Learner guide

Use food preparation

equipment
SITHCCC001
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Contents

Overview........................................................................................................................... 3

Section 1: Select food preparation equipment...................................................................3

Section 2: Use equipment to prepare food......................................................................21

Section 3: Clean and maintain food preparation equipment............................................55

Glossary.......................................................................................................................... 69

Please note the following condition

This Didasko learning resource should be used as a training tool for students and trainers. While
the information contained within addresses the elements and performance criteria, and the
knowledge and performance evidence of individual competencies it remains the responsibility of
the training organisation to ensure it meets training framework requirements and to provide
additional documentation where necessary.
Overview
Looking around a commercial kitchen for the first time can be somewhat overwhelming.
There are pots and pans of all shapes and sizes, and all sorts of large fixed equipment:
ovens, deep fryers, stock pots, steamers and grills, just to name a few.

Then there's the vast array of knives, tools and utensils cooks handle as they flip, blend,
shape, roll, peel, wash, and chop different foods.

So, how do they know how to operate such complicated equipment? How do they know how
to assemble it, which tool to pick up or which technique to use?

The answer is simple: practice and patience.

Different types of food require different preparation techniques. You can be sure there's
a knife, tool or piece of equipment for every situation! In this unit, you'll learn what to use,
how to use it, and when. Next time you walk into a commercial kitchen, you'll see that it's
not so overwhelming after all.

Let's look at what you will learn on completion of this unit.

Section 1: Select food preparation equipment

Section 2: Use equipment to prepare food
Section 3: Clean and maintain food preparation equipment

Section 1:

1 Select food preparation

equipment
In this section you will learn the following.

· How to determine food preparation requirements.

· How to choose knives and other equipment needed for food preparation tasks.
· How to ensure your equipment is clean before use.

Getting started
Imagine it's your first week at a new workplace. The head chef directs you to start preparing
chicken for cooking.

How do you know what to do? Where will you find the answers you need to get started? You
have 30 seconds to think of the answer.
If you guessed recipes, instruction lists or workplace information, you're correct! Let's learn
more about what you'll find in a recipe on the next few screens.

What's a recipe?
A recipe lists the equipment, procedures, and ingredient quantities you need to prepare and
cook a dish.

A good recipe breaks tasks down so anyone can follow them. Follow the recipe so the dish
turns out the same way every time, regardless of who cooks it.

Before you start cooking, read the recipe to make sure you have everything. You don't
want to be halfway through preparing a dish and discover something you need is
unavailable. Be time efficient. Plan and organise food preparation tasks.

Recipe example

Step Method
1. Use chefs‘ knife to cut the broccoli and cauliflower into neat small flowerets.
2. Peel and cut carrot into batons 3cm x 4mm.
3. Place vegetables onto a-perforated steaming tray or in a steaming set (cook for 3 to 4 minutes)
4. Use a colander to drain
5 Serve as accompaniment to main dish.
Who uses standard recipes?
Restaurants chains, hospitals, aged care facilities, airline caterers and many more
workplaces do. They all require accurate planning, uniform production and high quality
standards.

Standard recipes ensure two things.

· Customers get the same dish every time they order.

· Management can calculate the total cost of ingredients, so they know what to charge
customers.

Standard recipes used in commercial kitchens are the same as normal recipes, but with a
few extra details. Well take a look at an example of a standard recipe on the next screen.

Standard recipe example

What if you need to increase or decrease the portion?
Standard recipes aren’t always written for the exact number of portions you need. If so,
adjust the recipe by multiplying or dividing all the ingredients accordingly.

You have a recipe for 10 portions (2 L) of chicken and corn soup, but you need to make 80
portions (16 L). To convert, multiply all the ingredients by 8 to get the required amount.

80 ÷ 10 = 8, so all ingredients are multiplied by 8.

Alternatively, you may only need 4 portions. In this case, divide each ingredient by 2.5 to
work out the required amount.

10 ± 4 = 2.5, so all ingredients are divided by 2.5

Hot tip
Take care when adjusting a recipe. It's easy to make errors. Check that all calculations and
units of measurement are correct. It only takes one miscalculation to make a disaster!

Understanding recipe terms and processes

Recipes use standard cookery terms to describe food preparation. Do you know how to
interpret food preparation lists and standard recipes?

Gratinate. Sprinkled with grated cheese or breadcrumbs and browned in a hot

Au gratin
oven or under a salamander.
Beat Stir rapidly and repeatedly with a wooden spoon.
Place food into rapidly boiling water for a short time to partially cook it. Then,
Blanch
refresh in ice water to stop the cooking_process.
Place ingredients into a food processor, vitamiser or blender to purée and
Blend
thoroughly mix together.
The process of beating sugar and fat together to incorporate air, dissolve the
Cream
sugar, and whiten the mixture.
Dice Chopping food into even dimensions.
Flambe Ignite the cooking liquid to burn off alcohol content and intensify flavours.
Gently combine delicate ingredients together without letting incorporated air
Fold escape. This is usually done with a gentle flicking action using a wooden spoon
or a whisk.
Gratinate Place under a salamander or in an oven to brown the surface.
Stretch and press dough to mix ingredients, incorporate air, improve texture,
Knead
and/or develop gluten.
Macerate Soak fruit in liqueur to soften or flavour it.
Mask Coat food with a sauce or other suitable liquid substance.
 Nap (nappe in French) Coat evenly with a sauce.

Prove Allow yeast dough to rest or ferment in a warm place so it can divide and grow.

Purée Pass food through a sieve or blender to make a smooth liquid or semiliquid.
Allow a liquid to simmer away and evaporate to half its volume to intensify
Reduce
flavours and consistency.

Season Add flavour such as pepper or salt as necessary.

Leave a mixture to stand at room temperature or under refrigeration so it gets

Set
firm.
Pass through fine mesh to remove lumps, break down, or retain coarser matter.
Sieve/sift
Sifting also aerates flour making it lighter when added to other ingredients.
Place food (usually legumes such as lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas, etc.) into
Soak
water to rehydrate and soften the outer layer.
Sweat Shallow fry slowly to cook without colour. This usually applies to onion.
Beat with a whisk to stretch protein strands to the point where they've trapped
Whip
sufficient air so that the mixture holds its shape.
Beat into a froth or evenly disperse two or more liquids together using a wire
Whisk
utensil.

Confirming food preparation requirements

 Confirm the tools, utensils and equipment required.
 Collect the tools and utensils you need. Ensure they're clean.
 Assemble equipment. Ensure it's clean and ready for use.
 Set or preheat required ovens, deep-fryers, steamers, etc.
 Accurately weigh and measure all ingredients ready for use.
 Commence food preparation tasks as required by the recipe or workplace
information.

You'll learn more about food preparation tasks in section 2 of this unit.
The importance of self management skills
Effective and efficient cooks complete tasks to a high standard with the least amount of time,
effort and energy. Conserve your energy. Don't waste it! The head chef ultimately runs the
kitchen, but you must organise your own tasks to minimise work and maximise productivity.
Use a systematic approach to manage your speed and time.

· Make a list of tasks you need to complete.

· Prioritise your tasks.
· Avoid distraction. Concentrate on the job at hand.
· Ask for help if you're struggling to meet deadlines.
· Observe other experienced cooks in action to identify more efficient ways of working.

What are the different types of tools and equipment?

Commercial kitchen equipment includes a wide range of tools, utensils and appliances
which help you clean, prepare, process, cook and store food. This equipment is just as
important as the ingredients and recipes. Your success depends on your ability to select
the right equipment for a specific task as well as assemble and operate them correctly.

With advances in technology, the range of tools and equipment is constantly expanding.
Some items may be complex to use while others take little technical knowledge.

It's your responsibility to ensure that your technological skills are up to date so you can
use the food preparation equipment in your workplace safely and efficiently. Ask your
supervisor for the training you need.

How many tools can you think of?

There's an extensive range of tools and equipment used in commercial kitchens. How many
can you think of? See if you can list at least 20.

How many tools and pieces of equipment can you think of? See if you can list at least 20.

How many did you think of? Find out which ones you missed on the next few screens.

Equipment classification
Despite the amazing array of commercial equipment available, you can group each item
(large or small) into four broad categories.
1. Basic tools/ cooks' tools
2. Utensils
3. Mechanical equipment
4. Large fixed equipment

We'll look at each category in detail throughout this section.

Basic tools/cooks' tools

Basic kitchen tools are the hand-held pieces of equipment used in cleaning, shaping, mixing
and cutting food. Most cooks own and carry them from one job to another.

Knives
Knives come in many shapes and forms. Use them for peeling, slicing, shredding,
chopping, dicing, crushing, boning, carving, segmenting, removing fish scales and
numerous other tasks in the kitchen.

The size, shape and design vary according to the specific task. Use a knife with a thick, stiff
blade for chopping and dicing vegetables. Use a thin, flexible knife for boning fish or slicing
potatoes.

We'll look at the different types of knives and their uses in more detail shortly.

Parisienne cutter
A parisienne cutter (a “parisienne scoop”, “ball cutter” or “melon baller”) comes in an
assortment of sizes and shapes. Use it for cutting round or oval shapes out of fruit,
vegetables and butter.

Peeler
This is a cheap “must have” item to include in your tool kit. Use it for peeling vegetables,
eyeing potatoes and shaving hard cheeses.

Knife-sharpening equipment
Use a cook's steel or honing steel to 'hone' your knife blade or maintain its sharp cutting
edge.

You can also use a sharpening stone to sharpen blunt knives. The main types are diamond
stones and sand stones.

You'll learn how to use a honing steel and sharpening stone in section 3.

Piping bag and nozzles

These have many uses: piping cream onto desserts, filling a chocolate cup with
mousse, or piping mashed potato into various shapes. The nozzle dictates the shape
and appearance of the finished product. These can range from plain round tubes to star
shaped tubes with many different sized openings.
Hand whisks
You use whisks for many tasks.

· Whipping cream and egg whites

· Making batter
· Mixing soups and sauces
· Adding and mixing ingredients

Whisks are generally made from wire and stainless steel and come in a variety of shapes,
sizes, and flexibilities, depending on their use.

Wooden spoons
Wooden spoons come in many different sizes and shapes. They have many uses: stirring
soups and sauces, creaming butter and sugar together and beating egg yolks into choux
pastry.

Note...
These are just examples of what you might carry in your personal tool kit. You may have
more or less depending on where you work and the type of tasks you perform.

What are the different kinds of knives?

A knife is a knife... isn't it?

Well, the answer is, no. Different knives and tools have been designed for various functions
so that work can be done safely and successfully.

There are a number of design features that make each knife unique.

· Blade shape
· Blade length
· Blade cutting edge
· Blade flexibility
· Handle design

Main knife varieties

There are six common knives you'll have in your tool kit to use for a wide range of food
preparation techniques.

Paring knife
This pointy 6 to 9 cm blade is fairly rigid and has a shallow heel. Use it for small jobs such as
peeling, turning, cutting, segmenting and artistic work like carving vegetables.
A variation of the paring knife is the turning knife. This has a curved blade design, making it
ideal for 'hand cutting' and turning root vegetables into barrel shapes. It isn't practical for use
on flat surfaces.

Filleting knife
The filleting knife has a pointed flexible blade about 15 cm long. The flexibility allows you to
remove fish fillets clear from the bone with a minimum of waste. The thin tapered blade is
also useful for slicing potatoes and some forms of vegetable carving.

Boning knife
The boning knife is a medium sized knife with a blade length between 12 cm and 16 cm. The
firm, sharp pointed and hook curved blade is easy and safe to use when removing meat from
around bones.

The handle is sculptured to the shape of your hand so it doesn't slip over the blade when it
becomes moist and greasy from handling meat, poultry and game. You'll learn more about
how to use this knife in section 2.

Cook's knife
The cook's knife is a general purpose knife you use for chopping, slicing, dicing and shaping
food. The broad sturdy heel provides clearance between your knuckles and the chopping
board. It's one of the biggest knives you'll handle. The blade ranges from 12 cm to 30 cm
long.

The size you use depends on your physical size and strength. Just like with choosing a pair
of shoes, experiment with different sizes until you find the one that fits you best.

Palette knife/spatula
This has a long flat, flexible blade with no sharp edges. The rounded end blade ranges in
length from 15 cm to 35 cm, depending on its intended purpose.

You don't use it for cutting, but for shaping food, flipping pancakes/crepes, lifting and
turning food during cooking, and spreading and smoothing soft mixtures (icing, cream,
butter).

