WHAT MAKES YOU A PROFESSIONAL CHEF?

Whenever we order outside food the first thing that comes to our mind is “ WOW! This taste’s delicious”. That is the kind of impact the cook or the chef makes in our lives.

Does the food involved is more than just satisfying the hunger pangs and taste buds?

Does the delicious taste sink deep within your soul and make you crave for some more?

It definitely does because we love eating good mouth-watering food. A chef is a culinary artist who makes scrumming yummy food which has the best flavors as well as it is well presented.

Not everyone gets to be Remy-the rat in Ratatouille. Being a professional chef does not happen in one day, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and determination to be one.

“No one is born a great chef, one learns by doing”. If you're passionate about cooking and love the idea of creating new dishes you may as well as want to choose to become a chef as your profession.

QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL CHEF:

A few attributes are necessary if your willing to cultivate to be designated, culinary chef.

· Passion: The only way to do great work is to love what you do. Be passionate and love the profession.

· Creativity: Brainstorm yourself. Think out of the box. Incorporate in bringing new impressive dishes in the menu and improve older recipes. Creativity and imagination will keep customers coming back to the restaurant.

· Attention To Detail: There is a lot of difference between good and perfect. Being good is being satisfied but being perfect is beyond satisfying. In order to be perfect, you need to focus on giving attention to detail to even a tiny work in the kitchen.

· Physical Stamina: The commercial kitchen is a hard place to work; long hours on foot exposed to heat, grease, high pressure and odd working hours; a chef needs the stamina to remain focused and consistently produce top quality food.

· Multi-tasking: You’ll have to prep vegetables, continue sautéing chicken, and grab ingredients from the fridge all at once. Being effective should be an important key factor.

· Ability to handle the high-stress environment and willingness to accept criticism: Being a chef is an extremely stressful job. The temperature is often high due to lots of open flames and steam, there are dozens of things going on at any one time and you still need to ensure that plates are going out perfectly and in a timely fashion. So make sure that you're up for it.

There is no guarantee that everybody will always love the food cooked by a chef. A chef will sometimes face criticism and he/she has to be able to handle it with equanimity, analyze the feedback and take appropriate action on it.

· Curiosity and desire to learn and do more: A professional chef is not content to cook the same dishes over and over again. Instead, they are curious about new developments in the culinary world, unusual flavor combinations and ingredients they haven’t yet heard of.

· Practice. Practice. Practice: You won't get a dish right unless and until you keep practicing it enough. By experience, you learn to become a professional chef.

HIERARCHY OF CHEFS:

If you work in hospitality or catering, it’s probable that you have heard of the Brigade de Cuisine. Think this is the first time you’ve heard of the Brigade de Cuisine?. Then no problem. Brigade de Cuisine is a French brigade system adopted to ensure kitchen operations run smoothly.

It is basically known as the kitchen hierarchy, that is the chefs are ranked according to their experience and held various positions in the overall function of the kitchen.

· Executive Chef:

The Executive chef sits at the top of the kitchen hierarchy; their role is primarily managerial. Executive chefs tend to manage kitchens at multiple outlets and are not usually directly responsible for cooking.

· Chef de Cuisine (Head Chef):

The Head Chef manages the whole kitchen and in the absence of an Executive Chef, they’ll be on the top of the hierarchy. For example, they supervise and manage staff, control costs and make purchases, and liaise with the restaurant manager and suppliers to create new menus.

Aboyeur :

The aboyeur accepts orders from the dining room, relays them to the appropriate stations of the kitchen, and checks each plate before it leaves the kitchen.

Communard:

The communard prepares the meal served to staff at some point during the shift (also called the family meal).

· Sous Chef (Assistant Chef):

The Sous Chef supervises all the other chefs, including teaching them, correcting techniques and cooking as necessary.

· Chef de Partie (Senior Chef or Station Chef):

As a Chef de partie you get to oversee a section of the kitchen, be it pastry, butchery, fish, sauces, vegetables and so on.

Saucier (Sauce Chef):

Prepares sauces and gravies that accompany dishes for all the stations; also soups, stews and sautéing.

Poissonnier (Fish Chef):

Poissonnier or the Fish Chef is responsible for the preparation of all fish dishes in the kitchen. This can include acquiring fresh fish on a daily basis from local fishermen or other merchants, as well as bringing in non-local catches, as needed, to supplement the menu.

Rotisseur (Roast Chef):

They are responsible for roast meats or braises and all kinds of meats, cooking them slowly in the oven or on the stove; responsible for getting meat from suppliers or having it delivered.

Grillardin (Grill Chef):

They are responsible for any foods that must be grilled. This can include meats, poultry, or even vegetables.

Friturier (Fry Chef):

This member of staff prepares and specializes in, fried food items.

Entremetier (Vegetable Chef):

They prepare vegetables, soups, starches, and eggs. In larger kitchens, this role may split into two: Potager, who is in charge of making soups, and Legumier, who is in charge of preparing any vegetables.

Tournant (Swing Chef):

Experienced in all stations, this chef fills in when any station needs help, moving from station to station as one gets busy or filling in when a chef is absent.

Garde manger (Pantry Chef):

The Pantry Chef is responsible for the preparation of cold foods, including salads, cold appetizers, pâtés, and the like.

Boucher (Butcher):

They prepare meat and poultry before they are delivered to their respective stations.

Patissier (Pastry Chef):

The Patissier makes, bakes or prepares all baked goods, from bread and croissants to desserts and chocolate.

Being in a culinary industry where you get to prep, cook and present food is not an easy job. It is an industry that strives in the well-fare and serves the community. Becoming a professional chef is an honorable profession.

A professional chef is always on the top of his game, proficient in all aspects of food preparation and makes us the delicious food ever. So if you are really into cooking and have just completed your schooling.

What is the wait for?

Become a pinnacle of professionalism and skill by becoming a professional chef.

Original Source: explora.org.in