Cert III Commercial Cookery cheat sheet

Temperature control rule: keep high-risk foods out of the 5°C–60°C danger zone; refrigerate at or below 5°C and hold hot food at or above 60°C.

Two-hour/four-hour rule: food held in the danger zone under 2 hours may be refrigerated or used; 2–4 hours must be used immediately; over 4 hours must be discarded.

Cooling standard: cooked high-risk food must be cooled from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours, then to 5°C within a further 4 hours.

Reheating rule: previously cooked and cooled high-risk food must be reheated to 75°C or hotter, rapidly, and only once.

Handwashing sequence: wet hands, apply soap, lather and scrub palms, backs, between fingers and under nails for at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry with single-use towel.

Cross-contamination controls: separate colour-coded boards and utensils for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and ready-to-eat food; store raw food below cooked food.

HACCP has seven principles: hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective action, verification, and record keeping.

Manual dishwashing order: scrape, wash in hot detergent water, rinse in clean hot water, sanitise, then air dry; sanitising solutions must be mixed to label dilution.

Allergen rule: the declared allergens include egg, milk, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, soy, fish, shellfish, wheat and other gluten sources, lupin, and sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more.

Standard breading sequence is flour, egg wash, then crumb; chill before frying so the coating adheres and does not detach in the oil.

Deep-frying temperature ranges: 160–170°C for dense items such as chicken pieces, 175–190°C for thin or pre-cooked items; oil breaks down faster above 190°C.

Stock classification: white stock uses unroasted bones; brown stock uses roasted bones; fish stock is simmered 20–30 minutes only; never boil stock or it emulsifies fat and clouds.

The five French mother sauces are béchamel (milk), velouté (white stock), espagnole (brown stock), hollandaise (butter emulsion), and tomato; derivatives include mornay, allemande, and demi-glace.

Roux ratios by weight: equal parts flour and butter; cook white roux briefly, blond roux to pale gold, and brown roux until nutty brown, each adding colour and flavour.

Meat doneness by core temperature: rare 55°C, medium rare 60°C, medium 65°C, medium well 70°C, well done 75°C; minced meat must reach 71°C.

Portion cost formula: cost per portion = purchase price ÷ usable yield; usable yield accounts for trim, bone, and cooking loss.

Catering production planning: calculate quantities from covers × portion size, add a buffer for wastage, and schedule preparation against service times to avoid holding food in the danger zone.

Wok hei is achieved by cooking over very high heat in small batches so moisture evaporates fast and the food sears rather than steams.

Mise en place is critical in Asian cookery: aromatics (garlic, ginger, chilli, spring onion) are chopped and sauces blended before the wok is heated.

Balancing flavours: sweet (sugar, palm sugar), sour (lime, tamarind, vinegar), salty (fish sauce, soy), bitter (greens, herbs), and umami (fermented pastes, dried seafood).

Soy sauce types: light soy is saltier and used for seasoning; dark soy is thicker, sweeter, and used for colour; sweet soy (kecap manis) is a sugar-reduced Indonesian condiment.

Rice preparation rules: rinse until water runs clear to remove surface starch; absorption method uses roughly 1:1.5 rice-to-water by volume for jasmine rice; glutinous rice is soaked before steaming.

Curry paste building: fry paste in thick coconut cream until oil splits and aroma releases before adding protein and thin coconut milk.

Noodle handling: blanch fresh wheat or rice noodles briefly in boiling water, drain and toss with oil to prevent clumping; do not overcook before final wok toss.

Food safety for Asian cookery: raw fish for sashimi must be commercially frozen to −20°C for 7 days or −35°C for 15 hours to control parasites.

Kitchen brigade hierarchy: executive chef, sous chef, chef de partie, commis chef, and kitchen hand, each with defined station responsibility.

Food cost percentage = (cost of goods sold ÷ food sales) × 100; a rise signals waste, over-portioning, theft, or price increases.

