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Speed In The Kitchen

post #1 of 5
9/1/09 at 10:50pm
Thread Starter 
I am a perfectionist and perfection takes time to perfect. The dishes I cook up at home, I have the luxury of taking time to create and perfect. However, at the restaurant time is never on my side. Sometimes, well let's say most of the time, I feel as though the dishes are rushed and it's not my best had I had a little bit more time. Do you guys ever feel as though the pressure of time in a restaurant kitchen makes cooking feel like just a job and not fully embrace the art? I know I do. How do I work on my speed and at the same time perfect the dishes I put out consistently? Thanks in advance.
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post #2 of 5
9/2/09 at 2:06am
My Chef purposely overloads me with things to do/prep in a certain timeframe. He knows I won't get it all done, but every time more and more gets done within that same timeframe.

I used to work for a chain, and I know that lurking feeling of sending sub-par food because realistically there is no way to get every dish perfect within the timeframe they expect. That is kinda the nature of chain restaurants though, it does eat at you if you know this is not what you want, but it was a stepping stone for me, so I did it. I am not perfect. In my current job, some things have been rushed, but I never send anything out thats inedible. I focus on why I had to rush it, and how I can avoid this happening in the future.

The better your mise is set up, the more time youll have to make everything nice. Each trip to the cooler eats time. Do you have enough X to make it through the night? If you have to wonder, it means you probably need to stock it up. Don't just look at the container of lettuce and assume youre fine. Check it and make sure its not soggy and nasty at the bottom. Check your frozen products. The sooner you know you need something, the sooner you can get it thawing.

These are some small timesaving tips that have become pretty habitual to me now
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post #3 of 5
9/2/09 at 7:24am
the key is in the mise... proper and plentiful and youll be able to keep up... not always ahead of the game but you wont be trailing either.
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post #4 of 5
9/2/09 at 3:06pm
I agree.. have enough of everything you need on hand and I tend to have more than I need just so I don't run out, especially on the weekends.
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post #5 of 5
9/2/09 at 8:33pm
Beyond the mise en place, if you have multiple orders, some pick up and some yet to be fired have everything prepped on hand and ready to finish. Everything that can hold should be done, everything that can't should be organized in specific pans, trays, and plates, and make sure you have visual cues that remind you what you have left to do.
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