Mise en place refers to having all ingredients and tools prepared ahead of time before starting to cook. It is important in professional kitchens for efficiency and safety. Proper preparation involves assembling tools and ingredients, washing and cutting raw materials, and setting up equipment needed for recipes. Knife skills are also essential, including using the correct grip and knife for different tasks, as well as basic cuts like dice, julienne, brunoise, and batonnet. Being organized with mise en place allows cooks to focus on cooking and produce high quality results.

1. Mise En Place

2. • [ meez-on-plass] , literally "put in place" is
a French meaning“ everything in place", as in
set up.
• It is used in professional kitchens to refer to
the ingredients, such as cuts of meat, relishes,
sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly
chopped vegetables, and other components
that a cook requires for the menu items that
they expect to prepare during their shift.

3. ✓Set up your work area safely and completely
before you start to work
✓Gather items necessary to keep your work
area safe and clean
✓Gather the appropriate portioning and
storage Keep foods at the best possible
temperature for prep work materials

4. Planning and Organizing Production
1) Assemble your tools
2) Assemble your ingredients
3) Wash, trim, cut, prepare, and measure raw
materials
4) Prepare your equipment
5) Pre heat the oven, line baking sheets, etc.

5. Using Your Knife Safely:
1) Use the correct knife for
the task at hand
2) Always cut away from
yourself
3) Always cut on a cutting
board
4) Keep knives sharp
5) When carrying a knife,
hold it point down
6) Don’t attempt to catch a
falling knife
7) Never leave a knife in a
sink of water

6. Handling the Knife
• The Grip – gives you maximum control over
the knife. The proper grip increases your
cutting accuracy and speed, it prevents
slipping , lessens the chance of accident.
• The Guiding Hand –
1) Hold the item being cut firmly
2) Guide the knife

7. 4 Basic Grips
•
• Grip the handle with all
four fingers and hold
the
thumb gently but firmly
against the blade’s
spine

8. 4 Basic Grips
•
• Grip the handle with all
four fingers and hold
the
thumb gently but firmly
against the side of the
blade

9. 4 Basic Grips
•
•
• Grip the handle with
three fingers, rest the
index finger
flat against the blade on
one side, and hold the
thumb
on the opposite side to
give additional stability

10. 4 Basic Grips
•
•
• Grip the handle
overhand, with the
knife held
vertically – this grip is
used with a boning
knife for
meat fabrication tasks

11. THE GUIDING HAND

12. •
•
The fingertips are
tucked under slightly
and hold the object,
with the thumb held
back from the
fingertips. The knife
blade then rests against
the knuckles,
preventing the fingers
from being cut.

13. • When you peel or trim
foods, cut them into
tournées, or flute them, you
may find yourself holding
the food in the air, above
the cutting surface. In that
case, the guiding hand
holds and turns the food
against the blade to make
the work more efficient

14. •
•
cutting techniques, such
as butterflying meats or
slicing a bagel in half,
call forthe guiding hand
to be placed on top of
the food to keep it from
slipping, while the cut
is made into the food
parallel or at an angle
to the work surface

15. BASIC KNIFE CUTS

16. Trimming, Paring, Peeling
• Trimming - removing root and stem ends from
fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
• Peeling - to strip off an outer layer using hand
or peeler
• Paring - cutting away an edge or surface using
a knife

17. DICE
• LARGE DICE - measuring
¾ inch × ¾ inch × ¾ inch
• MEDIUM DICE –
½ inch x ½ inch x ½ inch
•
•
SMALL DICE –
¼ inch x ¼ inch x ¼ inch

18. BATONNET
• Pronunciation: bah-
tow-NAY
• measures ½ inch × ½
inch × 2½-3 inches.

19. Brunoise
•
•
( BROON-wahz)
measures 1/8 inch × 1/8
inch × 1/8 inch.

20. Allumette
• (al-yoo-MET)
• measuring
• ¼ inch × ¼ inch × 2½
inches.
• Also Known
As: Matchstick cut

21. Julienne
• (joo-lee-ENN)
• measuring 1/8 inch ×
1/8 inch × 2½ inches.
FINE JULIENNE
1/16 inch × 1/16 inch × 2
inches.

22. Brunoise
• (pronounced BROON-
wahz)
• 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch ×
1/8 inch.
• FINE BRUNOISE
• 1/16 inch × 1/16 inch ×
1/16 inch.

23. MINCED
• chop very fine pieces

24. Rondelle
• slant and thin
• Cut to desired
thickness, 1/8 to
1/2 inch
• (4 to 12
millimeters)

25. Chop
Irregular shaped pieces

26. Jardinere
• A long thin baton, about
2cm long and
approximately 3mm
wide and 3mm thick.
They can be slightly
larger depending on
their use.

27. Macedoine
• This is a diced cube,
0.5cm (5mm)
square, which is larger
than the brunoise
cut. Typical vegetables
used are carrot,
onion, turnip, beans
and celery.

28. Matignon
• Roughly cut vegetables
cooked in butter
with ham, thyme and
bayleaf, finished by
deglazing the pan with
a little Maderia

29. Paysanne
•
•
1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8 inch
(12 x 12 x 4 millimeters)

30. FERMIÈRE
• Cut to desired
thickness, 1/8 to 1/2
inch (4 to 12
millimeters)

31. LOZENGE
• Diamond shape, 1/2 x
1/2 x 1/8 inch
• (12 x 12 x 4 millimeters)

32. TOURNÉ
• Approximately 2 inches
(50 millimeters) long
• with seven faces