on the table quickly.
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What is a mise enplace?
Mise en place is a French culinary phrase that means “to put everything in its place” or “to put things together”. However, in terms of cooking, this means setting up your workspace. before actually start making your dish.
Consider a food kit company with ingredients and recipes that sends you a box of individually wrapped foods ready to cook. The concept of mise-en-scène is pretty much the same: you cook the ingredients separately so that they are on hand and ready to use as the recipe calls for. Read: Mastering mise-en-scène means no more frantically cutting onions at the last minute while everything else in the pan starts to burn.
4 tips for a successful mise-en-please
1. Read the recipe several times
To ensure that you are fully prepared to start cooking, the first thing you need to do is read through the entire recipe. Not once, but twice. As you read the ingredients and steps, take notes on how your food should be prepared to reduce the amount of last-minute chopping, dicing, and chopping.
2. Prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking
When you read all the ingredients, you will want to cook them. before you start cooking – seriously, the emphasis on “before”. For example, a recipe might call for large carrots, but also say that they should be washed, peeled, and cut into pieces (stick-sized slices) or did you need to cut them into julienne, i.e. cut the carrots into matchsticks? ? Repeat the process for each ingredient and place each in separate bowls. Or, if you want to make cleaning even easier, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the ingredients in small piles, leaving space between them so you can grab and use as needed.
3. Take all the necessary tools in advance
In addition to preparing each of the ingredients appropriately so that they are easy to pour into a saucepan, bowl, or pot, you also need to make sure you have all the tools you need to prepare the recipe. This saves you the hassle of digging through cupboards looking for a dusty sieve, as pasta that used to be al dente quickly turns into mush. My culinary school teacher compared a well-executed and thoughtful mise-en-scène to a choreographed dance routine that flows without hiccups, hesitation, or outright chaos. Yes, cooking can sometimes be a bit unpredictable; however, the mise-en-scène will help to minimize the likelihood of any potential disasters.
4. Clean, clean and clean again
To make your mise-en-scène as effective as possible, you need to clean, clean, clean on the go. It’s probably one of the most used phrases you’ll hear in a professional kitchen (other than “yes, chef”). To keep everything as smooth and organized as possible, cleaning while you cook will prevent dishes from piled up to the ceiling by the time you finish cooking. It will also help prevent any cooking accidents when you’re floundering around looking for space on the counter (to put a hot pot on) or almost chopping off your finger (when chopping vegetables on a crowded cutting board).
tl; DR: These simple mise-en-scenes work well, not Only in a professional kitchen, as well as while cooking at home and even when preparing meals for a week. Say goodbye to endless hours spent preparing a recipe and say goodbye to efficient, clean and delicious cooking days forever.