One Trick Pony...Specialties of the Kitchen Brigade

 Specialties of the Kitchen Brigade

Don't Be A One Trick Pony

    Mastering the entire spectrum of culinary skills and specialties, not to mention regional and local cuisines is nearly impossible to master in multiple lifetimes, let alone a single lifetime. As with all other aspects of things we can do, we cannot master everything. William Shakespeare is attributed to having written, "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than being a master of one." If we look at culinary arts as we look at much of life, we realize we do need a general working knowledge of more than a specialty in work, but we do need to be highly skilled in one aspect or another.

    In the professional side of culinary arts some chefs take a more well-rounded approach to their careers while other chefs specialize. The main specialties of what is known as the kitchen brigade system are described below. But, as a culinarian, especially in the home, a more general approach is more useful. However, it is important to be well rounded and so it is worth discussing the specialties and taking the time to learn about each specialty. By learning the specialties, at least to a functional level, it helps the cook to develop better culinary skills and the ability to eat well. Having a working knowledge of universal culinary skills, a general knowledge of multiple specialties, and one or two areas we do exceptionally well leads the culinarian and home cook alike to better satisfy the body and senses, and show love, care, and concern for those who would partake of our labor.

    The important thing to remember about all of the positions of Escoffier's brigade system is that most kitchens have a smaller to medium sized staff and so many times the specialties are combined in ways that makes sense. So, even with a specialist, it is important to be more than a one-trick pony.

Specialties of the Kitchen Brigade

Videos from YouTube about the kitchen brigade system:


A Brief Description of the Brigade Positions

  • Saucier
    • The sauté chef prepares sautéed foods and the sauces for the kitchen. 
    • This is likely the most technically demanding and most skilled position in the kitchen. 
    • This is an essential skillset for any cook, either at home or professionally.
    • The fish chef prepares 
      • fish
      • seafood
      • to include the butchery and other accompaniments such as the sauces,
    • Often the same chef is responsible for both saucier and poissonier stations. 
    • This is a highly skilled position and the chef chosen as the poissonier has well developed culinary skillsets and experience.
  • Rotisseur
    • The roast chef prepares 
      • all roasted food items
      • the jus
      • sauces for the meal items prepared at this station.
  • Grillardin
    • The grill chef does exactly that...grills foods. 
    • Often the Grillardin and rotisseur are combined into one area with the same chef at the same time because often the foods are similar enough that in all but the largest kitchens with the largest size brigades, this is most efficient.
  • Friturier
    • The fry chef prepares all of the fried foods and is often combined with the rotisseur and grillardin positions.
  • Entremetier
    • The vegetable chef prepares 
      • cooked appetizers
      • amuse bouche
      • may also prepare starches (such as pasta, rice, potatoes, etcetera). 
    • However sometimes additional responsibilities such as 
      • egg
      • soups
      • vegetables may be combined with this position.
  • Tournant
    • Also known as the roundsman because this chef works where needed in the kitchen. 
    • The tournant is a chef that has sufficient experience and skillsets to be able to move from one role to another and be successful. 
    • An effective tournant is often a generalist or has mastered several brigade specialties.
  • Garde-Manger
    • Garde-Manger is the French word that literally means pantry in English.
    • The pantry chef prepares cold foods such as 
      • salad
      • cold appetizers
      • pâte
      • terrines
      • etc. 
  • Boucher
    • The butcher...butchers. 
    • Prepares cuts of animals (sometimes fish) and may also prepare breading for 
      • meat
      • poultry (and fowl)
      • fish (including seafood).
  • Patissier
    • The pastry chef is the 
      • undisputed leader of the bakery
      • is usually the most skilled and well versed member of the bakery team
      • responsible for baked goods such as 
        • cakes
        • pastry
        • dessert
        • and responsible for all of the Bakery staff such as
          • confiseur
          • boulanger
          • glacier
          • décorateur.
  • Confiseur
    • Think confection (sweet) perfection. 
    • The confiseur makes the sweet treats of a bakery. 
    • Petit fours, candy, and similar items are the responsibility of this position. 
    • The confiseur is a highly skilled position where appearance and technical presentation are as essential to the eye as the flavor and texture are to the palate.
  • Boulanger
    • This cook is the bread baker. 
    • The French name for a bakery is boulangerie. 
    • The boulanger prepares bread products and doughs that aren't sweetened or are savory in nature.
  • Glacier
    • The cook who filled this role prepared refrigerated or frozen desserts (think glacier). 
    • Iced cream, gelee, mousse, gelato, etc. comes to mind when considering the types of desserts the glacier would be responsible for.
  • Decorateur
    • The decorator, which is the English translation of the French word décorateur (masculine) or décoratrice (feminine). 
    • However, in Escoffier's brigade system the masculine is used likely because in the time of Escoffier much of the workforce was male.
  • Aboyeur
    • The expediter provides leadership and direction to the brigade. 
    • The primary role of the expediter is to be the point of communication between the dining room brigade and kitchen brigade. 
    • The aboyeur manages and coordinates between the various station chefs so meals for guests at each table receive their meals together, and to perform quality control because the aboyeur is usually the last brigade member to see the meal before being served.
  • Communard
    • The cook who prepares the meal for the staff is the communard. 
    • Many restaurants feed their staff for free, or at reduced prices, but often for those restaurants who provide a meal or something to eat it is often from a menu. 
    • For the communard this meal many times is referred to as the family meal because many restaurateurs view their staff members as part of the family, or quite literally are the family in a family run restaurant. 
    • Personally, it has been my experience that a well fed and happy staff is a productive and reliable staff who genuinely want the restaurant to succeed.
  • Commis
    • The apprentice is a cook who is being trained in the responsibilities of a specialty in the brigade. 
    • The commis may or may not have mastered another brigade specialty but has not mastered the specialty to which they are serving as the commis.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Safe Kitchens = Efficient Kitchens

