Becoming a professional chef like an executive chef in a hotel or a stand-alone venue, working for a reputable brand is not that easy; it requires particular personality, tons of dedication and skills to get the job. It can be to your advantage to seek and obtain formal education from a culinary school and or work on the shadow of a great chef to teach you the secrets of cooking. Here are a few tips to follow:
Cooking is a Passion
You must have a love for good food and always exploring ingredients to create dishes that can bring out memories. A chef must be able to produce a variety of tasty menus, and delight the guests, with the dishes served.
To reach this stage, knowledge and creativity are necessitated as to have the intelligence to integrate different types of food ingredients and techniques to one dish.
Cut like a Pro Chef
Handling a knife in a professional kitchen is very different from a home kitchen. The Head Chef is a true master of handling the knives. It is the very essence of the profession to be able to know the cuts and master cutting techniques. Knowing the cuts of the meats and vegetables and how to portion them with precision. It is imperative to teach his junior chefs and pass this knowledge to them.
There is a difference in cutting Julienne to a Batonnet. There are several sizes, and depending on what flavours the chef needs; all cuttings are to perfection for even cooking and great final taste.
Understand cooking techniques
To become a professional head chef, one must understand the cooking techniques. Reading a recipe and interpreting to a dish can is a skill obtained from the practice and failure.
To become a professional chef is a never-ending process. As the job itself dictates trying as many cooking techniques possible that later on helps you to create your cuisine.
Safety first
Similar to other jobs, becoming a chef has certain risks. Many things in the kitchen can inflict injuries, such a cut from a sharp knife, hot cooking oil, and others. Even a small cut can deem someone unfit to perform the duties. That is why potential professional chefs need to ensure that they and their team follow all the principles of safety. Especially those you are aiming to work in a renowned establishment must be able to possess basic rules and keep training your team on those till it becomes a habit.
Clean as you go
Cleaning is the mandate. Forget everything else if the person does not have actual care to maintain his kitchen and require the same from the team. This responsibility is of utmost priority for the chefs. Hygiene in the kitchen is a major quality factor. The kitchen must be clean in the standard of hospitals, clean from any dirt, food leftover, greasy walls, spills after service. Teaching your team to clean as they go is essential as to maintain high standards of hygiene.
Reading all the tips above can be useful, do you want to know how technology can help you? Register with Lykos Talent Portal, the fast-growing hospitality recruitment platform. Create an outstanding professional profile online now and be ready. Corporate hospitality companies can see and pick your profile for their professional chef opportunities!