Meat cleaver
These vary in shape and size, but usually look like a square bladed hatchet and are used
differently depending on where you are.

· Asia: Chefs use meat cleavers for preparing vegetables, working with garnishes,
chopping herbs and even carrying prepared ingredients to the wok!

· 'Western' countries: Chefs use them for meat butchery in general and chopping bones
(particularly ribs, chops and cutlets).

Some kitchens may also use meat saws to cut through thick bones when preparing various
meat cuts.
Supplementary knives
Serrated edged knives
Serrated knives are a sharp-edged blade with saw-like notches or teeth formed on the
cutting edge of the blade. These enable it to slice cleanly without damaging delicate or soft
textures on foods such as tomatoes, peaches, bread and quiches. Serrated knives have
either pointed teeth or rounded teeth on the cutting edge. The blade length varies from 12
cm to 26 cm long.

Carving knife
Most chefs use a cook's knife to carve meat. However, some establishments may have a
carving knife for slicing joints of meat, especially if the task is completed in front of
customers. The carving knife may have a decorative handle and be part of a matching set
with a carving fork.

2. Utensils
Kitchen utensils are the extensive variety of equipment supplied by the establishment. They
are used in the preparation and service of food.

Tongs
Tongs come in different lengths. Use them to hygienically transfer food to the cooking vessel
or equipment. Also use them to turn foods you're grilling or roasting.

Graters
Use these to finely grate vegetables and cheeses in preparation for a variety of dishes.

Mandolin
A mandolin slicer has a platform with a built in blade that you can adjust to suit the thickness
or type of cut you need. Use it for preparing different vegetables such as crinkle cut chips,
julienne carrots, paper-thin potato slices.

Chinois (conical strainer)

Use a thinois' (pronounced `shin-wa') or conical strainer for straining stocks, soups and
sauces, or dipping cooked pasta/blanched vegetables into boiling water to reheat.

Colanders
You use this perforated bowl when straining canned foods, washing vegetables/fruit or
draining cooked pasta or rice.

Mouli
You use this hand-operated mill for breaking down and pulping cooked vegetables and fruits
into purées for sauces/soups. It has interchangeable milling plates with varying sized holes
for different uses.
Pots and pans
No kitchen is complete without an assortment of pots and pans for various preparation and
cooking tasks.

Cake tins
Cake tins come in all shapes and sizes: square, round, heart shaped, rectangular. The types
your establishment has will vary depending on the cakes on your menu.

Baking trays
Baking trays come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Here are some you may be familiar
with.

· Perforated trays with holes for even heat transfer

· Wire cooling racks to quickly cool baked goods such as cakes and pastries
· Flat three-sided baking trays for multipurpose baking

Docking wheel
Spiked wheels are used on some pastry and dough types to create hundreds of holes
which allow steam to escape while the pastry is cooking. This stops it from rising. You
dock pizza dough prior to adding the topping and short pastry flan bases to prevent them
from rising.

Rolling pin
Rolling pins of all shapes, styles and sizes are an indispensable tool for hand-rolling
kneaded dough into a flat even sheet. You use them for a wide range of preparation tasks:
lining flan tins, topping pies, making fleurons and biscuits.

Moulds, shapes, cutters

You use various moulds, shapes and cutters when preparing many sweets, biscuits, scones,
pastries and desserts.

Use fluted cutting wheels to cut uncooked pastry and biscuit doughs in decorative ways.

Use various shaped biscuit cutters for cutting pastry into decorative shapes such as hearts,
fluted circles or novelty shapes.

Use circular blade cutters that operate similar to a rolling pin to cut lots of triangles in rolled
out sheets of dough in preparation for making croissants.

Sieve and sifter

Sieves and sifters help aerate and remove lumps from dry ingredients such as flour, baking
powder and cocoa.

Spider
A spider is a large wire mesh spoon you can use to remove food from a deep fryer.
Chopping boards
You use chopping boards for many preparation tasks. Use nylon chopping boards to
prevent having to continually sharpen your knives. Never cut on hard surfaces like
stainless steel, stone or ceramic as this blunts and damages the knife blade.
Remember to use different boards for raw and cooked foods.

T he r m om et er s
There are two basic types of thermometers: probe or surface.

A probe thermometer measures the temperature in the middle of food using a long, thin
metal needle which you insert into the food.

A surface thermometer has a larger, flat surface area which monitors the temperature of
thinner foods in cases where a probe has difficulty getting an accurate measurement.

M easures and scal es

Use scales, measuring spoons, cups and jugs to accurately measure ingredients in
preparation of many dishes.

Larding needles
Use a larding needle to insert strips of pork fat back into the muscle of uncooked meat in
preparation for cooking.

Meat hooks
A meat hook is a two-sided hook used to hang meat. They are most commonly used in
butcheries but are also used in the preparation of drying and preserving meat in some
establishments.

Meat bat
You use a meat bat to tenderize steaks before cooking or coating them with breadcrumbs.

Beaters
Use beaters for whipping cream or eggs and combining ingredients for cakes and batters.
They're suitable for small quantities only. You should process large quantities in a
mechanical mixer or food processor.

3. Mechanical equipment
Mechanical equipment is usually powered by electricity. You'll develop a fondness for
mechanical equipment for several reasons.

· It can cut your preparation time down considerably.

· It often provides a better end product than traditional methods.
· It can reduce labour costs to the restaurateur.
As technology advances, more mechanical time savers are being introduced. It's important
to keep your technology skills current so you can operate food preparation equipment
properly. Let's look at some now.

Mechanical equipment
Food processor
This high speed device can chop, grind or powder nuts and other dry ingredients in a matter
of seconds. It also purées fruits and vegetables in preparation for sweets, sauces and other
dishes.

Mixer
Electric mixers are a standard item in most kitchens. Use them to whip cream and egg
whites, mix doughs and batters, and blend ingredients together in a uniform way.

Planetary mixers are the most common mixer in commercial kitchens. They come in a
variety of sizes, which are measured by the capacity of their bowl in litres. They're named
after their mixing action, which replicates a planet's revolutions and orbit around the sun.
Use them for creaming, whipping, and mixing dough.

Blender
Use a blender to mix, purée or crush ice and other ingredients. It's ideal for small quantities,
but isn't suitable for grating or chopping ingredients. These tasks are better performed with a
food processor.

Juice extractor
As the name suggests, a juice extractor is used for extracting juice from fruits, vegetables or
herbs.

Bowl chopper
If you're involved in sausage making, then you'll want to use a bowl chopper. It's a rotating
round bowl that passes meat through a series of blades, which chop the meat into fine
particles.

Mincer
Use a manual or electronic mincer (meat grinder) for mincing raw or cooked meat and
poultry.

Slicer
Use a slicer to cut meats and cheeses uniformly. Adjust the slicing blade to suit the desired
thickness. You can see a slicer in action at any butcher or delicatessen.

Dough break
A dough break (pastry sheeter) is a mechanical device you can use to roll pastry into sheets
of uniform shape and thickness. It's much faster and easier than doing it by hand!
The pastry or dough is systematically passed between a set of turning rollers. On each
pass, the rollers move closer together until the pastry is the desired thickness for the task at
hand.

4. Large fixed equipment

Large fixed equipment is fixed in place and powered by electricity, gas, steam or a
combination. Some kitchen designs allow them to be wheeled around the kitchen.

Stove top burners

Solid top This top caters for pots and pans of various sizes. The main heat
element is concentrated in the middle and rear. Use for food that
requires rapid heating.

Open range This top has four, six or eight gas burners which vary in size to suit
different pots and pans.

Induction This top is safe because it doesn't generate heat. Only the cooking
vessel gets hot. The pot generates heat using a powerful, high-
frequency electromagnet under the ceramic stove top's surface.

When you place your pot over the magnetic field, energy heats it and
its contents. When you take the pot off, the element turns off.

Grills

Bar grill Grill that has an open metal grid or bars over gas or electric heat
elements.
Barbecue or Used to cook food on grill bars over hot coals or flames.
char grill

Griddle Solid cooking surface like a flat top grill plate.

French grill A portable grooved or corrugated solid top designed for use over stove
top gas jets. These grills produce less smoke and require less oil during
cooking.

Salamanders
A salamander is a grill which has its heat source above the food.
Steamers

Atmospheric steamers Project the steam into the cooking chamber in a continuous
flow with very little build-up of pressure. Steam cooks food at
just a little above boiling point (103 °C). A saucepan with a
tightly lidded steaming basket suspended above the water is
an example.

Pressure steamers Pressure steaming equipment allows the steam to build up

pressure, achieving higher cooking temperatures (121 °C). A
safety valve controls the pressure and automatically releases
excess pressure when necessary.
The door locks automatically to contain the steam. Before you
open the door, you must vent the steamer by releasing the
pressure valve. These steamers cook food quickly so aren't
suited to soft food items like offal and puddings.

Deep fryers
These are gas or electric powered vats which have open tops filled with modified fat or oil
heated to 190 °C. Remember that water boils at 100 °C, so this is very hot!

Submerge small food items (chips, battered fish fillets, etc.) in the oil and cook.

The deep fryer is one of the most potentially dangerous pieces of equipment found in any
kitchen, so take great care.

Bratt pans
Bratt pans can be gas or electric. Use them for braising, boiling, steaming, stewing,
poaching, deep-frying, or roasting. You can set some for multi-functions such as browning
off meat (frying) followed by adding liquid for braising.

Potato rumblers
A potato rumbler is the quick solution to peeling large quantities of potatoes. Some models
also come with changeable blades for peeling carrots or skinning onions.

Proving cabinet
This is used for yeast-based pastries or doughs. It doesn't bake or cook food. It provides the
ideal temperature conditions (20 to 37°C) and humidity (85%) to grow yeast in preparation
for baking.

Steam kettle stock pots

There are many varieties of steam kettle stock pots including gas or electric and stationary
or tilting. All are suitable for heating large quantities of soup, stocks and sauces.

Ovens
The oven is typically a large box type unit used for baking, roasting or braising food. Like
your domestic oven, you can control commercial ovens to cook your food at a fixed
temperature. Let's look at the different types of ovens on the next screen.
Different oven types
How well do you know your oven types?

Combustion oven
This is the oldest style of oven in use. It's wood or coal fuelled and needs to be lit several
hours before use to allow a steady radiant heat to build up.

Conventional oven
Conventional ovens are common in most kitchens and are normally found under stovetops.
The gas or electric heat source is at the bottom of the cooking compartment, so the food
cooks as the heat rises. These ovens contain 'hot spots'. One part of the oven is
considerably hotter than other parts, causing uneven cooking.

Convection oven
This oven is very similar to the conventional oven, but contains an internal fan that forces air
around the oven. This creates a more even temperature and reduces cooking time (up to
30% faster than a conventional oven).

Many of the new convection ovens could be called 'combination' or 'multi-function' ovens.
This is because they can be operated as a conventional oven, steamer or a combination of
steam and radiant heat.

Baker's oven
The baker's oven is a deck type oven with a large internal surface area. You'll see this
style of oven in bakeries, pizza shops and some restaurants where you cook food closer to
the heat source. It produces and radiates a more even heat through a heavily based oven
floor.

Check cleanliness of equipment

Check the cleanliness of food preparation equipment before you start preparing ingredients
and recipes. Dirty equipment can contaminate food, making it unsafe to eat. Food on
equipment that has not been cleaned between tasks or residual cleaning chemicals, can
change the flavour, texture and even colour of your prepared item.

Food
Look for solid food scraps or liquids. It could be caught in blades, in wire or plastic mesh, in
joins, angles or corners where the equipment joins together, or coating blades, handles or
connection points (e.g., where beaters or slicers connect to the motor).

Dirt
Dirt, dust and built-up grime easily accumulates on equipment that is not thoroughly washed
regularly, especially in the joins or connection points of large equipment. Check for dust and
dirt on equipment that is not used regularly.
Chemicals
Look for streaking or discoloration that could indicate chemical residue. This occurs when an
item has not been thoroughly rinsed after cleaning.

You have reached the end of section 1.

Click to the next section to continue.

2
Section 2:
Use equipment to prepare food
To be an efficient and effective cook, you have to know which tools and equipment to select
for different tasks.

In this section you will learn the following.

· How to choose the right equipment.

· How to assemble and use the equipment safely and hygienically.

Safety and food preparation

Most of us go to work every day and never realise just how often we place ourselves and
others in danger through unsafe work practices. How can you minimise the likelihood of an
incident occurring at your workplace?

