# someone please explain mise en place



## the_seraphim (Dec 25, 2006)

ok so i think i get it... its your area/kitchen being set up how YOU like it... your knives are were you want them to be everything in its place and a place for everything... you dont have to hunt for something... you know exactly where it is...

is that right/it?

i keep hearing chefs complain that they have to "re-do my mise en place" and im thinking... what the blooming heck is that, cause i dont do one at all i dont think... at least im not thinking "time to do my mise en place"

or am i just laid back?


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## blueicus (Mar 16, 2005)

Usually for me means the material ingredient prep for line cooking/service, either raw or cooked.


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## ma facon (Dec 16, 2004)

Without googling, mise en place is everything (all ingredients) That one needs to put together any and all menu items that the chef is responsible for. Example: Prepared shrimp,Garlic,White wine, Butter for a simple, Shrimp dish. And it can be quite complicated as the menu/recipes demand. You get the idea.

I am sure someone else will chime in with what ther idea is.............


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## the_seraphim (Dec 25, 2006)

oohhhh... i have one of those... we (me, jon the sous and the head chef) sat with the spec sheets for the menu and a pad of paper, and we worked out between us what we wanted where and what to prep when and stuff

we open this wednesday (28th dec) and me the sous and the head chef will be there tomorrow (tue 27th) to get all the prep done, all the batch recipes for sauces, the provencal sauce, the salsa verdi for the salmon, the bechamel sauce for the pies (oh yeah baby... home made pies!) thinkin on it... i have to make the pies too lol, get the meat ready... got some fancy ovens that cook overnight then hold it to temp till you need it, my god the meat comes out of there so tender, so flavourfull

veg prep needs doing tomorrow too...


hehe... in that case my mise en place is very important... and if those darned part timers mess up the walkin or put peeled spuds away without covering them with water im gonna kill em... lol... oh well wednesday should be quiet, all our advertisements said 3rd dec opening, but were opening for service (no bookings) from the 28th to get up to speed without suddenly hitting a wall of bookings for 6pm or whatever...


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## jigz369 (Apr 20, 2007)

mise en place = everything in it's place
This means EVERYTHING! All food stuffs, all plates, all utensils, etc.
Just my opinion though....


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## prochefjim1 (May 16, 2006)

The CHEF sets up the kitchen on how he wants things placed...He makes the Prep Lists for the different stations and where things go and how...UNLESS you are the head guy, YOU don't set things up the way YOU want them...Reason is, if someone walks into your stations for what ever reason (cross training) things should be in the same place and ready to go, not having to stop/search for this or that (wasting time)...Who is in charge?


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## chef deb (Nov 25, 2007)

mise en place is if there is garlic to be minced, carrots peeled, poatoes peeled, onions and stuff. and also if you need to carrots, onion, celery anda sachet for stocks.

Debbie


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## risque cakes (Apr 20, 2007)

That's what we were taught in school too...Mise en Place...everything in it's place...( ready to go!)


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## montelago (Nov 19, 2007)

Jigz and prochef got it right. Regardless of what station you are working, every single item, from soup to nuts that you will need to produce evry item on that station during service, or during your prep shift, or dish tank shift. I especially like the part about the chef dictating where everything goes. I have a saying that I like to use. It says that if you come into my office with some ideas, you will leave with my ideas. I am not interested in what you think, I am only interested in the fact that you understand what I think.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

in off site catering...it includes EVERYTHING.
the schedule, the timelines, the necessary equipment, lighting, the decor, the pans, the cambros, the food, the beverage, the station to put all the dirties in...everything necessary to do the job.....

not just the "food ingredients".


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## goose (Feb 12, 2007)

I learned that mise en place means just what most people here are saying. EVERYTHING needs to be in its proper place. This includes all food stuffs, equipment, tools, everything needs to be set up in its proper place so that you can do your job. All chopping needs to be chopped. All knives and other tools needs to be within arm's reach. All pans, pots, etc. need to be within your immediate vicinity. Generally speaking, what mise means is have everything ready to go so that you can cook what you need to cook without wasting time with any preparation when the tickets come in.


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## rblum (Jul 14, 2005)

i have found that the level of completion of my mise is indirectly proportionate to the volume of business.


