When you’re cooking at home, do you ever realize that you’ve misplaced something, or don’t have the correct amount or ingredient? Maybe you need to stop the cooking process to prep another ingredient? Well, clearly you didn’t mise en place!
“Mise en place” is a French culinary phrase which translates to “everything in its place” or “putting in place”. Every professional kitchen uses mise en place in their organization and arranging of ingredients, because it’s a system that works. In the culinary world, line cooks and chefs have failed or succeeded based on how good their mise en place is. While you may be thinking that mise en place only applies to fast paced, stress induced kitchens, it’s a great tool for the home cook too. Now you might not have the room to lay out every single thing you need. Luckily, a home cook doesn’t need to be nearly as deliberate in their planning. Unlike a line, where every bowl, utensil and ingredient needs to be carefully placed and fiddled with, just having your ingredients prepped and laid out is enough for the aspiring home chef.
Depending on what I’m making, my level of mise en place will change in complexity. For instance, when I make meatballs, I do very little, just having the raw ingredients out on the table and cutting, chopping or peeling as I need them. However, with any new recipe or anything super difficult and complex to make, I will prep every single ingredient and spice. Then I’ll have them laid out in order of when I am going to use it in my preparation. Spices are removed from their stalks and cut if necessary. Vegetables are diced and separated in their own bowls. Anything that would take time away from the cooking process is done before any cooking even begins.
I should also mention the best side effect from doing mise en place as well. Clean-up is so much easier. You end up using fewer bowls and just so much less equipment overall.
I don’t know about you, but the less time you spend cleaning, the more time you can spend eating and enjoying yourself. Everyone has their own method of mise en place and how intense you go with it is up to you. Don’t just take my word for how mise en place can change your life. You should try it for yourself!
Here is the mice en place from the Linguine with Butternut Squash Ravioli. Find that recipe here!