Assembly
Before using any equipment (especially electrical and mechanical equipment) assemble it
correctly.

Assembling some equipment is complicated. If you aren't sure what to do, refer to
manufacturer's instructions or ask an experienced operator to demonstrate for you.

Check for cracks, frayed cords, faults, and incorrectly fitted blades or components which
might make it unsafe. If something doesn't look right, ask someone to check it for you.

Don't take any risks. Always use safety guards.

Cleanliness
Thoroughly clean all tools and equipment (including blades, bowls, chopping boards, pots
and knives) prior to use and between different preparation tasks. If you cook with equipment
containing food particles or residues from the previous day, you run the risk of cross-
contamination. You don't want to be responsible for making your customers sick through
food poisoning or contamination.

You'll learn more about cleaning and maintaining equipment in section 3 of this unit.

Technology skills and training

Some tools and equipment are more complicated than others. With advances in
technology, manufacturers are developing more efficient and effective ways of preparing
large quantities of food. Before using any equipment, make sure you have the skills and
training to operate it safely.
Here are some tips on how to develop the technology skills you need to safely operate
equipment with advanced or pre-programmed settings and functions.

· Read manufacturer's instructions and product manuals.

· Ask your colleagues or supervisor for guidance, support, feedback and advice.
· Attend workshops or training sessions.
· Ask a more experienced person to demonstrate.
· Practice!

Using equipment hygienically

What hygienic practices should you follow when operating equipment and preparing food?

 Clean and sanitise equipment according to workplace and manufacturer's

instructions.
 Use tongs, forks or serving trays (not your hands) to transfer food.
 If you have to use your hands, wear disposable gloves.
 Practise good personal hygiene and wear protective clothing.

Some equipment poses greater risk than others. Let's look at what they are next.

Avoid cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods at all stages of food preparation.
Make sure that drips from thawed meat and poultry don't come in contact with surfaces,
equipment and cooked or high-risk foods.

Identify the most dangerous equipment

Think of the tools and equipment you learned in section 1. Can you name the top three most
dangerous culprits in 15 seconds or less?

How did you go? Did your list include equipment that could cause cuts and burns? Compare
your answer to the list of hazardous items on the next screen.

Using equipment safely

Click on the pictures to identify the tools and equipment most likely to cause injury in a
commercial kitchen.

 Knives
 Deep fryers
 Food processors
 Slicers
 General hot or sharp equipment

We'll look at how to safely use each item in more detail over the next few screens.
Knife safety
Do's

· Sharpen your knife! Sharp knives require less pressure and are less likely to slip.
· Select the right knife! Each knife is designed to perform a specific task. Use them
accordingly.
· Chop on a chopping board, not in your hand (except when doing decorative or detailed
work such as turning potatoes).
· Hold your chopping board firmly in place by placing a damp cloth or non-slip mat
under it.
· Cut away from yourself and your fingers. Pay attention to where the sharp edge of your
blade is pointing.
· Curl your fingers under when cutting.
· Carry your knife with the point towards the ground and the blade close to your body to
avoid injuring others.
· Always clean and dry your knife if the handle becomes greasy or slippery. A slippery
handle is dangerous, as you can lose control of the blade.

Don'ts

· Never try to catch a falling knife. Let it fall! (And get your feet out of the way!)
· Never run your finger down the edge of a blade to check for sharpness.
· Never leave your knife facing up. Always put the blade down flat.
· Don't put your knife near the edge of the bench, where it could be easily bumped or
knocked off.
· Never soak your knives in a sink of water. This isn't good for the blade and is very
dangerous for any unsuspecting person who puts their hands into the water.

Deep fryer safety

Deep frying is potentially the most dangerous method of cookery. Always check
manufacturer's instructions so you know how to use deep fryers safely.

 Place food in the deep fryer carefully and away from your body to avoid splashing.
Remember that the fat is at 190 C. Water boils at 100 °C.
 Keep your sleeves rolled down. This prevents skin burns from splashes and
splatters.
 If anyone accidentally spills oil or fat on the floor, clean it up immediately. You don't
want to slip and put your arm in the hot fryer.
 Don't put your arms and face directly over the fryer. The fryer's steam will penetrate
straight through the pores in your skin and cause nasty burns.
 Always allow the fat to cool to room temperature before straining the deep fryer.
 In case of fire, place a fitted lid or fire blanket on top. This cuts off the fire's oxygen
supply and smothers the flame.
 In a nutshell
If you fail to follow manufacturer's instructions and these safety rules, you could suffer
extensive burns to the skin, become blinded, start a fire or even blow the entire
establishment up.

Food processor safety

Although we're looking specifically at food processors, take similar precautions when
operating any electrical appliances such as mixers, vitamisers, blenders, juicers, etc.

 Set equipment and blades up correctly according to manufacturer's instructions.

 Avoid contact with any moving parts. This includes your fingers, hands, knives and other
utensils.
 Check for any damage such as frayed cords, cracks, and damaged or loose
components.
 Never feed food into the processor by hand. Use the food pusher provided. Put the
cover securely in place before you switch the appliance on.
 Do not operate the appliance near the edge of the bench. Vibration during operation
could cause it to move and fall.
 Never use near water or on a sink.
 Never leave unattended.
 Switch off and unplug before removing bowl and contents.

In a nutshell
Remember to operate all electrical equipment according to manufacturer's instructions and
your workplace procedures to avoid injury.

Slicer safety
One wrong move while working with a meat slicer can be disastrous! Its fast, sharp cutting
blades can cut through skin, tendons, arteries and even bone. Follow manufacturer's
instructions at all times.

Always use the push guard (not your hands) for moving food towards the blade. Ensure
blade guards are in place if applicable to the model you're using.

Cut large pieces of meat or cheese into smaller more manageable sizes before loading onto
the slicer.
 Always return the blade setting to zero when you've finished slicing.
 Never leave a slicer running. If you have to stop slicing for any reason, turn the machine
off.
 Use cut resistant gloves if provided by the establishment.
 As with all electrical equipment, do not operate near water or liquid.
 Never reach across the blade for any reason.
 Never leave blades soaking in a sink of water.
 Never EVER clean or wipe down a slicer while it's turned on.

General safety
Any equipment that's hot or sharp has the potential to cause an injury. In a kitchen, you don't
have to look too far to find several of these hazards!

 Carry sharp tools and equipment with the blade or point facing downwards, especially
when walking around the kitchen.
 Switch off hot equipment such as ovens and steamers when not in use.
 Never leave items sitting close to stove tops where they could easily be knocked over
and start a fire.
 Wear appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as oven gloves when
using the oven or removing hot pots from a stove or hot trays from the bain-marie.
Remember to always allow the steam to escape away from you rather than towards
you
 Use tongs to add ingredients to hot pots to avoid burns from splashes or steam.
 Consult manufacturer's instructions prior to using any equipment for the first time.

What is “Mise en place”?

`Mise en place' (pronounced `miz-on-plus) is a French term that means 'everything in its
place'. It refers to all the preparation you do before cooking.

· Peeling, cutting, dicing and slicing vegetables

· Boning, marinating, crumbing and rolling meat
· Preparing garnishes
· Organising and warming clean plates
· Weighing ingredients and lots more!

These preparation tasks are fundamental to the efficient operation of the kitchen. If you don't
do them or fail to do them correctly, it creates chaos.

Throughout this section, you'll learn about the knives and other equipment you need to
do some of the most common mise en place tasks. This will help you choose the most
suitable tools for preparing a wide range of food items.
Let's begin by looking at the most versatile kitchen tool available: the knife.

How do you use knives to prepare food items?

Knife handling isn't quite as simple as just picking up a knife and cutting. You need to know
the proper, stance, grip and use of the blade. There are two main knife gripping styles used
for handling knives.

Cook's knife
The cook's knife is held in the manner commonly used for cutting and slicing. The grip is
firm, but relaxed, with all your fingers together. If you hold the handle too tight, your hand
and arm will soon tire. The heel of the blade allows room for all your fingers and your
thumb between the handle and the cutting surface.

Boning knife
The boning knife is held in a tight fist with blade pointing downwards because this knife is
used for removing meat from bones, rather than slicing or chopping it against a chopping
board. The grip is still firm with all fingers held together.

The correct grip gives you maximum control and cutting accuracy over your knife. It
allows you to build up speed over time and reduces the risk of the knife accidentally
slipping in your hand.

The guiding or free hand

Use this free hand guiding technique when cutting and slicing most food items. A sharp
knife and poor knife skills could result in a serious injury, so it's essential that you get it
right!

· Notice that the blade is sliding up and down against the knuckles of the free hand.
· Use the middle knuckles of your free hand to guide the side of the knife blade. This
helps you maintain control and cut accurately.
· Use your fingertips to hold the food firmly in position.
· Keep the second joints of your fingers at a right angle to the cutting board.
· Bend your fingertips under to prevent them from being cut.

What cutting techniques do you use?

You can use your knife in many ways, depending on the task at hand and the food item
you're preparing. Various techniques use different parts of the blade in a different motion.

Chopping
The tip of the knife generally remains in the one spot on the chopping board, sometimes
held in place with the free hand, while the heel of the knife moves up and down and
sometimes from side to side as it chops through the food item.
This cut is typically used for chopping herbs, such as parsley (recipe 5), basil and coriander,
finely chopping mushrooms for a duxelle (glossary) or chopping bread and cake crumbs into
a finer mass.

Rolling chop
The tip of the knife remains on the cutting board as it is worked backward and forward in a
rocking motion. The heel of the knife is lifted off the board as the knife is rocked backwards
and is glided against the board as it is rocked forward, thus slicing through the food. The
knuckle of the free hand is used to steady and guide the blade. This cutting technique allows
the operator to build up considerable speed without losing accuracy.

This style is typically used to thinly slice vegetables such as spring onions and celery,
julienne carrots, finely shred lettuce and spinach and similar tasks.

Chopping with the heel

This is a simple, one-step cutting style where the heel of the cook's knife or cleaver is quickly
brought down on a slight slicing angle against a solid piece of food while it is secured,
usually with the free hand, on a cutting board.

This cutting technique is used to chop small bones such as poultry leg bones or lamb rib
bones. It may also be used to remove the green stem from vegetables such as carrots and
parsnips.

Slicing
Slicing is performed when the blade of the knife is raised above the food and then brought
down in a controlled manner, keeping the blade parallel to the cutting board. As the blade is
lowered towards the food, it is moved forward or backward so as to allow the blade to slice,
rather than being pushed through it. This style is used in quick succession to complete a
task.

This slicing technique is common when slicing onions (recipe 6), shredding cabbage for
coleslaw, or thinly slicing raw potatoes. The cook's knife and thin bladed filleting knives are
most commonly used.

Slicing with the tip

This technique is almost the same as slicing, however, only the tip of the knife is used.
Slicing with the tip is a style versatile enough to be performed with a variety of knives, from a
paring knife through to a cook's knife.

Slicing with the tip is often used to slice mushrooms, finely dice onions, and slice and fan
avocado, strawberries and similar foods.

Crushing
This technique involves using the side of the knife blade to crush food into a paste-like
consistency. Usually the food to be crushed is finely sliced or diced prior to being crushed.
Because crushing requires the side of the blade, knife types with broad blades such as
cook's knives and cleavers, work best.

Crushing garlic (recipe 4) into a soft paste, grinding seeds and seed pods into a powdery
consistency and cracking peppercorns are common tasks that use this style.
Turning
Turning is the name given to the shaping of odd-sized vegetables into even-sized barrel
shapes for even cooking and presentation purposes. Unlike all of the previous cutting
techniques, while the food is being turned it is held in the free-hand rather than on a
cutting board.

Vegetables commonly turned include potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, turnips and zucchini.

How do you prepare vegetables and fruits?

Different vegetables and fruits require different cleaning and preparation methods to get
them ready for salads or cooking.

 Washing
 Peeling
 Trimming
 Cutting
 Weighing and portioning
 Blanching

We'll look at the tools and equipment you need for each of these methods in more detail
over the next few screens.

Washing
Ever found yourself chewing sand or grit along with your salad or spinach? This is a sure
sign the greens weren't washed correctly prior to cooking or serving.

You need to wash all fruits and vegetables before preparation to remove the following.

· Soil and chemicals from the skins

· Insects and snails from the leaves
· Residue from pickers, packers, transporters, and other handlers

If you aren't going to peel vegetables such as potatoes that grow below ground, make sure
you thoroughly scrub them under cold running water using a stiff vegetable brush.