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## link138 (Nov 23, 2007)

We actually had a daily list when i was in school for our mis en place:

1.Cutting board
2.wet towel underneath
3.ONLY needed knives
4.equipment mis enplace- bain marie filled with sanitizer water and ONE of every small hand utensil in the kitchens arsenal
5. Towel for wiping
6. bench scraper


PEACE OUT


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## sleepy_dragon (Aug 30, 2005)

And then there is the concept of "mental mise en place", where you thought about what you have to do the night before, so when you walk in, you hit the ground running and multitask your way through the mise list easily because you'd already planned the night before what needed doing first and in what order!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

ooooo.....love that one! very appropriate in personal cheffing as well as catering too.
Timelines. What do you have to start first to flow smoothly....ie, if you are braising or roasting, that goes into the turned on oven, which is the first thing you do upon entering a home approx 350-375* works.....figure out what needs to be chopped....normally onions/garlic.....for soups, stews, braises, sautes.....work through the desserts to figure out baking time and oven space. Mental Mise is what makes personal cheffing always a challenge.


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## mahavishnu nath (Nov 27, 2007)

:chef:It means:
Never having to say I'm sorry (I dont have that, forgot, dont know??)
Never leaving the line during service to get ANYTHING
Always maintaining optimal use of the space you have available on your station
Always having a contingancy plan, back up, extra so you are always prepared.
Territorial control over your space
I always felt I had failed and needed to do better if I left the line at all during service. You can walk away breifly and get buried in the blink of an eye!
Dont coddle any moochers of your mise en plac, let them learn thier own lessons and dont consistantly bail them out...be a team but dont get exploited.

Everything and everyone in their place!!

Hope that helps!!

Nate the Great


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## [email protected] (Nov 30, 2007)

Hi,

We always explained to our students that mise en place means that everything is measured and/or weighed out before you would start to prepare a dish. That way you would not be looking for an ingredient at a critical stage of the cooking process and thereby risking the chance of ruining the dish you were creating.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

one dish at a time?.....welcome to cheftalk bob.


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## uncladchef (Nov 19, 2007)

Mise en place could even be your car keys, cell phone, and wallet before leaving your house. What you need to do what you are about to do.

Cheers


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

or as any parent of an infant knows the shtuff to haul along....interesting with the first child it was pretty much a production, car seat, stroller, toys, diapers, wipes, on and on.....second child less, blanket instead of playpen...third child...a pacifier, diaper, wipes and you are ready to hit the road.

Seemed like there would be a parallel comparison to catering.....and there is to some point. You get to the skill level of being able to work with very little equipment in the middle of no where.....but it seems like we are now schlepping cloths, flowers, props, other equipment to events, increasingly more as the years go by....reversing the trend so to think.


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## chefinfrance (Dec 16, 2007)

Quite simpy mis en place means to put in place , a French term for any preperation done before service to help you prepare dishes ie chopped parsley,peeled onions etc


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## jeffaliscous (Nov 16, 2007)

For example...

Right now, on my saute station..

Veg- Rough Chopped Tomatoes, Rough chopped onions, minced garlic, drained capers, diced poblano chiles, parmesan cheese, chiffonade basil, jullienne roasted red peppers, drained kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, 10oz portions of spinach fettucini pasta, 2oz portions of cappelini pasta, Lots of fresh spinach, Sliced cremin Mushrooms. 7oz portions of 50/60 shrimp, 5oz portobella mushroom(diced and cleaned), Mussels, cleaned and not sitting in water. 

Sauces- Lemon burre blanc, Lime Tomato Garlic reduction, Marinara Sauce, Wasabi Herb Sauce, Sriracha sauce. Mixture(3-1 ratio) balsamic vinegar/white wine, Marsala Wine, White wine, Annisette, olive oil, Lime juice. (the last six are for deglazing of different dishes)

Lowboy cooler- In here i keep backups of all veg I will need. Also i keep..
8oz Mahi-mahi, 7oz Flounder, Crabcakes, Pistachio Parmesan Crusted trout, Butteflied shrimp, Prepped lobster tail. 

Also I need 10in Dinner rounds for entree's, 6in rounds for certain appetizers, Pasta Bowls, Rammekins, Silver bullets, two pairs of tongs, one fish spatula, tasting spoons, an array of measuring spoons/cups/ladles, parsley shaker, seasoning shakers(haha) My 8in chef, A cup of water(no ice) 6 dry towels, 1 sanitizer towel, and the sense of humor to deal with special orders of people who like to get "creative"


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

Yeah, it's everything you need to do the task at hand, whether that be making one sauce or running a station.
I had one cook who was so scattered throughout his shift I used to always give him good-natured crap, "your mise is all over the place!".
He was messy, but he sure could cook.


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