Articles & advice
What is Mise en Place? and tell me again why I should care?
We’ve all had those meals that we cook and, in the process, wreak holy havoc on our kitchen. The aftermath looks like the Mongol sacking of Bagdad. Dread fills your soul as your mind races through what you will have to wade through to recapture your kitchen. Pans perched precariously on the counter like a five-year-old’s attempt at the leaning tower of Pisa. Every cutting board and knife (including, somehow, your gardening shears) spread across the littered landscape and excess ingredients, in various states of preparation, sprinkled about like Jim Belushi had just screamed food fight (did I just date myself). My wife still tells tales (in her best Anne Rice impersonation) of my penchant for kitchen demolition horror…in the past tense, only in the past tense I assure you.
So what is a cook or aspiring chef to do? Why not take a page out of the book of the Pros. Set-up your Mise en place ( mi zɑ̃ ˈplas or Meez-ah Plaws ) But what is it, you ponder?
Mise en place is a French term for setting in place, or more accurately, everything in its place in a kitchen. Once you start cooking, cooking is all that you should be thinking about. No chopping, measuring, or cleaning… ok, not that last one. You are constantly cleaning as you go. It’s never-ending (ask any parent). How do I do a “mise en place”, you ask? Well, I’m glad you asked.
First, Make sure your kitchen is clean and counters clean and sanitized. Now get your recipe out and read it, yes, all of it. ALL–OF –IT! Select a counter and clear it of everything you are not going to use for this recipe, and since you haven’t started gathering your ingredients or equipment yet, that means everything. Set up a bin or bowl for your waste. Having a place to put your refuse close by and on the countertop is an absolute miracle. No seriously! I’m talking about like after your second time of using this little trick, and you realize what a difference it makes an actual choir of angels will humm sweetly in your ears or, in my case, replaced by the happy, glowing smile of relief in my angels (that would be my wife) eyes when she realizes that she will not be better off striking a match and burning the house down. Have a wet and dry kitchen towel folded neatly to the side. Remember that comment about constantly cleaning as you go…yeah, well, that wasn’t a joke or even poetic hyperbole (Yes, I have a word of the day calendar).
Get out every piece of equipment or tool you are going to need.
• Measuring cup (wet and dry, and yes, there is a difference), measuring spoons or better yet, A SCALE (seriously buy a bloody scale. It’s so much better, more accurate, and easier to use). Click here for more on that.
• A mess load of ramekins and bowls to hold your ingredient. I know this sounds like dirtying-up dishes needlessly but trust me, this is by far the lesser of the evils. I mean, you do have a dishwasher, right ( either electric or genetic and by genetic, I mean children)
• Cutting boards (yes plural, at least one for fruit and veg and at least one more for meats. Don’t cross-contaminate your recipe by cutting everything on one board. Bad chef, bad).
• And your carefully and meticulously maintained kitchen children, your pride, the gleam in your eye…I am of course talking about your knives.
Start preparing your ingredient.
• Chop, cut, slice, or carve all ingredients to the size you need. Wipe down between each ingredient.
• Measure/weigh all ingredients and place them in individual dishes or bowls. Place all of the bowls next to where you will be cooking or making your masterpiece(s).
Now look down at the orderly collection of ingredients in their containers, sitting next to all of your kitchen utensils you will need (and nothing more). All neatly lined up next to the stove. This my friend, this is your Mise en place. Revel in it’s glory. Bask in it’s marvel. OK, Now back to work.
Clean off all of your workspace and cutting boards you just used. Shouldn’t be much if you used the trash bowl/bin and you did use the trash bowl/bin didn’t you!! That was NOT a question!..and empty the trash bowl/bin and rinse it out. Wash your knives BY HAND!!! dry and put away. (you may cuddle them briefly first if you wish, briefly or it just gets weird)
Now prepare to cook your first actual dish where you are set-up just like the professionals. Jacques Pepin (look it up) would be so proud.
It will take some getting used to but in the very near future you will thank me and so will your spouse and/or children, profusely.
Carry on chef
The Bishops