Tool & Equipment

 Colander
 Strainer
 Vegetable brush
 Knife for splitting vegetables such as leek prior to washing
Peeling
Many fruits and vegetables have a skin to remove during preparation. When peeling these
varieties, there are a number of tools you need and general principles you should follow.

Principle 1
To minimise waste and retain valuable nutrients, peel items as thinly as possible and as
close to cooking or service time as practical to prevent drying. Use a sharp vegetable peeler
to work fast and keep waste to a minimum.

Principle 2
Use a sharp knife (not a serrated knife) when peeling thick-skinned vegetables such as
pumpkins and turnips. The knife can easily slip while you're applying pressure, so take care
while peeling and keep your fingers well out of harm's way.

Principle 3
The flesh of some vegetables turns brown when peeled and exposed to oxygen. To prevent
this, treat items such as avocados and artichokes with an acid solution like lemon juice. Hold
potatoes and eggplant under cold water until ready for use.

Tools & Equipment

· Hand held vegetable peeler
· Vegetable knife (ranging in size from three to ten inches)
· Potato rumbler: large mechanically operated drum used for peeling large quantities of
potatoes.

Trimming
Some fruits and vegetables contain coarse, woody, or stringy parts beneath their surface.
These are either inedible or unpleasant to eat if left on. During the cleaning and preparation
stage, use suitable knives and other equipment to remove or trim these parts.

 Vegetables such as beans, sugar snaps, snow peas, and celery often contain fibrous
string running down their length. You can easily remove this using a paring knife or by
picking them over with your fingers.

 Vegetables such as squash, zucchini and okra have small woody stems you should cut
off with a cook's knife or other suitable knife.

 Prepare broccoli, cauliflower, and similar vegetables by trimming away the tough
bottoms of the stalks and any leaves close to the flower head. A cook's knife or paring
knife is ideal for this task.

 Cut away the core of vegetables and fruits with coarse fibrous cores. These include
pineapples, cabbage, lettuce varieties, etc. Cut them into quarters. Trim away the core
using a sharp, suitably sized cook's knife.

 Scrape out the choke in the middle of globe artichoke flowers using a parisienne scoop
or sharpened spoon to remove the fuzzy centre.
Tools & Equipment
· Cook's knife
· Paring knife
· Parisienne scoop
· Chopping board

Cutting
You can cut vegetables into many different shapes and forms. Most of these have particular
names, based on their origin, shape and size.

Vegetable cuts can be put into two broad groups.

Rough cutting
Use rough cutting when the vegetables aren't going to be eaten as part of the dish.
Use to release flavour and colour to items like stocks, soups and braises. Once the flavour
has been extracted, strain the vegetables from the mixture and throw them away.

Precision cutting
Use precision cutting when the vegetables need cutting into specific shapes and sizes for
serving in a dish, as a garnish, in a salad or as an accompaniment. Your aim is to make sure
that all vegetables are cut uniformly in size for appearance.

Rough cuts
The most common rough cut for vegetables is called `mirepoix'.

A mirepoix is a uniform mixture of carrot, celery, onions and sometimes leek. The shape of
the cut vegetables isn’t important from a visual perspective because the vegetables never
make it onto the finished product. What’s important is an even mix of each of the vegetables
so that one flavor doesn’t dominate. Some recipes call for a white mirepoix. To prepare
this, simply omit the carrot so that the orange colour isn’t transferred to the dish.

You can add a mirepoix to stocks, soups, sauces and braised dishes. You can also place it
under meats when they're roasting to lift the meat off the base of the pan. This allows air
circulation for even cooking, imparts flavour and lifts the meat out of cooking fats. You can
then use the vegetables to make a sauce with the roasting juices. This is called a 'Trivet.'

Tools & Equipment

· Cook's knife

Precision cuts
There are quite a few precision cutting techniques used in commercial kitchens around the
world. Each has a specific origin, size and use.
 Chiffonnade
 Julienne
 Brunoise
 Macedoine
 Paysanne
 Jardiniere
 Vichy
 Turning

We'll look at each of these precision cuts in more detail over the next few screens.

Chiffonnade

Tool: Cook's knife

This term is used to describe a fine shred of leaf vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and
spinach. Use this cut to prepare vegetables for soups, salads or as a base to support other
food. The shred must be delicate in appearance, of even thickness and not chunky.

Step 1 Wash the leaves under cold running water and drain well.
Step 2 Neatly stack the leaves together and secure on the cuffing board with your
free hand.
Step 3 Evenly slice through the leaves at 1 to 2 mm intervals (depending on
requirement).

Julienne

Tool: Cook's knife

This name comes from a chef responsible for the development of this cut, Jean Julienne.
The cut results in fine even strips of vegetables.

You'll often use julienne to prepare food for salads and garnishes or as a base for hot and
cold entrees.

Dimensions: 2 mm x 2 mm x 4 cm

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.
Step 2 Cut the vegetable item into 4 cm lengths.
Step 3 Square the sides of the 4 cm long vegetable pieces by trimming any round
edges, until all four sides are at right angles.
Step 4 Secure the vegetable on the cutting board with your free hand and evenly
slice it lengthwise at 2 mm intervals.
Step 5 Stack 3 to 4 slices on top of each other. Secure with the free hand and
slice through the stack lengthwise at 2 mm intervals, resulting in even 2
mm x 2 mm x 4 cm strips.
Brunoise (pronounced 'broon-wahe)

Tool: Cook's knife

This cut originated in the French district of Brunoy, where fine spring vegetables are grown.
It's a very fine dice of vegetables used for Scotch Broth, soups and garnishes.

Dimensions: 2 mm even dice.

Click on the steps to see how to prepare and cut brunoise.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.
Step 2 Square the sides of the vegetable by trimming any round edges, until all four
sides are at right angles and then cut the vegetable into manageable lengths.
Step 3 Secure the vegetable on the cutting board with your free hand and evenly
slice the vegetable lengthwise at 2 mm intervals.
Step 4 Stack 3 to 4 slices on top of each other. Secure with your free hand and slice
through the stack lengthwise at 2mm intervals, resulting in even 2 mm x 2 mm
strips.
Step 5 Secure a manageable bundle of strips on the cutting board with your free
hand and cut the strips at 2 mm intervals, resulting in an even 2 mm dice.

Macedoine (pronounced 'mass-e-dwan')

Tool: Cook's knife

This cut is named after a region in Eastern Europe: Macedonia. It describes a larger dice,
used for chunky soups, vegetable dishes and stews. You'll often cut potatoes macedoine for
potato salad.

Dimensions: 5 to 8 mm dice.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use
Step 2 Square the sides of the vegetable by trimming any round edges, until all four
sides are at right angles and then cut the vegetable into manageable lengths
Step 3 Secure the item on a cutting board with your free hand and evenly slice the
vegetable lengthwise at 5 to 8 mm intervals.
Step 4 Stack 2 to 3 slices on top of each other. Secure with the free hand and slice
through the stack lengthwise at 8 mm intervals, resulting in even 8mm x 8mm
strips.
Step 5 Secure a manageable bundle of strips on a cutting board with the free hand
and cut the strips at 5 to 8 mm intervals, resulting in an even 5 to 8 mm dice.
Paysanne (pronounced 'pay-sahre)

Tool: Cook's knife

This translates to 'country style' or 'farmer's wife style', and refers to food cut into triangles,
rounds or squares used for soups or stews. You'll often cut vegetables paysanne for
minestrone soup.

Dimensions: 15 mm diameter and 3 mm thick.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use
Step 2 If the vegetable is larger than 15mm in width, cut it into 15mm wide (square,
triangle, round, semi-circle or crescent) strips
Step 3 Secure a manageable bundle of the prepared strips on the cutting board with
the free hand and cut the strips at uniform 3 mm intervals.

Jardinière

Tool: Cook's knife

This derives from the French word “jardin”, meaning garden.

Use this cut for spring vegetables like beans, carrots and parsnips.

Dimensions: 4 mm x 4 mm x 1.5 cm.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the vegetable ready for use.
Step 2 Square the sides of the vegetable by trimming any round edges, until all four
sides are at right angles and then cut the vegetable into manageable lengths.
Step 3 Secure the vegetable on the cutting board with the free hand and evenly slice
the vegetable lengthwise at 4 mm intervals.
Step 4 Stack 3 to 4 slices on top of each other. Secure with the free hand and slice
through the stack lengthwise at 4 mm intervals, resulting in even 4mm x 4mm
strips.
Step 5 Secure a manageable bundle of strips on the cutting board with the free hand
and cut the strips at 1.5cm intervals, resulting in even batons 4mm x 4mm x
1.5cm

Vichy

Tool: Cook's knife

Named after the French mineral spring and spa district, 'Vichy' refers to thin round slices of
carrot. You can cut vinchy by hand or use a mandolin for greater speed. You then pre-cook
the carrot in mineral water and serve.
Dimensions: 1 cm diameter and 2 mm thick.

Step 1 Wash, peel and trim the carrots ready for use.
Step 2 If carrots are large, cut them in half lengthwise.
Step 3 Neatly and evenly slice the carrot at 2 mm intervals.

Turning

Tool: Turning or paring knife

Turning is the name given to the shaping of odd-sized vegetables into even-sized barrel
shapes. You do this for presentation reasons and to ensure even cooking. The actual size of
each barrel must be consistent for all the vegetables in each batch. Potato, carrot and
pumpkin are typical examples of vegetables that are turned.

Step 1 Peel the vegetable to be turned (optional).

Step 2 While holding the vegetable in your free-hand, cut a flat top and bottom in the
vegetable.
Step 3 Using a smooth flowing curved motion, cut the vegetable from top to bottom
so that it resembles the side of a barrel.
Step 4 Continue cutting sides in a curved fashion until all sides are even and of the
desired size.

Weighing and portioning

Organisations develop standard recipes to make sure the end products look, weigh and
taste the same every time. They accurately cost these recipes to determine the exact cost to
produce each portion.

Weigh each food item carefully on a set of accurate scales. Remember to account for the
weight of any containers you use in the weighing process such as measuring jugs,
bowls, etc.

If a recipe requires a certain number of ingredients (such as eight button mushrooms or

twelve cherry tomatoes), take the time to count these out correctly rather than just
estimating that it's 'about a handful'.

Tools & Equipment

· Measuring jugs
· Measuring spoons/scoops
· Scales
Blanching
To blanch food, you place it into rapidly boiling water for a short time to partially cook it.
Then, you refresh it in ice water to stop the cooking process. You usually do this to prepare
food for further cooking methods.

You can also blanch in hot oil. For example, you can blanch and partially cook raw
potatoes cut for chips in a deep fryer at a low temperature. When you need the chips
you only have to cook them in the deep fryer for a short time at a higher temperature.
This makes them brown and crisp.

Tools & Equipment

· Pots
· Bowls
· Colander
· Strainer
· Deep fryer
· Spider

What other preparation tasks do I need to learn?

There are literally hundreds of fruit and vegetable preparation tasks you may need to
perform. Here are some of the most common.

 Slicing onions
 Dicing onions
 Slicing fruit
 Segmenting citrus fruit
 Crushing garlic
 Wedging fruit
 Chopping parsley
 Peeling tomatoes

We'll look at each of these tasks and the tools you need for them in more detail over the next
few screens.
Slicing onions (recipe 6)

Tool: Cook's knife

Uses: Braises, stews, sauces, soups and salads

Step 1 Top and tail onion (cut off the root and the stem point) and peel off the outer
skin.
Step 2 Cut the onion in half vertically through the root stem.
Step 3 Cut out the internal section of root. Otherwise, it'll hold all the slices
together.
Step 4 Slice the onion lengthwise along the grain of the onion at approximately a
2mm thickness.

Dicing onions (recipe 7)

Tool: Cook's knife

Uses: Sauces, stuffing, marinades, butters

Step 1 Top and tail the onion and peel away the outer skin.
Step 2 Cut the onion in half vertically through the root stem.
Step 3 Make two to three horizontal cuts 8/10 of the way through to the stem, taking
care not to cut yourself in the process.
Step 4 Slice the onion lengthwise vertically 8/10 of the way through to the stem at
2mm intervals. Make sure you do not slice through the stem, as this is
needed to hold the onion together. At this point, you should have the onion
cut in two directions, yet still holding together by the stem.
Step 5 Use the freehand to hold the onion together while you slice at 2 mm intervals
at a right angle to your previous two cuts. The result should be fine and evenly
diced onion.