Stock rotation uses FIFO: first in, first out; label with date and use-by, and check deliveries against order and temperature on receipt.

Work health and safety hierarchy of control: eliminate, substitute, isolate, engineer, administrate, then use personal protective equipment.

Manual handling rule: keep the load close to the body, bend the knees, avoid twisting, and use team lifts above roughly 16–20 kg.

Knife safety: carry blades down and away, never leave knives in a sink, cut on a stable board, and sharpen with a steel at a consistent 20-degree angle.

Sustainable practice: separate waste streams (organic, recycling, general), measure food waste by weight, and use energy-efficient equipment schedules.

Roster and labour cost: labour cost percentage = labour cost ÷ revenue × 100; compare against budget to detect overstaffing.

Assessment must be valid, reliable, flexible, and fair; evidence must be sufficient, authentic, current, and valid.

Third-party reports, workplace supervisor feedback, and observation checklists are acceptable supplementary evidence for commercial cookery units.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) may be granted where evidence maps to every performance criterion and required performance evidence.

The unit requires demonstrated performance evidence, including preparing a range of dishes and working safely and hygienically in a commercial kitchen.

Knowledge evidence is assessed through written or verbal questioning; performance evidence must be observed directly or by authenticated third party.

Plagiarism, collusion, and unauthorised AI use are breaches of academic integrity and may result in reassessment or misconduct action.

Reasonable adjustment may change how evidence is gathered but must not change the standard or the performance criteria assessed.

Food safety program elements: hazard identification, control measures, monitoring records, corrective actions, and regular review.

Cleaning vs sanitising: cleaning removes visible soil and grease with detergent; sanitising reduces microorganisms to safe levels using heat or chemical solution.

Chemical storage rule: store chemicals below and away from food, in labelled containers, with safety data sheets accessible.

Pest control: seal entry points, store food off the floor in sealed containers, and record pest inspections and sightings.

Personal hygiene: clean uniform, hair restrained, no jewellery on hands or wrists, and exclude staff with vomiting or diarrhoea for 48 hours after symptoms stop.

Temperature records must be kept for deliveries, storage units, cooking, cooling, and reheating, and retained for the period required by law.

Cleaning schedule records include what is cleaned, method, chemical and dilution, frequency, and the person responsible.

Macronutrients supply energy: carbohydrate 17 kJ/g, protein 17 kJ/g, fat 37 kJ/g, alcohol 29 kJ/g.

The five food groups are vegetables and legumes, fruit, grains, lean meats and alternatives, and dairy and alternatives; discretionary foods are limited.

Allergen substitution rules: use gluten-free flour blends with a binder such as xanthan gum; replace cow's milk with fortified soy or rice milk for dairy-free diets.

Modified texture diets progress from regular to minced and moist, to smooth pureed, to liquidised; each level requires adequate nutrition and hydration.

Diabetes-friendly menus emphasise low glycaemic index carbohydrate, controlled portion size, and fibre; avoid added sugar and refined starch.

Coeliac disease requires strict gluten exclusion, including cross-contact from shared toasters, boards, and fryers.

Menu planning balances nutrition, cost, seasonality, customer preferences, equipment capacity, and skill of staff.

Standard recipe card records ingredients, quantities, portion count, method, and cost per portion; it ensures consistency and accurate pricing.

Usable yield percentage = (usable weight ÷ as-purchased weight) × 100; it corrects purchase cost for trim and waste.

Selling price from food cost percentage: selling price = portion cost ÷ target food cost percentage.

Markup versus margin: markup is added to cost; gross profit margin = (selling price − cost) ÷ selling price × 100.

Stocktake variance = opening stock + purchases − closing stock − cost of sales; a positive variance indicates loss or theft.

Par stock level is the minimum quantity needed to cover expected demand between deliveries, plus a safety buffer.

Portion control tools include scales, scoops, ladles, and standard serveware; over-portioning directly raises food cost percentage.

Purchase specifications state grade, size, packaging, and temperature at delivery, and support competitive tendering.