Chef's Compendium of Professional Recipes

Edward Renold, David Foskett, John Fuller, David Foskett

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2012
• eBook ISBN: 9781136078613
• Topic: Commerce
• Subtopic: Industrie de l'hôtellerie, du voyage et du tourisme

This is a well-established reference and textbook for professional chefs and students. This edition presents essential recipes based on traditional and classic methods, but is simplified and adapted to meet the needs and conditions of the busy professional kitchen. Trends towards healthy and safe eating are taken into account and alternatives are suggested to certain ingredients to meet this demand. Vegetarian recipes are also included.

1 Culinary Basics, Stocks, and Sauces

DURING the past quarter of a century many changes have taken place in professional kitchens. Not only those catering for industry, hospitals, and schools, but even hotel and restaurant kitchens once organized along traditional partie (or sectional) lines, have been affected.

Some changes simplify basic culinary preparations, owing to such factors as cost and public demand. To make economical use of craft skills in kitchens is as important as economizing in ingredients, energy or other cost elements. Public demand favours simpler, shorter meals (but meals well prepared and presented), and is more health-conscious. Thus many recipies once popular may need modification to reduce richness – by eliminating or using less fat, especially animal fat, including butter); and cutting down on sugar and conserve nutrients by correct cooking.

Changes in kitchen practices are not, however, always accurately reflected in professional cookery manuals. Many chefs pay lip-service to classic recipes that are seldom carried out in full in the kitchens of today.

Yet first-class work still requires properly prepared stocks and similar culinary basics, though, nowadays, stocks may not always contain the high proportion of poultry and butcher’s meat formerly considered essential. Modern methods, in certain operations, make use of pre-processed bases for stocks, soups and sauces. Nevertheless, kitchens of the finest grade, even those run on modest lines, must still use basic preparations produced by their own staff. Therefore, a sound knowledge of culinary foundations is essential for all who intend to practise good cooking.

Mis-en-place. Despite the changes, traditional kitchen methods, whether for table d’hote or a la carte service, still include the idea of mise-en-place; that is, the preparation of culinary items in advance. By this means dishes can be assembled at service time with the minimum fuss and bother, the maximum efficiency, and attractively presented.

Fonds de cuisine. The basic elements of the chef’s mise-en-place are described as ‘fonds de cuisine’ of which a literal translation might be ‘foundations of the kitchen or of cookery’. The following recipes for fonds de cuisine are based on traditional principles, though reconciled with present-day practice and possibilities, in the belief that building good cookery on sound foundations is still of the utmost importance.

(Basic preparations for fish and fish sauces are dealt with in Chapter 5; larder preparations and those for cold cookery appear in Chapter 2.)

Basic Flavourings for Stocks, Sauces, and Soups

In his work the chef uses many seasonings; these various aromatics, spices, and herbs are specified in all the recipes, but there are a few basic, composed flavourings used so frequently in savoury liquors that it is convenient to list them here.

1 Bouquet garni

1 sprig thyme 1 bay-leaf

15 g (½ oz) parsley stalk

2 pieces green leek 1 piece celery

1. Bunch together the thyme, bay-leaf, celery and parsley stalk.
2. Wrap the green of leek round the bundle and tie with fine string.

Used for stocks, soups, sauces and entries.

2 Mirepoix

240 g ( ½ lb) carrots 1 bay-leaf

240 g ( ½ lb) celery 1 sprig thyme

120 g ( ¼ lb) onions 60 ml vegetable oil

1. Cut all vegetables into medium dice.
2. Fry the vegetables and herbs in the oil to a light golden colour.

Used in soups, sauces, stews, and for braising.

3 Matignon (for larg...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• How to Use the Compendium
• 1 Culinary Basics, Stocks, and Sauces
• 2 Cold Preparations
• 3 Soups
• 4 Eggs, Pastas and Rice
• 5 Fish
• 6 Meat, Poultry and Game
• 7 Vegetables
• 8 Pastry and Sweets
• 9 Savouries and supplementary breakfast dishes
• Glossary
• Index