Slicing citrus fruit (recipe 1)

Tool: Paring knife/filleting knife
Uses: Garnishes, accompaniments
Step 1 Slice off both ends of the fruit (lemon, orange or grapefruit) to expose the
internal flesh.
Step 2 Place the fruit on one end and, using a thin bladed knife, cut downwards in a
curved sawing motion between the flesh and the skin. Continue around the
fruit until you remove all skin and the white pithy layer
Step 3 Slice the fruit into 3mm slices. Then remove the seeds with the point of your
knife
Segmenting citrus fruit (recipe 3)

Tool: Paring knife/filleting knife

Uses: Appetiser, garnish, crepe suzette

Step 1 Slice off both ends of the fruit (orange, lemon or grapefruit) to expose the
internal flesh.
Step 2 Place the fruit on one end and, using a thin bladed knife, cut downwards in a
curved sawing motion between the flesh and the skin. Continue around the
fruit until you remove all skin and the white pithy layer.
Step 3 Hold the fruit in the palm of your free hand and carefully cut out the flesh
segments between each membrane wall.
Step 4 Squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane over the segments to stop
them from drying out.

Crushing garlic (recipe 4)

Tool: Cook's knife

Uses: Sauces, marinades

Step 1 Break the bulb of garlic into individual cloves.

Step 2 Place a clove onto a chopping board and press down on it using the palm
of your hand until it breaks up slightly. The paper-like skin should now be
easy to remove.
Step 3 Using the flat side of the blade, crush the garlic into a rough paste.
Step 4 Add a sprinkle of salt to the rough paste to absorb and retain any juices.
Step 5 Continue to crush the garlic using the flat of the blade until a smooth paste is
obtained.
Step 6 Use straight away. Alternatively, scrape the paste into a bowl and cover with
oil to prevent it from drying out.

Hot tip
Due to the strong odour of garlic, remember to wash or change your chopping board. This
prevents the transfer of strong garlic flavour to other foods.
Chopping parsley (recipe 5)
Tool: Cook's knife
Uses: Garnishes, sauces, salads
Step 1 Wash the parsley under cold running water to remove sand and grit
Step 2 Pick the parsley leaves from the stems. Retain the stems for stocks or
bouquet-garni (recipe 9)
Step 3 Place the leaves on a cutting board and chop finely into an even, fine mix.
Step 4 Place the chopped parsley into a clean kitchen cloth and bundle it all together.
Twist the cloth around to enclose the parsley.
Step 5 Wash the parsley in the cloth under cold running water until the majority of the
green colouring has been flushed out. The colour is called chlorophyll and if
left in, will bleed when placed in or on food. It'll also greatly reduce the storage
life of the chopped parsley by turning it mushy.
Step 6 Tightly squeeze the bundle to remove all excess water. The parsley should be
loose, dry and free flowing.
Step 7 Put the parsley into a bowl and retain for use.

Wedging citrus fruit (recipe 2)

Tool: Paring knife/filleting knife
Uses: Garnishes, accompaniments
Step 1 Slice off both ends of the fruit (lemon or orange), without exposing the internal
flesh.
Step 2 Place the fruit on one end and, using a thin bladed knife, cut down the centre,
resulting in two halves.
Step 3 Cut each half lengthwise into four equal wedges.
Step 4 Remove any seeds and cut off any pith strip from the middle point of the
wedge.

Peeling tomatoes (recipe 10)

Tool: Paring knife
Uses: As a vegetable, in soups, sauces, stews and braises

Step 1 Place a pot of lightly salted water onto the stove to boil. Prepare a bowl of ice
water.
Step 2 Using the point of your knife, remove the eye or the core of the tomato.
Step 3 Make a shallow cross incision on the base of the tomato.
Step 4 Gently place the tomato into the boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. (Until the
skin starts to split).
Step 5 Remove the tomato from the boiling water and plunge it into the ice water to
refresh and stop the cooking process.
Step 6 Peel and remove all the skin. It should come away easily.

How do you prepare rice?

Rice comes in many varieties such as brown, white, basmati, japonica, jasmine, Arborio
and long grain, just to name a few. You can use it for all courses on the menu from
entree to dessert.

You'll learn more about the different types, specific dishes and cooking requirements in
future cookery units. Over the next few screens we'll just focus on the two most common
procedures for preparing rice and the equipment you need.

Boiling rice
Serve boiled rice as an accompaniment to stews, curries, and stir fries or use it to prepare
rice salad, fried rice or kedgeree (glossary).

Step 1 Rinse the rice in a colander at least twice.

Step 2 Place the water in the saucepan. Use at least a litre of liquid for every cup of
rice. Depending on the dish you are preparing the rice for you may also add a
pinch of salt.
Step 3 Bring the water to boil and add the rice. Allow the rice to boil for 15 to 20
minutes until cooked.
Step 4 Strain the rice using the colander.
Step 5 Rinse the rice with clean running water.

Tools & Equipment

· Large saucepan
· Measuring cup
· Hob/stove top
· Colander
· Steamer
Absorption
Use the absorption method to create rice for the same dishes as boiled rice as well as
paellas and risottos.

Follow these steps.

Step 1 Rinse rice and place rice and liquid in the saucepan using a 1 to 1.5 ratio.
Step 2 Bring the rice to the boil and then reduce heat.
Step 3 Place a lid on the rice and allow it to simmer for the designated time without
removing the lid.
Step 4 Remove the saucepan from the heat source. Allow the rice to 'stand' to
absorb the remaining liquid.
Step 5 Fluff the rice with a fork prior to serving, to prevent sticking and to evenly
distribute the heat.

Tools & Equipment

 Large saucepan
 Measuring cup
 Hob / stove top
 Colander
 Steamer

How do you prepare pasta?

Pasta dough can be formed into over 350 recognised shapes for different dishes and
uses.
You usually boil pasta in salted water before using it. The cooking time depends on the
size and shape of the pasta. Cook all pasta to the stage where there's still some
resistance to the bite ('al dente').

Step 1
Immerse the pasta in boiling water at 100 °C. Use 4 L of water for every 500 g of pasta.

Step 2
Start timing when the water returns to a boil. The amount of cooking time required depends

on the pasta you're using.

Fresh pasta Approximately three to eight minutes

Dried pasta Approximately eight to twelve minutes

Note: If you're cooking filled pasta, allow a couple of extra minutes.

Step 3
Test that the pasta is cooked “al dente” before serving.
Common pasta types

Sheets Cannelloni, lasagne

Long, thin strings or ribbons Spaghetti, vermicelli, fettuccini, tagliatelle, linguine

Shapes Risoni, funghetti, rotelle, farfalle, fusilli,

penne, conchiglie

Filled pasta Tortellini, ravioli, agnolotti

Tools & Equipment

· Large saucepan
· Measuring cup or scales
· Hob/stove top
· Colander
· Ladles and spoons

Preparation tasks using dairy and bread products

Roux (pronounced “roo” (recipe 12)

Tools and equipment: Wooden spoon, saucepan

Uses: Thickening agent in the preparation of sauces, soups, stews and braises

Roux is the name given to a group of thickening agents. You make it by cooking equal
quantities of plain flour and butter over moderate heat, stirring continuously to one of three
stages: white, blond or brown (glossary).

It takes 120 grams (60g flour, 60g butter) of roux to thicken one litre of liquid. You can alter
this to include more or less roux depending on the thickness or viscosity (glossary) you
require.
Whipped cream
Tools and equipment: Whisk
Uses: Desserts, cakes, garnishes, pastries
You often whip thickened and whipping cream to incorporate air. This makes the texture
light and fluffy so you can put it in a piping bag and pipe it onto cakes, between layers of
pastry or on top of desserts as a garnish. Add sugar and vanilla essence to cream in the
whipping process to make 'Crème Chantilly'.

Compound butter (recipe 13)

Tools and equipment: Wooden spoon
Uses: Topping on cooked steaks or steamed vegetables, garlic and herb bread
You make compound butter by softening butter and adding flavourings such as lemon
juice, chopped herbs, garlic, mustard, red wine reduction, etc. Roll the butter in
greaseproof paper into a sausage shape, and chill to set. Once set, cut it into disks.
Alternatively, pipe the soft butter into rosettes and chill to set.

Clarified butter (ghee) (recipe 14)

Tools and equipment: Ladle, bowl or bain-marie
Uses: Cooking medium, coating grilled items before cooking, drizzling on steamed
vegetables or adding to egg yolks to make hollandaise sauce and béarnaise.
On average, butter consists of 85% fat, 13% buttermilk and 2% salt. To remove the
clarified fat from the salt and buttermilk, melt the butter in a bowl over hot water. Once
the butter has melted and become clear, skim the sediment (salt) from the top with a
ladle or kitchen spoon and discard. Finally, skim the transparent liquid (clarified butter)
from the buttermilk on the bottom of the bowl.

Croutons (recipe 15)

Tools and equipment: Cook's knife, oven, grill, stove top and pan or deep fryer
Uses: Salads, garnish for soup
Croutons are a range of shapes cut from bread. You make them crunchy by toasting, baking,
shallow or deep frying them.

What tools and equipment do you use to prepare cheese?

Ask most people this question and you're likely to get a list of two or three items. How many
can you think of? You have 30 seconds to list as many as you can.

How many did you think of? Would you be surprised to know that we have listed more than
10? Learn what they are on the next screen.
Tools and equipment you use to prepare cheese
Kitchen knives
You can use many of the knives in your tool kit for preparing and cutting cheese. Your
largest cook's knife is ideal for cutting hard cheese and your paring knife for cutting small
pieces of cheese. Knives with a narrow profile blade are best for slicing soft cheeses as
there's less surface area for the cheese to stick to.

Cutting boards
Always cut cheese on a cutting board to protect the blade of your knife. This is also more
hygienic and safer than cutting cheese directly on the kitchen bench.

Grater
Use graters for shredding and grating firm and hard cheeses. Hand-held versions usually
have several grating plates of different sizes, allowing for small or large grating cuts. Most
food processors and mixers also have grating attachments for grating large quantities of
cheese.

Peeler
Vegetable peelers are a handy tool for shaving firm and hard cheeses. For example, you can
shave blocks of parmesan as a garnish for pasta or topping on salads.

Slicer
Use an electric slicer to quickly slice cheeses to different thicknesses.

Service knives
While kitchen knives are appropriate for use within the kitchen, they're usually not suitable
for use in the dining room, so purchase service knives specifically designed for cheese.

Cheese plane
Use cheese planes for shaving and slicing cheese portions from a block. There are many
variations of this tool, but essentially they all perform the same task. They have a sturdy
handle with a flat spatula type blade that encompasses a plane blade. The plane slices the
cheese and the spatula helps pick up the cheese.

Wire cheese cutters

Cutters and slicers using thin strands of taut wire are an effective way to cleanly cut and
slice cheese. These are available in hand-held versions through to large guillotine size
cutters used for large blocks and wheels of cheese.

Stilton scoop
The traditional English method of serving Stilton is to place the drum-like block onto a round
silver plate and present it to the customer. At this point the customer is given a long handled
silver spoon like scoop, which allows them to scoop out quantities of the cheese from within
the rind and place it on their plate.
Fondue set
A fondue set consists of a bowl-like dish suspended over a flame burner and a set of long-
handled pronged forks. Place small blocks of Emmental and white wine into the dish. Heat
them until the cheese melts and starts to bubble. Guests place small blocks of day old bread
onto the fork prong, dip it into the melted cheese and wine mixture and eat.

Raclette grills
Raclette grills hold large blocks of Raclette near an in-built heat source with the aim of
slowly melting the surface of the cheese. The melted cheese is then scraped off and
placed on crusty bread or over hot baby potatoes and topped with chopped gherkins.
The flavour of this cheese is greatly enhanced when melted and the sweet aroma
wafting through the dining room is enough to make any mouth water.

Pastry preparation
Don't leave pastry (glossary) preparation until the last minute! Prepare them well in
advance. Even if you don't add the filling right away, you should always have the base
prepared, stored, and ready to go.

There are hundreds of different pastry recipes. However, all fall into one of four basic
types.

 Short and sweet pastry

 Puff pastry
 Choux pastry
 Suet pastry

In this unit, we'll only look at short and sweet pastry preparation using the rub in method.
You'll learn more detailed information about the other pastry types and preparation
techniques in other cookery units.

