catering & food management

1. CHAPTER 14
UNDERSTANDING
FISH & SHELLFISH

2. COMPOSITION & STRUCTURE
 Water, protein, fats, vitamins &
minerals
 Very little CT which means: it cooks
very quickly, it is very tender, moist
methods preserve moistness (not to
tenderize like with meat), and it will fall
apart very easily.

3. COOKING FISH – DON’T
OVERCOOK
How to tell it’s done:
 It separates or flakes.
 Pulls away from bone.
 Opaque in color

4. FAT FISH & LEAN FISH
FAT FISH:
 High in fat (good)
 Tolerate heat
without becoming
dry
 Moist heat, dry heat
& dry heat with fat
LEAN FISH:
 Low in fat
 Easily overcooked
 Moist heat, dry heat
& dry heat with fat
 Serve with sauce to
enhance moisture &
taste
 Never grill

5. CUTTING FISH – P. 275
 Whole or Round
 Drawn
 Dressed
 Steaks – cross cut
 Fillet – boneless
sides
 Sticks – cross-
section fillets
 Butterfly fillet

6. VARIETIES &
CHARACTERISTICS
 SALTWATER
FLATFISH
 SALTWATER ROUND
FISH
 FRESHWATER FISH
FRESHWATER FISH:
 Perch
 Catfish
 Pike
 Tilapia
 Trout
CHECKLIST FOR FRESH & NOT SO FRESH
FISH – SEE PAGE 283! CHECK OUT THOSE EYES!

7. STORING FISH:
 30 – 34 degrees
 Keep moist
 Prevent odor
transfer
 Protect flesh from
being bruised
 Store on crushed ice
 Change ice daily
 Store away from other
foods
 Cut fish should be
wrapped; not in direct
contact with ice
 1 – 2 days for fresh fish

8. FROZEN, CANNED, PROCESSED FISH
 Frozen product
frozen when
received
 Fresh sweet odor or
no odor
 Well wrapped
 Glaze prevents
drying
 Store: 0 degrees or
less
 Well-wrapped
 Storage time:
Fat fish: 2 mos.
Lean fish: 6 mos.
 Rotate stock - FIFO

9. WRAPPED, FROZEN FISH

10. THAWING FISH
FROZEN:
 In refrigerator – 18 – 36 hours
 Small pieces cooked from frozen state
Do not refreeze
CANNED:
 Store: cool dry place
 Open containers labeled, dated; 2 – 3 days

11. SHELLFISH
MOLLUSKS
 Bivalves – 2 shells –
clams, oysters,
mussels, scallops
 Univalves – 1 shell –
conch & abalone
CRUSTACEANS
 Animals with
segmented shells &
jointed legs
 Lobsters, rock
lobsters,crabs,
shrimp

12. MOLLUSKS – DON’T OVERCOOK
Oyster

13. CRUSTACEANS – DON’T OVERCOOK

14. MOLLUSKS – MARKET FORMS &
FRESHNESS
MARKET FORMS
 Live, in shell
 Shucked – out of
shell; most by
count size
 Canned
FRESHNESS
 Smell ‘em
 Check shells –
tightly closed
 Sweet taste

15. MOLLUSKS: CLAMS
TIGHTLY CLOSED
SHELLS, CLEAN
TYPES:
•Littlenecks
•Cherrystones
•Chowders or
Quahogs
Quahog
DON’T OVERCOOK!

16. SCALLOPS – DON’T OVERCOOK
 BAY’S – small, delicate flavor; 32 – 40
per pound
 SEA’S – large, not as delicate; 10 –15
per pound
 Sweet smell
 Fresh or frozen (IQF or 5 lbs. blocks)

17. SCALLOPS
SEA SCALLOP BAY SCALLOP

18. LOBSTERS – MAINE & ROCK
MAINE: (COLD H20)
 Tail, claw, leg meat,
coral (eggs) & tomally
(liver)
 Yield: 1 # = 4 oz.
 Sizes: p. 291
 MF: live & meat
 Alive to cook; sleeper
 Storage: saltwater
tank or moist seaweed
or paper; 2 days
ROCK (WARM H20)
Tail meat only
Spiny or Langoustes
Tails: 2 – 12 oz.
MF: Frozen; IQF
Steam, simmer, broil
ROCK LOBSTER!

