UPMSP Class 12 Cookery cheat sheet

Mise en place: all ingredients measured, cut, and arranged before cooking begins; it reduces cross-contamination and timing errors.

Standard recipe (standardised recipe): a written formula with exact quantities, yield, portion size, method, and critical temperatures; it is the basis of consistent costing and quality control.

Yield percentage = (edible portion weight ÷ as-purchased weight) × 100; edible portion weight = as-purchased weight × yield percentage.

Portion cost = total recipe ingredient cost ÷ number of portions; total recipe cost includes edible-portion costing, not as-purchased cost, when trim is significant.

Food cost percentage = (cost of food sold ÷ food sales) × 100; a rising percentage with stable menu prices signals portion drift, waste, or price increases.

Three main cooking media: moist heat (boiling 100 °C, simmering 85–96 °C, poaching 71–82 °C, steaming), dry heat (baking, roasting, grilling, frying), and combination methods (braising, stewing).

Carryover cooking: roasted meats rise about 3–6 °C internally after removal from heat; rest large roasts 15–20 minutes before carving.

Key safety temperatures: poultry and stuffed items 74 °C, ground meat 71 °C, whole fish 63 °C, reheated food 74 °C; danger zone 5–60 °C with a maximum 2-hour cumulative exposure.

Colloidal systems: sol (starch in hot liquid), gel (cooled starch sol), emulsion (oil in water, e.g. mayonnaise; water in oil, e.g. butter), foam (egg white), and suspension.

Knife cuts by dimension: brunoise 3 mm cube, julienne 3 × 3 × 40 mm, batonnet 6 × 6 × 40 mm, dice 12 mm, paysanne about 1 × 12 × 12 mm; evenness is graded before speed.

French omelette standard: 3 eggs, hot pan with clarified butter, 30–45 seconds of stirring, rolled to a smooth oval, no browning, moist interior.

Roux stages: white roux cooked 2–3 minutes without colour; blond roux 4–5 minutes; brown roux 8–10 minutes at lower heat; equal weights of flour and butter.

Emulsion rescue: if mayonnaise breaks, whisk 1 teaspoon of water or a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and add the broken mixture drop by drop.

Stock rules: cold water start for white stock, gentle simmer at 85–95 °C, skim regularly, never boil (cloudiness and emulsified fat), vegetables added in the last 45–60 minutes.

Blanching and shocking: boil 1–2 minutes, transfer to ice water to set colour and stop enzyme action; green vegetables retain chlorophyll and texture.

Seasoning sequence: season in layers at each stage, taste with a clean spoon at each checkpoint, and correct salt last after reduction because concentration increases salinity.

Plating checks: portion weight verified on a scale, plate rim wiped clean, sauce placed deliberately, hot food served above 60 °C, and allergen garnishes labelled.