Tools and equipment

· Scales
· Measuring jug
· Sieve
· Spatula
· Mixing bowl
· Wooden spoon
· Oven
· Baking trays
· Dough break
· Docking wheel
· Patisserie moulds, shapes, cutters
· Piping bags (choux pastry)
How do you prepare short and sweet pastry?
Step 1 Select and weigh all ingredients correctly. The ingredients required for short
pastry are:
250 g general purpose flour
125 g chilled butter
A pinch of salt
50 ml cold water

In this method, it's important the butter and water are cold. This helps restrict
the development of gluten and leads to a crisper pastry when cooked.

Step 2 Cut the butter into small cubes about 1 cm square.

Step 3 Place the butter into the flour and rub through the flour with your finger tips.
Once all the fat has been rubbed through, the mix should resemble bread
crumbs, with no lumps.

This is one of the most important stages, as you're trying to coat the grains
of flour with the butter. The butter provides a protective coating around the
flour and prevents gluten from forming. If gluten develops, you'll end up with
a tough pastry.

Step 4 Add the salt. If producing a sweet pastry, add 75g of caster sugar and mix
through.

Step 5 Add any liquids and mix until the paste is clear. Be careful not to overmix the
dough because it'll toughen and may shrink during baking.

After the mixing process is complete, handle the dough as little as possible. If
you overwork the dough, it'll become stretchy as gluten forms. It will shrink
and have a tough texture when you cook it.

How do you use a rolling pin to prepare pastry?

Roll out short and sweet pastries to a uniform thickness to ensure even cooking. Use a
rolling pin for smaller quantities or when you need specific shapes or sizes. You can also
manually roll large quantities of dough, but it's much easier to use a mechanical dough
break!

Step 1 Only roll out the amount of dough required for the task at hand. As a guide,
you'll need:

190 g of dough to line a 20 cm flan base

175 g for a top crust
250 g of dough to line a 23 cm flan base and 195 g for a top crust.
Step 2 Wrap the pastry you will not be using in plastic wrap or a damp cloth to
prevent drying out.

Mould the pastry to be rolled into a ball and place on a cool, smooth
workbench. Marble or stainless steel is best.

Step 3 Lightly dust the bench, pastry and rolling pin with flour to prevent the dough
from sticking.

If too much flour is used, the dough may become tough, dry and difficult to
work with.

Step 4 Flatten the dough lightly with the rolling pin. Start from the centre and use
even strokes towards the edges in all directions. Maintain even pressure on
the pin so that the pastry will roll to a consistent shape and thickness.

Continue rolling until the dough is an even 3 mm thick.

As you roll out the pastry, lift it frequently and dust the dough with flour so that
it does not stick to the bench. Occasionally, rotate the dough a quarter turn to
help ensure even rolling.

Never force or stretch pastry when rolling as this will cause the pastry to
shrink and lose shape when cooking.

What's blind baking?

To make some tarts and flans, you need to bake the pastry shell first and add the filling later.
If you bake the pastry shell unprotected, the pastry will bubble, dry out, shrink and over-
colour. Blind baking prevents this.

Step 1 Grease and line the flan or mould with the required pastry. Randomly prick
the base all over with a fork to allow steam to escape from inside the pastry.
This is called docking and will help stop the pastry from rising in the oven.

Rest the uncooked shell in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes before
cooking.

Step 2 Carefully line the inside of the pastry shell with greaseproof paper. Allow
plenty of overhang around the edges.

Fill the lined shell with raw haricot beans or raw rice to weigh the pastry down
and to protect it from direct heat.

Step 3 Bake the shell at 220 °C for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently remove the filling and
the paper and carefully remove the pastry from the mould.

Replace it in the oven for a further five minutes to complete the cooking.
Meat and poultry preparation
There are many preparation tasks to do depending on the type of meat and poultry on your
menu.

 Cleaning
 De-boning and cutting
 Trimming and removal of sinew
 Marinating
 Coating
 Larding and barding
 Slicing
 Seasoning
 Skinning
 Weighing and portioning
 Stuffing
 Rolling and trussing
 Mincing

Note...
It isn't practical to cover all of the preparation techniques in this unit. Instead, we'll focus on a
sample of common tasks and the equipment you need for each one. You'll learn more
specific information about how to prepare meat and poultry in future cookery units.

How do you prepare meat and poultry?

Cleaning
Cleaning meat involves removing any undesired pieces: blood vessels, meat around bones,
excess fat and sinew, etc. When cleaning meats, aim to retain as much useable meat as
possible. To do this, use a suitably sized sharp knife and good knife skills.

Wash the internal cavity of whole birds to remove intestinal residue prior to cooking.

Tools and equipment required: Sharp knife (size depending on type and size of cut)
De-boning and cutting
Most catering establishments order meat in the form required for a specific recipe. However,
there are still many enterprises that purchase larger cuts which are de-boned and portioned
“in-house”. There are several ways to do this depending on the recipe and type of meat.
This is covered in specific culinary units.
Tools and equipment required: Chopping board, range of different sized knives

Trimming and removal of sinew

Trimming meat is the process of cutting meat to the required size and shape according to
presentation standards. This may mean trimming the outside fat coverage down to the
required thickness, trimming sinew from around cutlet bones or trimming the bones on a rack
of lamb to a certain length.
Trimming also helps improve the meat's nutritional value by keeping the healthy lean meat
and getting rid of the unhealthy fat.
Tools and equipment required: Chopping board, range of different sized knives

Marinating
To marinate cleaned and trimmed meat, you immerse it into a cooked or uncooked cold
liquid.
What's the purpose of marinating meat?
· To tenderise or break down the meat tissue to make it more palatable.
· To preserve the meat for a longer storage life.
· To impart flavour from the liquid into the meat.

Red wine, soy sauce, sherry, milk, yoghurt and fruit juice are typical liquid bases in
marinades. A marinade may contain herbs, spices or other flavouring agents like garlic,
onion and chilli.
To get the most from your marinade, use stainless steel or glass containers. Mix all the
marinade ingredients together, steep the meat into the marinade, cover with a plastic film
wrap, and refrigerate.
Tools and equipment required: Spoons, glass bowl

Coating
Depending on the cooking method you're using, you may need to apply coatings such as
seasoned flour, or egg and breadcrumbs. Flour coating seals the meat and creates a crisp
texture.
Many dishes such as chicken Kiev, fried chicken and crumbed cutlets require you to coat the
meat prior to cooking. You'll learn how to do this shortly.
Tools and equipment required: Bowls/trays, whisk, spoons/scoop for dry ingredients

Larding and barding

Larding is inserting strips of fat, usually speck (slightly smoked pork back fat) into the
muscle of uncooked meat using a larding needle. You do this to keep the meat moist
during the cooking process.
Barding is laying thin slices of pork back fat over lean meat to keep the meat basted and
moist during cooking.

Tools and equipment required: Larding needle

Slicing
Slicing is cutting raw and cooked meat into neat servable portions. You can slice cooked
meats such as ham, turkey, salami or roast beef using a suitable sharp knife. However,
electric slicers are much quicker and can uniformly slice meats as thin or thick as required.

Tools and equipment required: Cook's knife, electric slicer

Mincing
Mincing involves passing cleaned and diced boneless meat through a mincing machine.
The mincer breaks and cuts meat down using a circular rotating blade. It then forces the
chopped meat through a metal plate containing holes. Plates with different sized holes
can be fitted to provide a coarse or fine grade mince. You can use minced meat for a
range of dishes: hamburgers, meatloaf, Bolognaise sauce, meatballs, etc.

Tools and equipment required: Electric mincer

How do you prepare seafood?

There are literally thousands of species of seafood, ranging from tiny shrimp to mature
halibut weighing up to 250 kg. To make identification and recognition easier, they're
categorised under two headings: fin fish and shellfish (glossary).

Today, fin fish are rarely purchased whole with the gut and gills still intact. These are usually
removed at the fish market or by the wholesaler as early as possible to help keep the fish
fresher for longer.

However, there are some situations when you may need to clean and portion fish yourself. In
this unit, we'll only look at two simple examples of seafood preparation so you can see the
types of tools and equipment required. You'll learn detailed information about the many
methods of preparing and cooking seafood in future cookery units.

The method for filleting fish varies depending on the type of fish (whether it’s flat or round).

Flat fish such as flounder and sole have four fillets (two on the top and two on the botton).
Round fish such as trout and whiting usually have two fillets (one per side of the backbone).

How do you prepare fin fish?

Flat fish such as flounder and sole have four fillets (two on the top and two on the botton).
Round fish such as trout and whiting usually have two fillets (one per side of the backbone).
Step 1 Lay the fish on its side on a secure flat cutting board. Push the tip of your
filleting knife into the centre of the flesh just behind the head. Cut along
the top of the fish from head to tail using smooth strokes with the blade
running close against one side of the backbone. Take care when cutting
around the dorsal fin (glossary).
Step 2 When you reach the tail, push the tip of the knife through the underbelly close
to the tail. Lay the knife almost flat along the flesh with the blade facing
towards the tail. Using a sawing motion, detach the flesh and skin from the
tail.
Step 3 Cut along the curved rib bones and finish detaching the fillet at the head end.
Turn the fish over and repeat steps 1 and 2 to remove the second fillet. Run
your fingers gently along the flesh side of the fillet to check for any remaining
bones. If you find any, pull them out with your fingers or tweezers.
Step 4 To skin, place the fillet skin side down on the cutting board with the tail end
pointing toward you. Securely hold the skin at the tail with the free hand. Use
salt on the tips of your fingers for grip if the skin is too slippery.
Slide a sharp, firm-bladed knife between the flesh and the skin at the tail.
Work with long smooth slicing strokes towards the head end, scraping the
blade of the knife against the skin to avoid cutting into the fillet. Turn the
fillet over to make sure that all skin has been removed. Trim the fillet to a
neat even shape.

Tools & Equipment

The tools and equipment you need for flat and round fish are the same.

· Chopping board
· Filleting knife
· Fish bone tweezers

Shellfish preparation
There are many types of shellfish used in commercial cookery. The preparation and cleaning
techniques you use vary greatly depending on the species.

Let's look at one example that introduces you to a new cutting tool: the shucking knife.

You need to shuck (open) and wash fresh oysters before serving them to customers to
remove shell grit and sand.

To do this, hold the oyster shell with the flatter shell facing up. Using an oyster or
shucking knife, force the blade into the seam of the shell close to the hinged end. Wiggle
and twist the blade until you find and cut through the connective muscle. Lever the top
shell off and discard.

Next, remove the flesh from each oyster and wash both the shell and the flesh in a
solution of cold water, sea salt and lemon juice. Thoroughly drain the flesh and shell,
then replace the flesh neatly back in the shell.
What are coatings and batters?
Ever eaten a banana fritter, chicken schnitzel or battered fish? If so, you're already
familiar with the look and taste of coated foods. You can coat many types of foods before
you cook them.

 Fish cuts and seafood: Deep fried fish in batter, crumbed scallops
 Meats and poultry: Chicken Kiev, crumbed lamb cutlets
 Offal: Crumbed lamb brains
 Vegetables: Battered onion rings, crumbed eggplant
 Fruit: Banana, pineapple or apple fritter
 Dairy: Cheese, ice cream

Common coating terms

Batter Beer batter (recipe17), yeast batter (recipe 46),
tempura (recipe 42)

Paner a l'Anglaise Seasoned plain flour, egg wash and fresh or dry
(crumbed English style / breadcrumbs
plain)

Paner a la Milanaise Seasoned plain flour, egg wash, mixture of 1/3 cup
(crumbed Milanese style) parmesan and % cups breadcrumbs

A la Frangaise Dipped in milk and then lightly coated in plain flour

(French style)

A la Juive Coated in seasoned plain flour and then dipped in beaten

(Jewish style) eggs

Velveting Coated in seasoned cornflour and then dipped in egg white

Tools and Equipment

 Whisk
 Suitable bowls or trays for egg wash, batter, coating ingredients and coated foods

51
Wet and dry
There are two categories of coatings. The choice between the two often depends on the
recipe requirements of the type of food you're coating.

Wet coatings
Wet coatings have some form of moisture present. You dust the food item in seasoned flour
and then dip it into a wet substance before cooking. The flour allows the wet coating to stick
to the food.

Here are some examples.

· Batter (a mixture of flour, eggs and some form of liquid)

· Flour and beaten egg
· Milk and flour
· Cornflour and egg white

Dry coatings
You can crumb many meats such as chicken, lamb or pork cutlets prior to deep or shallow
frying. Dry coatings give the menu variety and add flavour to the food while retaining its
natural juices.