Culinarians Work in Clean Kitchens      Nothing is more important than food safety and sanitation. If you make the most delicious food, but it is tainted with a harmful microorganism...you failed. So much of cleaning a kitchen and protecting the safety and wholesomeness of foods boils down to plain old fashioned cleanliness. To be specific there is a difference between a clean kitchen and a sanitary kitchen. To clean is to simply eliminate the clutter but to sanitize is to clean and go a step further to remove or minimize to a safe level the number of harmful microorganisms present in the foods or food preparation area. First Things First      When you purchase or acquire food items, you need to make sure what you acquire has been handled safely. You need to make sure you aren't bringing spoiled foods home. The next most important is that you need to make sure that once you acquire food items, you don't allow them to spoil between the time you acquire them ...
Read more

Essence of a Culinarian, Welcome Friend to My Humble Kitchen!

      A culinarian is a cook, but one who has passion for eating well and living well. So much of life is a chore, sometimes beautiful, but a chore nonetheless. For a culinarian, life is beautiful in spite of the chores and responsibilities of daily living because eating good food is a well deserved pleasure and respite from life's demands. For some, being a culinarian isn't the main effort, but to learn to cook well for themselves and others is where their heart is. The truth about a life well lived (when it comes to food and nourishment) is that if a person can prepare a meal that nourishes and satisfies the senses, their life is better for the experience. We welcome all who desire to eat well and enjoy their efforts in the kitchen or on the backyard grill no matter whether they want to be a culinarian or a functional home cook. To all who enjoy a nice meal, Welcome! In A Nutshell... There is no destination. The experience of culinary arts is one of discovery, of the jo...
Read more

Nutritional Foundations

  Foundations of Nutrition Macronutrients According tot he U.S. Department of Agriculture, an adult human needs: 55% - 60% of calories from carbohydrates 12% - 15% of calories from proteins 30% or less of calories from fats      There are different perspectives on the macronutrient recommendations, and other recommendations such as the carnivore or vegan approaches have their own merits, and limitations, but these recommendations are general and may not be ideal for one individual or another. The bottom line when it comes to nutrition is to pay attention to what is eaten, how that makes the body respond, and what the specific macronutrients do to that individual. Nutrition, a Brief Introduction      By no means will this information make you a nutritionist, but knowing this information does improve our ability to improve the quality of the foods that we consume. Nutrition in a nutshell is simply the energy sources and building blocks necessary for the ...
Read more