For a chef, life is the kitchen

Chefs look after employees and junior chefs in the kitchen. They are busy cooking the orders of the day. And also participate at their station. Some of the chefs may check the quality of food cooked and garnish the food before sending it out to the customers through waiters or waitresses.

Excitement, thrill, deliriousness and a good amount of energy flowing around. And there is the adoration when clients, family or friends say that food was great. The life of a chef all goes into the kitchen, serving the best quality of food and making everyone happy. Checking everything is at a place or planning the menu. For chefs, life revolves around the kitchen.

Early morning

For every hotel, starting times are different, says Australia lecturer former Le Cordon Bleu Dennis Leslie started his working days as the executive sous chef at nine at the Adelaide Oval in the morning. While at the world-famous Noma, Matthew Pugh in 2017, starting one was seven in the morning.

The first job of the morning is an inventory with much of the ingredients of the day arriving fresh in the morning. This is the time for the chef to check the quality, whether everything is labelled and stores and produce should be counted properly.

Mid-morning

The morning is the time that is occupied. There is a rush and in French, it means mise en place which means everything should be in place. There is extensive preparation that a chef has to do before offering services such as planning for the menu, checking other staff, preparation of ingredients and much more. Everything must be in place also includes making sauces, cutting vegetables, cleaning and portioning cuts of meat. Stagiaire is responsible for all this with scrutiny of the sous chef.

After the mise en place is finished, many kitchen workers might sit and eat together and the chef gets an opportunity to try and innovate something new.

Afternoon to dinner

After lunch, the kitchen staff will get ready for dinner preparation and post-service. Dinner is the busiest time of the day for any chef across the world. Dinner time is something that must be ensured whether it is ready before it begins. Head Culinary chefs spend the time before dinner overseeing mise en place and also finalising the menu for dinner.

The chef's role is significant and throughout the dinner service, they will coordinate with kitchen staff and will check for production speeds and quality and will assist with cooking.

Lunch service

Before lunch service, the chef will brief everyone like the kitchen staff about everything and also the front of house briefing will take place. It is the best opportunity for chefs to discuss with others related to daily specials and other specific inquiries of client's. Meanwhile, the maitre d' might check with important booking and any dietary requirements that need to be accounted for.

During the service, a chef might supervise and lead the kitchen staff. The chef will help in the areas where the team might be lagging. The chef will scrutinise everything and see what is needed.

Post-service

Chefs working can be as late as midnight for most of the hotels. At this point, workers will work on deep cleaning the kitchen and other areas ahead of the next day's service. Some preparation might be done for the next day like marination or even the beginning of slow roasts. A head chef will plan and spend time reviewing the next day's menu. The chef will produce orders and place beverages before completing for the night.

Abdiya grew up in the Southern tip of India, and the Paris of East, Pondicherry. She graduated from the Annamalai University and Pondicherry University.