The most common type of dry coating is breadcrumbs. You can purchase dry
breadcrumbs (chapelure) or make them from stale or fresh bread. To make fresh
breadcrumbs ('mie de pain'), remove the crust from fresh white bread. Then rub the
bread through a sieve or put it into a food processor.

Here are some examples of dry coatings.

· Chopped or crushed nuts

· Cereals
· Wheat germ
· Sesame seeds
· Dehydrated (dried) chopped onion
· Milanaise (1/3 cup grated parmesan mixed with 2/3 cups breadcrumbs)

How do you dry coat or crumb food?

A dry crumbing set consists of seasoned flour, egg wash (a mixture of egg and milk or water)
and breadcrumbs. The kitchen terminology for the process of crumbing is 'Paner'. You can
pre-prepare crumbed food several hours in advance.

Step 1 Coat the food item in seasoned flour to absorb moisture and to give the
coating something to stick to. Shake off any excess flour.
Step 2 Dip the flour dusted item in the egg wash. This will stick to the flour coating.
Wipe the excess away with your hands to prevent the end product from
going soggy.
Step 3 Press the item into the crumbs firmly, ensuring that all surfaces are coated.
Step 4 Shake off excess crumbs and lay the items neatly in rows on a clean tray
ready for cooking.

Hot tip
You may need to 'double crumb' some items to prevent them from bursting apart or splitting
during the cooking process.

Handle food safely

When preparing food items, make sure you follow workplace and legislative food safety
procedures. Can you remember the basics?

Check quality
Check the quality and freshness of food before you use it. Poor quality ingredients lead to
poor quality menu items.

Check dates
Check all use-by or best-before dates. Remember, you can't use any foods that are past
their use-by date.

Store it
Return prepared foods to the refrigerator if they are not going to be cooked or served
immediately.

Cool it
Cool cooked foods to 21 °C rapidly and then store in the refrigerator.

Keep it hot
Prepared cooked food must be held at 60 °C or above.

Wash hands
Wash your hands or change gloves between food preparation tasks.

Clean your boards

Wash and sanitise chopping boards and knives between food preparation tasks.
Clean your equipment
Clean and sanitise equipment between food preparation tasks. Let's look at how to do this
correctly next.

End of section
You have reached the end of section 2.

Click to the next section to continue.

 Section 3:
Clean and maintain food
3 preparation equipment

Cleaning and maintaining food preparation equipment isn't as simple as rinsing it under
running water! There's set procedures you must follow to comply with hygiene practices.

In this section you will learn the following.

· How to keep equipment clean.

· How to use resources effectively to reduce environmental impact.
· How to maintain equipment.
· How to identify and report unsafe or faulty equipment.

How do you maintain cleanliness in the kitchen?

Keeping food preparation equipment clean isn’t as simple as rinsing it under running
water!

 What does cleaning achieve?

 What does cleanliness mean?
 How often do you clean equipment?
 What cleaning agents do you use in commercial kitchens?
 How do you clean tools and equipment using cleaning agents?

What does cleaning achieve?

Keeping tools and equipment clean helps minimise the spread of harmful bacteria and
viruses. Keeping all areas clean reduces the risk of cross-contamination as food flows
through the establishment from delivery to storage, preparation and service.

Simple cleaning tasks (cleaning your chopping board between preparation tasks, washing
your hands, regularly wiping down bench tops, etc.) can have a huge impact.
What does “cleaning” mean?
Cleaning means the removal of all dirt, food residues, grease and other unwanted deposits
known collectively as soil. Soil can be organic (fat, blood) or inorganic (rust, lime scale).

 Physically clean (all visible dirt/soil/residues removed)

 Chemically clean (all cleaning material residues removed)
 Microbiologically clean (micro-organisms reduced to an acceptable level for human
health)

Cleaning, sanitising and sterilising: What's the difference?

To kill harmful bacteria and prevent food contamination, you need to sanitise and sterilise
some equipment and surfaces using the right chemicals, detergents and techniques.

Cleaning
Cleaning removes visible grease, dirt and food residue from surfaces and equipment.
Equipment which comes into contact with food must be cleaned first before sanitising.

Sanitising
Sanitising kills disease-causing bacteria or reduces them to a safe level. You can do this
through heat or chemical sanitisers. Hot water must be at least 77 °C. This is the lowest
temperature required to kill most food poisoning bacteria. If you don't have water at this
temperature, use a food-grade, commercial sanitiser.

Sterilising
This involves killing all bacteria. You sterilise using chemicals such as strong disinfectants or
ultra-heat.

How often do you clean equipment?

This depends on the item, what it's used for, how often it's used, and whether it comes into
direct contact with food. Every establishment is slightly different in its specific cleaning
requirements, but there are some standards they have in common.

After use
· Food contact surfaces (benches, chopping boards)
· Appliances (mincers, slicers, mixers)
· Large equipment (bain-maries, stock pots)
· Small equipment (service utensils, trays, service platters, fry pans, bain-marie containers,
pot and pans)
· Service equipment (crockery, cutlery, glassware, platters)

Daily
· Cooking equipment (ovens, grillers, salamanders, microwaves)
· Floors (kitchen, service areas, bar, pantry, dish washing area)
· Service stations, trays, menus
· Display cases (hot and cold)
· Linen (kitchen and dining)

Periodically
· Non-food contact surfaces such as walls
· Exhaust fans, ventilators and range hoods
· Storage areas
· Drains and grease traps

Note...
As you can see, there's a lot of cleaning to be done! You'll learn more about your cleaning
responsibilities in the unit Clean kitchen premises and equipment. For now, let's focus on
how to clean and maintain food preparation equipment.

What cleaning agents do you use in commercial kitchens?

There are thousands of chemical cleaners available. Some are multi-purpose cleaners
such as general-purpose detergents. Others such as stainless steel, oven or glass
cleaners, have very specific purposes.

Select the right chemical for the job to get optimal results and prevent damage to
surfaces.

Acid cleaners
These cause burns on contact with skin and eyes. To avoid injury, do the following.

· Wear protective clothing (eye protection and impervious (glossary) gloves).

· Work in a well-ventilated area. (The fumes are dangerous!)
· Always add the acid cleaner to the water. If you add the water to the acid cleaner, it
releases dangerous chemical fumes.

Degreasers
Use degreasers to break down and dissolve built up grease and fat. Be careful! This
chemical and its fumes are flammable and dangerous. Don’t breathe them in or expose your
skin to them. Always use the same safety precautions as you would with acid cleaners.
Neutral detergents
This is one of the most common chemicals used in commercial kitchens. It's not hazardous,
but can dry out your skin. Use it for washing any cooking tools, utensils, kitchen equipment
and hard surfaces that don't have a built up, ground in dirt and grime.

Caustic/chlorine cleaners
Use these chemicals for heavy duty cleaning such as removing carbon build up. Apply the
same safety precautions as with acid cleaners and degreasers.

Alkaline cleansers
Alkaline cleansers are strong chemicals used for cleaning grease, fat and other soils from a
range of surfaces in the kitchen. This chemical is stronger than detergent so is more
effective in killing bacteria and other dangerous organisms.

Hot tip
When handling any cleaning chemicals, read manufacturer's instructions thoroughly. When
necessary, wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as protective clothing,
impervious gloves, eye protection and a breathing mask.

How do you clean tools?

You clean most tools with a neutral detergent, but there are exceptions. Choose a cleaning
agent which is appropriate based on the degree of soiling (Is it burned or just dirty?), the
material (Will the chemical damage it?), and its safety (Is it OK to use in a food area?)

Crockery and cutlery

Wash crockery and cutlery in a dishwasher using a bleach-based alkaline cleanser to
remove stains and kill bacteria. Dishwashers also use a rinse aid to complete the cycle so
your crockery and cutlery come out smear free.

Some commercial kitchens use a neutral detergent to wash crockery, and cutlery by hand.

Portable items and utensils

Wash portable items and utensils in hot water and neutral detergent. Rinse thoroughly to
remove any chemical residue. Wash and rinse using water which is at least 77 °C to kill
bacteria. If you don't have water this temperature, use a commercial spray sanitiser.

Piping bags
Empty all food particles and scrub clean with neutral detergent and hot water. Rinse and dry
thoroughly with a hot air hand drier to prevent mould and mildew forming. You can boil some
types of piping bags in water to ensure they're thoroughly clean and safe to use.
Chopping boards
Scrub chopping boards in neutral detergent and hot water. Rinse and dry.

Occasionally soak chopping boards in bleach or a sanitiser suitable for removing stains and
ingrained dirt. Ensure the sanitiser is suitable for use on your chopping board.

Safety tip!! Never just flip the chopping board over when starting a
new task. Harmful bacteria can spread quickly!

Knives
· Wipe the blade after use to remove any material stuck to the blade and prevent
discolouration.
· Clean in neutral detergent and hot water, then, rinse in clean water to remove all food or
detergent residue.
· Carefully wipe dry with a clean cloth.
· Never wash knives in a dishwasher. Regular exposure to the strong chemicals and high
temperatures damages steel blades and wooden/ plastic handles. This seriously
reduces a knife's lifespan.

Safety tip!! To avoid injury, never soak knives in a sink of water.

Pots and pans

Hand wash pots and pans with an all-purpose neutral detergent and degreaser. These
chemicals are safe to use on stainless steel pots but use them with care on aluminium so
you don't dull the surface.

If your stainless steel items need descaling (glossary), use acid cleaners.

To remove carbon build-up and stains from badly burnt pots and pans, soak them for a few
hours or use a caustic/chlorine cleaner.

Safety tip!! Thoroughly rinse all items after using a caustic /

chlorine cleaner. You don’t want any chemical residue to
contaminate the food.

How do you clean large fixed equipment?

You usually clean large fixed equipment such as ovens and steam kettle stockpots with
stronger cleaning agents. They're made from stainless steel or other food grade metals.
Manufacturers usually recommend cleaning agents based on the equipment and the
material it's made from.

Portable equipment
This includes food processors, meat slicers and electric mixers. Refer to manufacturer's
instructions to correctly dismantle and clean the equipment. Portable equipment comes
into contact with food. Take care to prevent cross contamination. Wash all safely
disassembled parts with neutral detergent and hot water. Rinse them, then dry. Remember
to use water which is at least 77 °C. This is the lowest temperature required to kill most
food poisoning bacteria.

Scrub all other surfaces with a stiff brush, neutral detergent and hot water. Rinse the item
and dry with a clean cloth (or air-dry) to prevent the risk of cross-contamination.

Dishwashers, bain-maries and steaming cabinets

Use acid cleaners and neutral detergents to clean equipment such as bain-maries and
steaming cabinets, which may have a build-up of lime scale.

Clean dishwashers using alkaline chemicals to kill bacteria and other dangerous
organisms or acid cleaners to descale the inside. Use a neutral detergent and hot water
to clean the outside.

Stovetops, deep-fryers and inside ovens

Use degreasers or alkaline cleansers to clean stovetops, around deep-fryers, inside ovens
and on any other equipment that may become splattered with grease and fat.

Use an alkaline cleanser to remove baked-on deposits from your oven.

Use caustic/chlorine cleaners to get rid of carbon build-up on your stovetop.

Safety tips!
Avoid electrocution! Unplug electrical equipment from the socket prior to cleaning and do not
wet any of the electrical components.

Don't scratch it! Do not use scouring powder or steel wool unless absolutely necessary.
They create scratches: the perfect place for bacteria to hide. Steel wool fragments may also
break off and remain in the equipment. You don't want it to transfer to the food!

How do you clean grill plates and bars?

Griddle plates and grill bars require cleaning after each service session so they don't rust
and burnt food particles don't transfer to other foods.

Grill bars
Remove unwanted particles with a stiff wire brush. Dismantle the grill bars at least twice a
week and clean them thoroughly with hot soapy water and a degreaser. Rinse, dry and wipe
them with oil to prevent rusting.

Grill plate
While the grill plate is still hot, scrape off all food particles and oil using a flat-edged grill
scraper. Use a degreaser to remove fat deposits. Rub the metal surface with a grill brick or
use caustic/chlorine cleaners to remove carbon build-up. Use an alkaline cleanser to remove
any baked-on deposits. Then, wash it with a neutral detergent and hot water and rinse with
clean water.