19. MAINE LOBSTER – DON’T OVERCOOK

20. ROCK LOBSTERS

21. SHRIMP – DON’T OVERCOOK
 Many varieties – depends on where
caught
 Sold by count per pound: 16/20’s; U10
 MF: Green (fresh/frozen); P/D; PDC;
IQF
 Freshness, Storage, Handling
 Cooking: simmer, fry, saute, broil, bake

22. SHRIMP!
U10’S
GREEN – HEAD ON

23. French Restaurant
French dining is often considered a must in terms of
Gastronomy. The best place to relish French food
being France itself. You will find below useful info
about eating out in France, with the different types of
French venues from the traditional Bistro and
Brasserie to the latest star restaurants.

24.  Originally considered to be a Bar or a Cafe, the "Bistro"
turned to be pleasant and typical restaurant, really popular
amongst the French as well as foreigners! Their convivial -
sometimes bustling - atmosphere and reasonably priced
meals have made their success for a long time now.
 French Bistros feature a historical décor, held either in
ancient tavernes (in rural areas) or in early-20th century
buildings like those you can commonly see in Paris. Each
bistro has its own ambiance but these cosy, cramped
neighbourhood venues are often busy, especially at
lunchtime! Waiters are generally relaxed - even scatterbrain
sometimes! - and blackboard French menus affordable
(about €15-30). The decoration is as well very simple, small
round tables, basic (often wooden) furniture, a few posters
or paintings on the walls are the main features.
Le Bistrot

25.  Le Bistro is indeed a perfect destination to
enjoy simple - yet flavourful - French food! It is
not surprising then that many Bistros in big
cities like Paris are rapidly over-crowded. By
the way, bear in mind that some of them are
even famous for being great tourist destinations
and the service is unfortunately often rude in
that case.

26. French Brasserie/Brewery
 The French name Brasserie was originally
used for "brewery", but it turned to represent a
certain type of large, busy restaurants
proposing typical French food. The Brasseries
are now renowned worldwide, referring to
great non-stop venues which are generally
open late and do not require booking in
advance.
 Larger than the French Bistros, the traditional
Brasseries have subsequently more extensive
menus, offering fine dining meals as well as
simple dishes (such as a grilled steak served
with fresh Provençal herbs and delightful chips, a
mainstay of the French Food!). Three-course
meals are more expensive though (between €30

27.  Whilst the bistro tends to be an intimate
gastronomic restaurants, the brasserie retains the
charm of the ancient brewery; frequently loud,
such restaurant will satisfy every lovers of beer
and wine, and remains a great opportunity to
 French Brasseries also often feature a beautiful
19th-century décor, as examples Bofinger's (Paris,
11th) and Train Bleu's (Paris, Gare de Lyon) are
really worth the visit ! experience the French art de
la table.
 An increasing number of Brasseries are now run
by chain companies - Flo, Maitre Kanter, Chez
Clément being the most renowned. These venues
boast many seats and can readily host groups (a
plus in busy towns like Paris!), but for this reason,
they may not satisfy those who expect a more
exclusive dining experience.

28. Michelin Star Restaurants
 To really indulge your taste buds and discover what
the French gastronomy is, Michelin star restaurants
are doubtless the perfect destinations!
 The best restaurants of France were granted the so-
called Michelin stars, creating the huge range range
of "Michelin starred restaurants". Boasting from one
to three stars, such restaurants ensure a high quality
service, original and/ or elegant décor, fine wines and
above all, terrific and sophisticated food.
 The best-known French Chefs - awarded by several
Michelin stars - are Alain Le Nôtre, Paul Bocuse,
Alain Ducasse, Bernard Loiseau, Claude
Troisgros and Marc Veyrat, to give just a few.

