Western Cuisine Craftsman study plan

State the temperature danger zone (5–57 °C / 41–135 °F) from memory and convert the key hold, cook and cool limits between Celsius and Fahrenheit without a converter

Build a HACCP flow for one poultry dish that names biological, chemical and physical hazards at each step, sets numeric critical limits, and assigns monitoring frequency and a corrective action

Demonstrate ice-point thermometer calibration and record before-and-after readings, then explain the boiling-point method and when each is used

Sequence handwashing, glove changes, board changes and utensil swaps to stop cross-contamination between raw protein, ready-to-eat food and allergens

Distinguish cleaning from sanitising, and state contact time and concentration for chlorine and quaternary ammonium sanitisers plus the correct test-strip check

Identify primal and subprimal cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork and match each to a cooking method, justifying the choice by connective tissue and fat content

Fabricate a whole chicken into eight pieces and truss a bird, applying the correct knife path through the joint rather than through bone

State and apply target internal temperatures: poultry 74 °C / 165 °F, ground meat 71 °C / 160 °F, whole-muscle pork and beef 63 °C / 145 °F with a rest, and explain carryover cooking

Explain rigor mortis, ageing (wet versus dry) and their effect on tenderness, and describe how barding, larding and marinating compensate for lean game

Describe safe handling of game: hanging temperature and time, inspection, and the risk of lead shot and parasites in wild birds

Execute julienne, batonnet, brunoise and paysanne to stated millimetre dimensions, measuring a sample of pieces to confirm tolerance

Restore a 15–20° edge on a chef's knife with a whetstone and hone before each session, explaining grit progression and angle control

Write a mise en place sheet for a three-course menu that lists every component with quantity, preparation method and start time counted back from service

Apply board colour coding, claw-and-guide-hand technique and safe transport of knives, and identify the three highest-risk cutting habits

Produce a white stock, a brown stock and a court bouillon, skimming and degreasing correctly, and state the ratio of bones to mirepoix to water for each

Prepare the five mother sauces and at least one derivative of each, and state the roux-to-liquid ratio per litre for each thickening level

Explain roux stages, beurre manié, liaison and reduction, and select the right thickener for a given sauce without relying on starch alone

Diagnose and correct a broken emulsion such as split hollandaise or a seized sauce, and describe the prevention step that was missed

Classify soups as clear, thick, purée, bisque, chowder or consommé and name the thickening or clarifying agent that defines each

Fabricate one round fish and one flat fish into fillets, skin them, and remove pin bones by feel and by torchon, and state a doneness cue for each

Judge fish freshness from eyes, gills, smell, flesh resilience and rigor state, and explain mollusc tagging and the handling of live crustaceans

Cook fish by shallow-fry, poach and steam, and identify the temperature at which albumen leaches out and the flesh flakes

Blanch and shock, roast, glaze and purée vegetables, and time salt addition in legume cooking to control skin integrity

Select potato varieties by starch content for mash, roast and salad, and cook rice by pilaf and risotto method to the correct doneness

Laminate a pâte feuilletée with the correct number of turns and rest periods, and explain what happens if the butter and dough are at mismatched temperatures

Prepare choux paste to the correct consistency test and pipe and bake it without collapse, naming the cause of each common failure

Cook crème anglaise and pastry cream with correct tempering and setting, and state the coagulation temperature range of egg proteins

Distinguish French, Swiss and Italian meringues by method and sugar temperature, and identify the soft-peak, stiff-peak and over-whipped stages

Control yeast dough fermentation by windowpane and poke tests, and explain how salt, temperature and hydration change proofing time

Name the 14 major allergens, map them across a four-course menu and write substitution options that avoid cross-contact in the kitchen

Adapt one menu to a gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan requirement without losing nutritional balance, protein source or texture

Calculate edible-portion yield from as-purchased weight for three ingredients and use the yield to cost a portion

Compute food cost percentage, contribution margin and selling price from a recipe costing sheet, and set a par level from usage and lead time

Apply FIFO rotation, date labelling, requisition and stocktake procedure, and identify the three largest controllable sources of waste in a kitchen

Operate a slicer, mandoline, stand mixer, combi oven and deep fryer with the correct guards, PPE and shutdown sequence, and state the specific hazard of each

Match fire classes A, B, C, F/K to the correct extinguisher and state why water must never be used on an oil or fat fire

Sequence emergency response for a burn, a deep cut, a gas leak and an evacuation, including who calls and what is shut off first

Re-test the three lowest-scoring domains from earlier weeks with targeted questions and close each gap to at least 80%

Sit a full timed mock exam under exam conditions and review every wrong answer back to a source principle