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| Chef Source: SXC |
There is tremendous entertainment value in watching television programs in which amateur chefs are left to stumble around after finding themselves in a professional cooking environment.
The famous chef then enters, haughtily surveying the scene and appearing firmly in control. At the same time, the amateur comes across as bumbling, confused and in over their head. In addition to their obvious experience deficit, is there something else that causes these poor souls to look so lost?
First of all, they are placed in a situation that is utterly unfamiliar to them. Professional cooking theaters are far different from a home kitchen in which one has worked for countless hours. Professional kitchens are designed for volume production, whereas home kitchens a personal and designed to suit the preferences of an individual cook.
Upon reaching a commercial cooking environment, amateurs on television programs are frequently assigned to a particular station within it.
Professionally trained staff
Chefs who have succeeded and gained a certain degree of fame typically have a talented team supporting them. A sous chef serves as the go-to person, just under the head chef, and is responsible for helping oversee the rest of the kitchen staff. While there is no mistaking who is in charge, if the head chef cannot hold the reins at a given point in time, the sous chef will step in and take control.
One of the main jobs of the sous chef is to take responsibility for maintaining a clean, well-organised kitchen environment. In conjunction with the head chef, these individuals perform line inspections to make certain that food is being rotated and kept properly. Kitchens are mapped out to ensure optimal efficiency as the food travels from storage space to preparation area to cooking surface.
The sous check will also need to closely monitor all of the station cooks so that food preparation proceeds in a logical, orderly manner. The progress of all dishes at the individual stations will be noted, and adjustments will be made as needed. The main priority is to see to it that all dishes are brought to the table in a timely, pleasing way.
Line cooks are given control over a given area of specialised activity within the kitchen. They may be in charge of grilling items, frying or boiling. It may be that they are responsible for pastry, butchering work or preparation of produce. The essential stations will be determined by the sort of menu the restaurant features.
Hectic service hours will see station cooks working at a frantic pace on multiple orders at once. It is not uncommon for them to take on special requests made by restaurant patrons. It may be that an order asks that a particular ingredient be omitted or that something be cooked in an alternative manner. This can be stressful for line cooks, as they will ultimately be held responsible for the dishes they send to the dining room.
Larger restaurants have a unique pecking order when it comes to station cooks, and it is essential that each element works in harmony to produce a quality product every single time.
Design elements of professional kitchens
Commercial kitchens are designed to facilitate large-scale production and efficiency of preparation. Such layouts can indeed prove vexing to amateurs who are not accustomed to the complexity as compared to their own home kitchens. The designs are intended to limit the amount of handling and movement required for food items to progress through each station.
The primary goal of commercial kitchen design is to create an efficient flow of ingredients as they are transformed into final products. Though such designs are carefully planned and follow a logical trajectory, they can still prove baffling to those who spend most of their time in small, home kitchens.
For all of the above reasons, it is only fair to take at least some pity on amateur cooks who compete on cooking programs. Rather than lambasting them for their apparent cluelessness, viewers really ought to appreciate the true obstacles they face.
About Author:
By Geoff Roy
Geoff Roy enjoys writing and curating blogs across a wide range of industry niches. In his spare time, he enjoys quality time with his family, running and swimming, and supping the odd pint of T.E.A. from the Hogsback Brewery.
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