When the grill plate is dry, wipe it over using an oiled cloth to prevent it from rusting.
What's resource efficiency all about?
Resources are the energy and materials used to produce the final result of your work.

To prepare a customer's meal, you might need gas for the cook top, electricity for the food
processor, water to wash vegetables, and lights so you can see what you're doing! You also
need cleaning agents for your tools, equipment and bench tops.

Resource efficiency is being smart about how you use these resources so you can reduce
negative environmental impacts.

You can m ake a di ff er ence

Use environmentally sustainable work practices. Clean with environmentally friendly
products, participate in environmental education programs, and comply with workplace
environmental policies, legislation and by-laws.

Water efficiency
Most people are aware that the world is facing a water shortage crisis.

We can't survive without fresh water, so it's essential that we change our habits and start
conserving it today. Everyone everywhere needs to take action!

Taps
Did you know that a dripping tap can waste up to 31 000 litres in a year? That's enough to fill
more than half a domestic swimming pool! Conduct regular maintenance to ensure that none
of your taps are dripping.

Management may also consider installing high pressure, low flow trigger nozzles with a high
water efficiency rating.

Dishw asher and gl ass washers

These make life much easier for people who hate doing the dishes! But how can you be
smart and use them efficiently to minimise your environmental impact?

Don't run the dishwasher at the end of every shift unless it's full. Use the economy setting if
you can.

Mopping floors
Getting out the mop and bucket is just a part of normal clean-up procedures, right? No.
It doesn't have to be your only option. A broom, energy approved vacuum or steam mop
might be more efficient. If you do use a mop, think about how you could use the water,
before you pour it down the drain. Can you use it to water plants?
Sinks
· Wash equipment in a sink of water (not under a running tap).
· Rinse cleaning cloths in a bucket of water.
· Consider installing sensor or foot activated taps at the sink.
· Scrape food scraps from dirty plates and pots into bins for composting. Don't rinse
under a running tap.

In-sink disposal unit

Food waste put down an in-sink disposal unit can overload the grease traps, which prevent
grease, oil and food from entering the sewerage system. This blocks drains causing
pollution, environmental damage and potentially costing your organisation thousands of
dollars in trade waste fees.

Where possible use a composting system for your food waste and avoid the in-sink disposal
unit.

Food preparation
Wash vegetables and fruits in still water (not running water).

Reusing water
Reuse water where possible. Pour cooled water from bain-maries and steamers into
gardens (not down the drain).

Energy efficiency
A lot of energy is wasted because of faulty, poorly maintained equipment and appliances
with low energy ratings. If you don't empty or maintain vacuum cleaners, they won't work
efficiently and will require more power to run. (Not only that, they'll do a poor job cleaning!)

This applies to all cleaning equipment. Your establishment should have a cleaning and
maintenance schedule which requires you to regularly maintain certain equipment. Follow it.
Hopefully, your organisation also chooses equipment with a high energy rating.

Seals
Check seals when cleaning refrigerators and display cabinets. If seals are faulty, cooled air
escapes the equipment and more energy is needed to maintain required temperatures. This
is a huge waste!

Lighting
Turn off any lighting that's not needed and consider installing sensor lights. Use energy
efficient or fluorescent lighting to save power.

Powered equipment
You can turn blenders, slicers, food processors, coffee machines and computers off at the
power source (wall socket). Leaving them in standby mode uses a lot of power.

Processes
Remember to look at processes as well as the work environment. For example, washing
vegetables under running water wastes water. Microwave defrosting wastes power. Look
around to see what other processes can be changed to ensure energy efficiency.

Environmentally friendly chemicals

Commercial kitchens contain an array of cleaning chemicals, detergents, sanitisers,
sterilisers and caustic oven cleaners. There are many brands and options available when
purchasing these types of products. Some are more environmentally friendly than others.

Review the contents of your establishment's cleaning products to ensure they're

biodegradable (glossary).

Buy in bulk
Minimise waste by ordering large containers of cleaning chemicals to refill spray bottles or
dispensers.

What happens to the cleaning product containers when they're empty? Are they
recyclable? Is there a return and re-fill policy with your supplier? If they're disposed of,
where do they go? Does this have an impact on the environment?

Menu choices
The dishes your chef chooses are more important than you might realise. The types of food
products purchased can encourage illegal practices in countries around the world. Think
about this next time you hear someone request shark-fin soup.

One of the simplest ways to reduce deforestation in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New
Guinea is to stop purchasing products that contain palm oil.

Where possible, purchase products that are organic and cruelty-free from businesses that
use environmentally sustainable work practices.

Hot tip
Careful menu planning ensures that you don't waste food by over-ordering.
You can also minimise waste by using food scraps, bones and off cuts for stocks and
soups.

Compost any food waste you can't reuse.

How do you maintain the condition of equipment?
Keeping equipment clean isn't enough if you want it to last and remain in good working
order. You need to make minor adjustments as required within the scope of your
responsibility.

 Sharpening and maintaining knives

 Checking and adjusting blades
 Oiling machines and equipment
 Calibrating scales and thermometers
 Testing and tagging electrical equipment

We'll look at each of these maintenance tasks over the next few screens.

Sharpening and maintaining knives

In the kitchen there are few tools which are more useful than a sharp knife. It is therefore
essential that you know how to safely sharpen and maintain your knives. Over the next few
screens we'll look at how it's done.

Sharpening stone
You use a sharpening stone to sharpen blunt knives. The main types are diamond stones
and sand stones.

Step 1 Place the stone securely on a solid work surface. Use a damp cloth under the stone
to prevent it moving around.

Step 2 Smear the stone with a lubricant (detergent, water, machine oil, etc.) depending on
the manufacturer's directions.

Step 3 While holding the handle securely, run the entire knife edge up and down, using
long even strokes at a 10 to 15o angle to the stone surface. Use your free hand to
put pressure on the side of the blade.

Step 4 Work the blade from heel to point or point to heel with even alternations between
sides until you obtain a sharp edge.

Step 5 Wash the knife to remove any metal filings. Dry carefully.

Step 6 Complete the sharpening process by honing the blade using your steel.
Cook's steel
Use a cook's steel to maintain a sharp cutting edge on the blade of a knife. This process is
called 'honing'.

To hone a knife, run both sides of the blade down the length of the steel seven to nine times
at a 10 to 20o angle. This helps keep the blade’s cutting edge straight. The steel doesn’t
actually sharpen the blade, but it gives that effect by straightening the cutting edge.

Maintenance
Click on the dot points for some knife maintenance tips.

Sharpen your knife on a regular basis, especially between tasks which may have blunted the
blade.

Regularly check the handle, rivets and tang of your knife for cracks or wear and tear. A
cracked handle is both a safety and hygiene hazard.

Check the blade for nicks or deep scratches. These can reduce the structural integrity of the
blade.

Oil carbon steel blades after cleaning to prevent rusting.

Note...
Learning how to sharpen or use a knife can be dangerous. Practise under supervision until
you're competent. You can never be too careful when trying to obtain a clean, sharp edge!

Checking and adjusting blades

Operating equipment with blunt and/or poorly fitted blades is inefficient and can result in a
serious accident.

Periodically check bladed equipment. Ensure the blades are sharp and in good working
order. Always refer to the manufacturer's instructions for recommended maintenance
procedures, including how to safely and correctly check, dissemble and replace parts.

Check that fittings, screws or attachments are free from cracks or faults. Adjust where
necessary if you have the skills and authority to do so.

Note...
Your establishment's equipment maintenance schedule will tell you what to check and
when.

Oiling machines and equipment

Some equipment and machines require oiling to prevent rust and keep their moving parts in
good operating order.

Each piece of equipment has different maintenance requirements, so always refer to the
manufacturer's instructions before getting started. Confirm which components need
lubricating and which type of oil or lubricant to use.

Not any oil will do! You must use the right food grade lubricant for the equipment. You might
use food grade machine oil on a meat slicer, but a foaming food grade spray grease on
chains or overhead apparatus.

If you're not sure which product to use, ask someone to help you.

Calibrating scales and thermometers

Scales
Scales are used for weighing recipe ingredients and delivered goods. They're often
electrical, but could also be spring-loaded or counterbalanced. These should be checked for
accuracy (calibrated) periodically to prevent incorrect readings.

Thermometers
Thermometers are used to check the temperature of food, and the internal temperature of
refrigerators and freezers. This ensures compliance with food safety legislation. It makes
sense that their calibration is included in every establishment's maintenance schedule.

Hot tip
Calibration is sometimes outsourced. Ensure you know the procedure in your
establishment.

Testing and tagging electrical equipment

All electrical equipment (extension leads, fridges, blenders, dishwashers etc) should undergo
testing and tagging by a qualified / approved electrician to ensure that it’s safe to operate.
Testing and tagging is visually inspecting and testing the electrical components of
equipment.

The tester affixes a non-metallic tag to the item. It states the test date, the name of the
person/company that conducted the test, and a re-test date.
 In a nutshell
You probably won't need to tag and test equipment. However, you should know what to look
out for. Check electrical cords, plugs and connectors for frays or defects. Also check when
the next tag and test is required.

What should you do when you recognise unsafe or faulty

equipment?
Rectify it
You may be able to fix some minor faults and unsafe situations yourself: tighten loose
screws, clean greasy or slippery surfaces or adjust or sharpen blades.

However, no matter how simple these tasks might seem, you should only carry them out if
you're trained and authorised to do so. Never operate outside your level of responsibility.

Report it
If you can't fix it, report it according to your establishment's reporting procedures. This
may mean completing fault reports, updating equipment logs or completing maintenance
request forms.

Never ignore an unsafe situation or leave a faulty piece of equipment out where others can
use it and potentially injure themselves.

Unplug the equipment if required and label it as faulty.

The equipment or situation will never be fixed if you don't take appropriate action. Speak to
your supervisor or manager if you're unsure about the action you should take.

End of section
You have reached the end of section 3.

Click to the next screen to read the unit summary.

Summary
Look around the kitchen now. It shouldn't seem as overwhelming as it did when you first
started this unit. Every hanging pot and utensil and every piece of equipment (small and
large) should be identifiable.

You may not know how to prepare and cook all types of food just yet, but at least you'll feel
familiar in your surroundings and understand the kitchen terminology being used around
you. When the head chef tells you to grab a docking wheel, a colander or mouli, you'll know
exactly what to look for and have a fair idea of what they might need it for.
In no time at all, you'll be preparing all sorts of food with the same level of confidence and
precision as the other cooks in your brigade

Glossary

Word Meaning
Al dente This term literally translates as `to the tooth.' The cooked pasta is firm,
a little chewy and has a slight resistance to the bite.)
Biodegradable Capable of being decomposed (broken down) by bacteria and safely
reabsorbed into the earth.
Blond roux Blond (fawn) roux is cooked the same as white roux. However the cooking
time is longer, allowing the roux to take on a very pale fawn colour. Use it
to thicken white stock to make a basic sauce called veloute.
Brown roux You can use dripping or lard instead of butter to make brown roux. Cook
it longer than blond roux, until it's light brown. A fresh nutty smell is the
tell-tale sign that you've cooked it correctly. Use it to thicken brown
stock to make Espagnole or other basic brown sauces.
Descaling Removing mineral deposits that build up on surfaces over a period of
time.
Dorsal fin The dorsal fin is located along the spine or backbone of a fish. A fish can
have up to three dorsal fins.
Duxelle Mushroom hash made from finely chopped mushrooms, sautéed with
chopped onions and parsley to make a stuffing or paste.)
Fin fish This classification includes all fish that have fins and an internal skeleton:
trout, perch, bream, herring, flounder, snapper, tuna, whiting, etc.
Fried rice A savoury rice dish commonly eaten in Asia.
Impervious Solid smooth surface containing no access for bacteria to live or liquids to
penetrate.
Kedgeree A traditional British breakfast from colonial India made from rice,
eggs, spices and smoky-flavoured fish.
Pastry Pastry is the kinds of dough made from ingredients such as flour, butter,
shortening, baking powder or eggs that is rolled out thinly and used as
the base for baked goods. Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts, and
quiches.
Shellfish Aquatic creatures that don't have an internal bone structure but do have
an external shell covering. They include molluscs and crustaceans.
Examples include squid, octopus, mussels, oysters, clams, crabs,
lobsters and prawns.
Viscosity Flowing consistency.
White roux White (blanc) roux is cooked to a breadcrumb like consistency, without
allowing it to take on any colour. Use it to thicken seasoned milk to make
béchamel (commonly known as white sauce).