29. Traditional Auberge
 The traditional Auberges restaurants are an excellent
and pleasant combination of French gastronomy
and art de vivre.
 Generally situated in rural areas or at least in remote,
peaceful surroundings, such venues are run by
(independent) professional caterers and chefs who
want to promote and highlight the products of their
regions. Authenticity, Simplicity and Quality are the
Auberges leitmotiv. Some country venues -
named Fermes Auberges (refering to farm houses
turned into restaurants) - even propose a hearty
cuisine made of their own farm products.
 Auberges' other plus is that the owners are generally
extremely friendly, coming to speak with their guests
and giving visitors interesting info about the region.
Such convivial venues can be compared to the
French Chambres d'Hotes when they also offer Table
d'Hote (including dinner).

30. café
 The most common English spelling, café, is the French,
Portuguese and Spanish spelling, and was adopted by
English-speaking countries in the late 19th century.
Coffeehouse and coffee shop are related terms for an
establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee
and other hot beverages. Café or cafe or caff may refer
to a coffeehouse, bar, tea room, small and cheap
restaurant, transport cafe, or other casual eating and
drinking place, depending on the culture.
 A coffeehouse may share some of the same
characteristics of a bar or restaurant, but it is
different from a cafeteria. As the name
suggests, coffeehouses focus on providing
coffee and tea as well as light snacks.

31. café
 Primarily locations for coffee and alcoholic
drinks. Tables and chairs are usually set
outside, and prices marked up somewhat en
terrasse. The limited foods sometimes offered
include salads, fruits when in
season. Cafés often open early in the morning
and shut down around nine at night.

32.  Salon de Thé : Salon de The: These
locations are more similar to cafés in the rest of the
world. These tearooms often offer a selection of
cakes and do not offer alcoholic drinks. Many offer
simple snacks, salads, and sandwiches. Teas, hot
chocolate, and chocolat à l'ancienne (a popular
chocolate drink) offered as well. These locations
often open just prior to noon for lunch and then
close late afternoon.
 BYOB or BYO is an initialism meant to stand for
"bring your own beer", "bring your own beverage,"
"bring your own bottle" or "bring your own booze.”
BYOB is often placed on an invitation to indicate
that the host will not be providing alcohol and that
guests are welcome to bring their own. Some
business establishments may allow patrons to bring
their own bottle, subject to fees or membership
conditions.

33. Top 10 Qualities of a Great Culinary
Professional
Competition among chefs can be fierce, especially
for those vying for top spots in the world’s toniest
restaurants. The top chefs who are known around
the world share a set of qualities that separate
them from the others.

34. Some qualities that the best chefs have in common
include:
• Creativity: A great chef must be very creative and
always willing to try something new. Creativity inspires a
food’s presentation, which is very important to the
overall dining experience.
• Passion: A great chef has a tremendous passion for food
and cooking. They enjoy the process of selecting foods,
preparing meals, and creating menus.
• Business Sense: A great chef has a keen business sense
and runs a kitchen that produces quality foods but is
also cost-effective and efficient.

35. • Attention to Detail: A great chef pays close attention
to detail. Cooking is a science and every ingredient
and measurement has a specific role that a chef
must be continually aware of.
• Team Player: A great chef understands that he or
she is part of a larger food preparation team and
that everyone must work harmoniously to ensure
the timely production of quality foods. Chefs must
also work well with wait staff and management.
• Practice: A great chef knows that preparing food
requires technique and skill that must be honed
after years of practice. A great chef never stops
perfecting his or her technique.

36. • Multitask: A great chef is adept at handling many tasks at once. A
single chef might be responsible for several elements of a meal
that all need to come together at the same time, and he or she
must be able to ensure everything is completed at just the right
moment.
• Commitment to Quality: A great chef is always committed to
preparing the highest quality meal. They seek out the finest
ingredients and use the best techniques to deliver the best product
possible.
• Quick Decisions: A great chef is able to think quickly and can make
good decisions when problems arise. Because of the timely nature
of the food preparation industry, problem solving must be done
quickly to keep customers satisfied and operations flowing
smoothly.
• Handle Criticism: A great chef can handle criticism from
customers. Not everyone will always like what a chef prepares, and
a good chef knows not to take poor reviews personally.