ARTLIFE presents… The Art of Cooking with Chef Onyx

Glossary of Terms

1. Mise en Place “Everything in its place.” A term used in professional kitchens to describe the proper planning procedure for a specifc station.

2. Chef Exécutif (Executive Chef) The executive chef is like the back-of-house CEO. This role is less about day-to-day kitchen operations and more about strategic business decisions, like creating the restaurant’s menu or concept.

3. Chef de Cuisine (Kitchen Leader) The chef de cuisine is the manager of the kitchen who also collaborates with the restaurant’s general manager. Unlike the executive chef, the chef de cuisine is involved in day-to-day kitchen operations.

This role is responsible for overseeing kitchen staff and can be involved in making hiring decisions. The chef de cuisine also oversees administrative tasks, like food safety and inventory management. This position takes on the critical task of ensuring that the kitchen avoids health code violations. The chef de cuisine can also be responsible for executing the executive chef’s vision for the menu by developing recipes.

4. Sous Chef de Cuisine (Sous Chef) The sous chef de cuisine is commonly called the “sous chef” in English. Sous means “under” in French, so the title

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explains that this role is the chef de cuisine‘s deputy. The sous chef helps oversee the line cooks and assists with management duties. This position steps in for the chef de cuisine when needed.

5. Chef de Partie (Line Cook) Stations are a signature of the brigade system. The full brigade has stations for every type of food preparation method needed in the kitchen. The system has several types of chefs de cuisine, also known as line cooks, that oversee each station in the brigade system. Their specifc duties, and titles, depend on their stations.

6. Commis Chef (Junior Chef) In the traditional brigade system, line cooks have junior chefs working with them. Junior chefs help execute orders at the stations to which they’re assigned. So the commis chef to the poissonnier would help their boss prepare fsh dishes, while the commis chef to the saucier would help make sauces.

7. Plongeur (Dishwasher) The dishwasher, or plongeur, is a critical kitchen job in the brigade system. This position cleans dishes and prepares them for another round of service by drying and organizing them.

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