Mise en Place: Changing How You Cook at Home
If there’s one thing a professional kitchen runs on besides coffee and mild panic, it’s mise en place. Isn’t that a fancy-sounding word? Don’t let the French terms intimidate you — mise en place literally translates to “putting in place,” or prep work and storage in a restaurant.
I’ve worked in restaurants for nearly 30 years, and I have owned my own place for the last thirteen years. Mise en place is a subject near and dear to my heart, and I am going to teach you how mise en place will change how you cook at home.
What Does a Restaurant Do Before the Doors Open?
Before your local diner opens, there are so many things that are prepared in advance to make service run more smoothly — and it can start hours or even days before that service. Vegetables and cooked meats are pre-chopped and organized in make tables, batters are made and ready to be used, and sauces are prepared and ready to be heated. Things like bacon are baked and held in a steam table at serving temperature.
All of this preparation is necessary. I don’t know if you can imagine this, but let’s say it’s a breakfast rush and you have a rail full of omelets, each requiring its own chopped vegetables and meats, and nothing is chopped. In addition to cooking all that food, the chef has to chop every ingredient and keep it food safe. Feel overwhelmed? You are not alone. I have been cooking for over 20 years, and that sounds like a nightmare. This is why we take our prep seriously.
How Does This Apply at Home?
Let’s say you are going to make soup. When you start cooking, you can either try to chop everything in between steps — possibly having to turn your burner down to avoid overcooking — or you can chop everything you need first and store it in the fridge until you need it. That second option takes much of the stress out of cooking.
Imagine you are going to make a breakfast scramble using some leftover baked potatoes and bacon from the fridge. As a restaurant cook, having those ingredients chopped, with your eggs, seasoning, and cheese out and ready to go, is the only logical solution.
Where Do You Start?
First, think about what you use on a regular basis. Are you chopping onions more than once a week? What about salad toppings? Would having cooked and chopped chicken in your fridge make mealtime easier? I know meal prep is the new fad — and no hate, I think it’s a great idea for anyone who wants to do it — but if you’re not into rigid meal planning and want a bit more freedom, mise en place might be your solution.
Do You Need Special Equipment?
Absolutely not. You need some kind of storage container (if you are in the Midwest, this is a perfect use for all those Cool Whip and margarine tubs in your cabinet), a knife, a cutting board or two, and something to label with. Masking tape and a Sharpie are my personal favorites.
A Few Practical Tips to Get Started
Now that you have your equipment, chop up your most-used vegetables, fruits, and cooked meats and place them into containers. Anything you won’t be able to use within the next 5 to 7 days, place in bags to freeze — this might also be a great opportunity to meal prep a few things.
A helpful note from restaurant work: 5 to 7 days is the average time most foods can be safely stored. There are exceptions — raw chicken and raw seafood being two big ones, which should only be kept 1 to 3 days before freezing or using.
What About Raw Meat?
You can pre-chop raw meats, but you’ll want to use them quickly. It’s often a better idea to chop raw meat just before you start cooking. If you really want raw meat chopped and ready to go, consider freezing it in the portions you’ll need. Chopped meats thaw much faster than whole pieces, so working from frozen won’t add much to your cooking time.
Come Cook With Us
That’s the first restaurant secret I’m sharing here on Mighty Cooks. Mise en place is easily replicated at home and can make cooking so much more enjoyable. If there’s a topic you’re curious about, reach out — if it’s something I know about, I’m happy to share.
