Mise en Place
Serranos, cucumber + microgreens dressed with lemon zest
“Mise en place” is a French culinary term meaning “everything in its place.” For the home-cook this usually means preparing every ingredient before beginning a recipe. In a restaurant, “mise” refers to the prepared components that will be used to build a dish. By applying this to home-cooking, you can get the most out of every ingredient, while having flexibility and ready-to-go meals.
Think of your refrigerator as “the line.” Line cooks “pick up” components that have been prepared by prep cooks. Everything in “the line” should be ready-to-go.
I recommend rinsing + drying vegetables, greens + herbs before storing them in the fridge. Clean veggies are much more appetizing and easy to work with. Complete passive tasks ahead of time (soaking + cooking beans, making stock, defrosting proteins) to reduce active cooking time.
When bringing home fresh produce, process fruits + veggies as quickly as possible. You can eat cooked veggies within 3 days, but you can never regain that 1st-day freshness. Make your jams + pickles with the freshest produce, then add to a dish later.
Ideally, mise en place can pivot from dish to dish. Handling prep correctly will extend its life and give you a chance to use it in a second preparation. Make sure to keep a clean board‒ work from delicate flavors to pungent flavors and wash the board as needed. (Always use a separate board for meat.) Maintaining an ingredient’s integrity will protect its flavors and help it last longer.
Store prep as you go, to limit exposure to air and warmth. Use a container that fits the prep as exactly as possible, reducing surface area and air volume. Use clear containers and labels. Be sure to use a clean spoon to go into prep containers, don’t leave it out any longer than you have to and ‘consolidate’ it into a smaller container as needed.
There should be confidence in mise en place, it shouldn’t need anything other than cooking (“pick-up”) and assembly to make it edible and delicious. Just like at a restaurant, much prep can do double-duty. Thinking of your refrigerator as a line fridge will help you see the brunch, lunch, appetizer, entree & dessert possibilities of your gorgeous prep.
Lastly, taste your prep! A line cook is expected to taste everything on the line before service. And unlike a restaurant, you can use your mise en place as long as it's still good‒ sight, smell and taste will guide you.
