What in the World is Mise en Place?
Have you ever forgotten an ingredient while cooking? Or maybe burnt something because you were busy prepping? Me too, but not anymore! In French cuisine, the term “mise en place” means “everything in its place.” Making sure that you have all your ingredients and an understanding of the recipe is an organizational step in the kitchen you should never miss!
In simplest terms, prepping in the kitchen is a vital function to ensure a great product and a less stressful experience. Below are 5 routine steps you can take when cooking or baking that will help with your “mise en place.”
Read the List of Ingredients
Get familiar with all the ingredients in the recipe. If you do not know what the ingredient is, look it up. All you really need to know is what it is; and what family it’s from (herbs, spices, protein, etc.). Once you understand the ingredients, make sure you have what you need. It’s not enough to know that you have it in the pantry, you need to have the right quantity. Note: If the recipe has multiple parts, make sure to separate the ingredients from each other as you will make the different parts separately. Just as an FYI, usually the ingredients are listed out in the order that you will use them in the recipe. So keeping them in order makes things go even smoother.
Read Through the Instructions/Ingredients
Read through the entire recipe, a few times. Check if you need to pre-bake, taking note of the different temperatures you will need. Make sure you have the equipment required. If the recipe calls for a strange technique, I recommend that you look it up. I prefer to find videos to watch to make sure I see what they are doing.
Prep Everything
Start prepping all the ingredients: chop everything, measure everything out, defrost anything needed, etc. Take out the pans, spoons, knives, pot holders, etc. Pre-bake the oven or heat the pans (when ready).
Follow the Recipe
- Read through each step prior, making sure that you understand the flow
- Each step will list out the ingredients so having them readily available will allow you to add them at the proper time
- Make sure to set a timer. Go old school, it usually never fails.
Taste and Serve
Tasting is important! This allows you to make some last-minute fixes.
In your next attempt at a recipe, try my steps above and have fun with it. Develop your style and see how it goes. It has made me very successful in my custom dessert business, Table of Sweets.
