Moving from prep, to sautee line position. Need advice. thanks.......

[bob]

Any advice. I'm pretty intimidated by the sautee line posisition i've been given. I know I could pull it off, just a little nervous. thank you

[chef_oz]

congrats! Im thinking you have an idea of what ingredients are being used and how the line should be set? Yes then I'd draw a diagram or take picture after its set. Keep it the same as before. There's not much I can tell you. Try and work clean. Dip your pans and keep your station "clean". Always have a dry towel. Try and communicate well with the other stations and watch all the tickets that come inn. Oh and "save" all your tickets for the first couple of days! Take Notes on every dish if there's any down time. Stay late, help the roast or grill or pantry guy/gal if your done cleaning early. GL :ciao:

[Andrew563]

Like Chef Oz said, work fast and clean. Draw a diagram of the set up. And always have your mise well stocked. One thing I always do, rinse your tongs off in the bleach bucket between uses. It keeps them from building up goo from each dish. I myself love a saute station. Its the most fast and intense there is.

[Steve A]

Bob,

You've obviously watched the previous sauté cook at work. You know the basics of what's involved. You can see the set up (mise en place) and know where your stash of pans are. Now it's up to you to put it all together.

Sauté is one of the most fun positions on the line. There's instant satisfaction in each dish. You see your food come together quicker than just about any position in the house.

Keep in touch with your linemates. If you're working a sauce for grill, keep in contact with grill. Talk, communicate, stay on top of things.

Your first few shifts will feel like someone's built a platform at that position and everybody's looking up at you. At least that's how it felt to me. Once you become more and more adept and fluent at the position, you'll feel much more at ease with your work.

As the others have said, take COPIOUS amounts of notes. I used to make index cards with the ingredients and order of preparation of all items I was required to do.

Good luck and welcome to the big time,
Ciao,

[Rivitman]

It's going to take you a few days and a few passes at the menu to get your moves down, and get your mise en place the way you like it. It's one thing to know each plate, it's another to see them pass through enough to be able to cope with different combinations of orders, getting them all to come up when they are needed.

It will be stressful at first, it is for nearly everyone. Then, all of a sudden, you are on autopilot, in the groove.

There are two possible reasons why you are in this position now:
1. The chef/sous thinks you can handle it.

2. You are the only/last guy available, or the other choices are to horrible to contemplate.

Don't feel bad about number 2. I have advanced in my career mostly because of it.

Simply be the last man standing when everybody else falls down, drifts away, etc. It's hardly a negative, after all, YOU stuck with it right? YOU supported your chef and your crew right? You earned it, so what if it's by default? All those big talking, flash in the pan guys that you prepped for? You have their job now.

Enjoy.

[jaunDiego]

Somebody thought you might be able to handle a saute position after being a prep cook...you must have impressed someone. Now...don't "F" it up! Focus on your station. Think about it even when you are not at work. When you are slurpping down beers at the end of the night, think about how you could have done better. Saute is fast, hot, and easy...just like the perfect girl!

[Dan S. LaMerde]

Originally Posted by jaunDiego

Saute is fast, hot, and easy...just like the perfect girl!

ROFL

Also, if you wake up to an alarm clock, set it to the radio after your first night. Otherwise you will have nightmares about the chit printer

[chrose]

Originally Posted by chef_oz

Always have a dry towel.

And always use one, don't let it slip your mind ever, because the first pan you grab will be the one that burns you to the point where the rest of your night is sheer misery!
If it's a choice between dropping a pan or a plate, better it hits the ground than you having to spend the next 5 minutes icing down your hand!

ALWAYS use your towel!

[bob]

I just wanted to say that you all made me feel much better about the position. I start training miniana, and I will give it my all.

[ChefInTraining]

I'm a prep cook in culinary school with little industry experience. I am also soon waiting to be bumped up to the line and earn a dollar or two more... really it's not about the money for me I just need the title because i want to follow the chain of command to my understanding you go from prep to line to sous to exec