Western Cuisine Craftsman key terms

The temperature range between roughly 5°C and 63°C (41°F and 145°F) in which bacteria multiply most rapidly. Keep food outside it: chill below 5°C, hold hot above 63°C and minimise time in between.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point: a documented preventive system that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards at each production step and sets critical limits, monitoring and corrective actions at control points.

The internal temperature at the thickest part of a food, measured with a clean probe thermometer. It is the only reliable check that meat, poultry and reheated dishes have reached a safe cooking temperature.

The transfer of harmful bacteria or allergens from raw food, hands, boards, cloths or equipment to ready-to-eat food. Prevent it by separating raw and cooked work and cleaning and sanitising between tasks.

Boards in standard colours assigned to food groups: red for raw meat, blue for raw fish, yellow for cooked meat, green for produce, brown for vegetables and white for dairy and bakery, to reduce cross-contamination.

A 20 to 30 second routine: wet hands, apply soap, lather palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs, fingertips and wrists, rinse, then dry with a disposable towel or hot-air dryer. Required before work and after handling raw food.

Holding the blade between thumb and forefinger just ahead of the bolster while the remaining fingers wrap the handle. It gives the greatest control and reduces wrist fatigue during long prep sessions.

Running the blade along a honing steel at a consistent 15 to 20 degree angle to realign a rolled edge. It maintains sharpness between sharpenings but does not remove metal or repair a blunt edge.

A stick cut about 1.5 to 2 mm square and 4 to 5 cm long, made by squaring the vegetable, slicing thin planks and stacking them to cut into matchsticks. It is the base cut for brunoise.

A fine dice of 1.5 to 2 mm made by cutting a julienne into short lengths and then cross-cutting the bundle. Used for garnishes, stuffings and sauces where a uniform, quick-cooking cut matters.

A cut that produces fine ribbons from leafy herbs, spinach or lettuce. Stack the leaves, roll tightly and slice across the roll with a sharp knife, avoiding bruising with a dull edge.

French for everything in place: the advance preparation and arrangement of ingredients, tools and containers so a dish can be produced consistently and calmly during service. Includes measuring, cutting, blanching and organising the station.

A roughly cut aromatic base of onion, carrot and celery, classically in a 2:1:1 ratio by weight, sweated or roasted to build flavour in stocks, sauces, braises and soups.

A bundle of aromatics, typically thyme, parsley stalks and bay leaf with leek or celery, tied or wrapped in cheesecloth and simmered in stocks, stews and sauces, then removed before service.

A thickener made by cooking equal weights of flour and fat, usually butter, together. White roux cooks briefly, blond a little longer and brown roux until nutty and dark, each giving different flavour and thickening power.

A brown mother sauce made from brown stock thickened with brown roux, plus tomato purée and browned mirepoix, simmered and skimmed. It is the base for demi-glace and many derivative sauces.

A warm emulsion of egg yolks, a reduction of vinegar and peppercorns, and clarified butter, seasoned with lemon and salt. It is held at 60 to 65°C and splits if too hot or too cold.

The browning reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that occurs above roughly 140 to 150°C, producing complex flavours and colour on seared meat, toast, roasted vegetables and baked crusts. It requires a dry surface.

Allowing cooked meat to stand off the heat before carving so juices redistribute while the internal temperature continues to rise a few degrees. It prevents dryness and gives a more even pink.

Covering a lean cut of meat or poultry with a thin layer of fat such as bacon, pork fat or caul, to baste it during roasting and protect it from drying out. Larding inserts fat into the meat instead.

The breakdown of tough connective tissue collagen into gelatin during long, moist cooking at 70 to 90°C. It is what makes braised shank, oxtail and shoulder tender and gives the sauce body.

Small, V-shaped intramuscular bones in fish such as salmon, trout and pike. They are located by running a finger along the fillet and removed with tweezers, pulling in the direction the bone lies.

A whole fish that has been scaled, gutted and had its fins and gills removed, ready to cook whole but not filleted. It is often scored to help heat penetrate and stop the body curling.

Briefly boiling or steaming vegetables, then plunging them into iced water to stop the cooking. It sets colour and texture, removes bitterness and lets vegetables be finished to order.

Italian for to the tooth: pasta, rice or vegetables cooked so they stay firm at the centre. For pasta, the interior should still show a faint chalky core when bitten.

Folding layers of butter into dough through repeated rolling and folding, creating hundreds of thin alternating fat and flour layers that puff during baking. Used for croissants, puff pastry and Danish.

Heating and cooling chocolate to set temperatures so the cocoa butter crystallises in a stable beta form, giving snap, gloss and resistance to bloom. Dark, milk and white chocolate have different target temperatures.

The final rise of shaped yeast dough in a warm, humid place before baking, letting gas from fermentation expand the gluten network. Under-proofed dough gives a tight crumb; over-proofed dough collapses.

Analysis of menu items by popularity and profitability, classifying them as stars, plowhorses, puzzles or dogs, and guiding changes to pricing, placement and recipe design to improve margin.

A substance that triggers an immune response in sensitive people. Under EU law 14 allergens must be declared, including gluten, milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, nuts, peanuts, soy, sesame and sulphites.

A nutrient required in large amounts: protein, carbohydrate and fat, supplying energy and structural material. Menu planning balances them against energy needs, cost and dietary restrictions.

The classic hierarchical kitchen structure: executive chef, sous chef, chef de partie such as saucier, poissonnier, entremetier, garde manger and patissier, then commis and plongeur. It defines responsibility and reporting lines.

A written plan for a station listing every task, quantity and deadline needed to reach service readiness. It drives the mise en place and lets the chef check work before service begins.

Food cost divided by food sales, expressed as a percentage. It measures how much of each sales unit is spent on ingredients and is the key ratio for menu pricing and cost control.

The weight or count of a food after trimming, boning or peeling, meaning the part actually served or sold. EP yield is edible portion divided by as-purchased weight and is used to find true portion cost.

First In, First Out: the stock rotation rule that the oldest delivered goods are used first. Containers are dated and stored so older stock sits at the front of the shelf.

Equipment that rapidly lowers food temperature through the danger zone, typically from 63°C to 5°C within 90 minutes, using forced cold air. It protects both food safety and quality in cook-chill production.

A manual slicer with an adjustable blade used for uniform slices and julienne. Always use the hand guard or a cut-resistant glove, because the exposed blade causes severe lacerations.

A fire involving cooking oils and fats, typically in a deep fryer. It is extinguished with a wet chemical extinguisher or fire blanket; never use water, which causes violent steam explosions and spreads burning oil.

A document supplied with a chemical product listing its hazards, safe handling, protective equipment, first-aid measures, spill procedures and storage requirements. It must be available wherever kitchen cleaning chemicals are kept.