Are line deserts considered pastry?

[kuan]

Souffles, creme brules, crepes. Would you classify them under pastry? Nowadays, if you were hiring, would you expect the hot line to be able to do stuff like that?

[rat]

Sure why not?
While you are at it all the pastry staff should know how to produce fish stock and butcher meat.

[panini]

It has always amazed me that a pastry cook can jump in the hot side but a hot cook is lost in the pastry shop just kidding

[Blueicus]

Assuming you're only asking the hot line to finish burning the sugar or to put the souffle in the oven, it can't be that bad. At least, I hope that's the case when I start forcing hot line people to do that...

[chef.assassin]

Originally Posted by rat

Sure why not?
While you are at it all the pastry staff should know how to produce fish stock and butcher meat.

one of the reasons i got hired at my current place of employment was because i was an excellent culinary school student that also had a lot of hands-on training in the pastry department. i'm currently listed as a 'pastry assistant' but i jump to the savoury side whenever i can, just to lend a hand (and make sure my knowledge doesn't fall by the wayside from disuse). i wish i had more advanced skills in the pastry department (pulled sugar, that kind of thing) so as to become even more useful, but first i have to find someone to teach me.

[kuan]

Here's why I say that it should be a cook's job. If the line guys can caramelize sugar for sauce, they should be able to make flans. If they can thicken a soup with eggyolks then they can make creme brulee. If they can whip eggwhites they can make souffle. If they can make pancakes they can make crepes.

I don't see much of a difference. I'm not saying the grill guy should be able to bake a meringue cake at the moment. Just saying that I think these are basic skills every cook should know.

[Mikeb]

To start, I'm a savoury guy, work on the line. Due to some circumstances in my last couple jobs, I needed to teach myself pastry very quickly. Now I can do pretty much everything in the kitchen, from stocks and sauces, butchery, to any sort of pastry and chocolate work. I personally think everyone should be able to do anything (especially if they want to advance beyond a single station).

Some days I'd be good on my MEP, so I'd help chef with some butchery, and make some chocolate candies, all in an hour's time.... It's a nice feeling knowing that you can do pretty much anything

Anyhow, even if the line guys can't make a picture perfect Macaron or Chocolate candies, they should at the very least be able to make a soufflé, custard or crèpe (heck, most of the crèpes I've done have been savoury anyway).

[chrose]

Having done both sides (and done them well ) I would say that the hot line should absolutely be able to make crepe desserts, bake flans, souffles, etc. Anything that is produced hot and that can be served straight from the oven or pan is part of the domain of the hot cook. Not that I would necessarily want my souffles sharing ovens, but that's not what was asked. Anything that is a function of a larger item ie: cake base, mousses, meringue can be handled by the pastry side. But at the very least those are skills that every line cook should be able to handle.

[cakerookie]

Where I work I am expected to do both. Go figure.

Rgds Rook

[HeavyMetal Chef]

****, I try to get myself to know pastries and desserts as much as savory food....I work in a pastry kitchen but I also worked in the hot kitchen and I plan on going back and forth from sweet to savory....I think the line should know a lot of the pastries and have a generalized hands on knowledge just as the pastry dept. should have a generalized hot line knowledge....me preferably I want a specific knowledge of both. They can be cross utilized so much (i.e. savory mouse, sweet sushi [like with a jelly or poached fruit inside], savory crepes, grilled or sauted fruit).