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It amazes me how chefs can rustle up meals in less than five minutes. Either they have some kind of invisible magic wand hidden under their long white sleeves, or they’re just plain gifted. After a day of donning the chef’s cap and running the kitchen (well, not quite) at Mangio, Kookie Jar’s 48-seater restaurant in Alipore, I learnt it was a mix of magic and skills (and more than a little hard work) that makes a chef worth his salt.
CHECK LIST
(10am-11am)
“A good chef walks in every morning and checks his fridge before his email,” smiles Suvir Parekh, chef, Mangio. And so the day begins with the scanning of the fridge.
What I’m told
Long nails are excusable but long hair is a no-no in the kitchen.
You have to check the raw ingredients, fresh vegetables and taste the sauces and dressings. See what is getting spoilt, what can be used today before it is spoilt and what needs to be discarded.
The fridge needs to be free of stains and spills. Bigger eateries and five-star addresses have walk-in coolers; since this is a small restaurant, the fridge is on a smaller scale but still spacious.
What I do
I slip on a cap and an apron.
I don’t know a basil leaf from a mint leaf. This is going to be tough.
Cleaning the fridge with a cloth seems easy, so I opt for that.
I’m anxious — I’m not much of a kitchen-person — so I barely manage a smile.
What I learn
A good chef is trained to know his vegetables and fruits and with practice, is able to tell at a quick glance what will last and what won’t.
Each item inside the fridge has a fixed place. Dairy and cream are special, they have a separate shelf, so do fish and meat. Also, everything is tagged, from a box of walnuts to jeera. It should be so organised that a staff member can pull out anything he or she needs with eyes shut.
Smile, don’t frown, when you enter work in the morning. If the mood in the kitchen is happy, the food turns out tastier!
COOKING
(Noon-3pm)
Finally, what I’m here for, and the most exciting part of this assignment! The agenda for lunch is Caesar Salad, Antipasti Platter, Panseared Bekti with Prawn Risotto and Garlic Froth. It sounds fancy. Could it possibly be as easy as Chef Suvir says it is?
What I am told
A really cool system ensures hassle-free coordination between the kitchen and the restaurant. Each time an order is punched in at the counter outside, a KOT (kitchen order ticket) is printed by the machine inside the kitchen. I have to keep an eye on this.
While doing this, we start the preparation for a Caesar Salad by sorting the green leaves, adding Caesar dressing, bacon and then tossing the salad.
After the salad is done, I must start with the base for the fish dish because that takes longer to prepare. The Antipasti Platter will be done in a jiffy.
What I do
Begin with the biggest blunder of all. “Is this cabbage?” I ask Suvir. “It’s Iceberg Lettuce,” he says serenely, as we separate the broad green leaves. I can almost hear the groan inside his head. I decide to keep my mouth shut from now on.
Watch Chef Suvir create a marvel out of leaves. Somewhere out of my Catechism classes in school, Jesus and the fish-and-loaves parable creeps into my spellbound mind. I feel blessed.
Flambe butter, oil, onions and garlic with some wine as fuel, causing the contents of the pan to leap with flames. The thrill of playing with fire is something else. Simply put, it was the best moment of the job.
What I learn
Some kitchen terms, like KOT and Passe, the ‘pick-up-counter’ for ready dishes.
I can flambe food! Wow! (But I’m not too sure if it’s safe to try this at home.)
Timing is the most important thing in a restaurant. If guests order a three-course meal, the waiter has to keep track of when the first is coming to an end, so that the kitchen is intimated for the next round. The next time I order and the food comes late, I will NOT complain. Keeping a tab on 48 diners is not easy.
If pasta, fish and steak are ordered by three different tables, what takes the longest to cook (steak in this case) is started first. Pasta takes the least amount of time. Salads must be served immediately, while the leaves are crisp and cold.
DISHWASHING
(3pm-4pm)
What I am told
Leftovers from plates and dishes are dumped into the garbage. Then the soiled plates and dishes are rinsed and put into the dishwasher. Once they are washed, I must lift the giant steel lid, wipe and stack them.
What I do
Exactly what I’m told.
What I learn
Spoons often find their way into the garbage! The rubbish is scanned before it is finally disposed. All staff members are frisked, gate passes are used and in five-stars, even cellphones are entered in the register.
Most chefs give lunch a miss. Not surprisingly, I am not asked if I would like lunch.
RECEIVING SUPPLIES
(4pm)
What I do
There is a checklist divided into local vegetables, exotic vegetables, groceries, meats and fish, stationery (like bamboo sticks and butter paper), cheese, fruits and ice cream. I help to check the supply’s quality, quantity and freshness.
What I learn
Suppliers try to pass on extra stuff. It’s important to check quantity against requisition.
A weighing scale in the back area of the kitchen is used to measure it all.
You can’t cook if you’re not creative. A chef cannot say, “I can’t get the ingredients, so I can’t cook”. You need to conjure up a dish with ingredients you have at hand.
Follow food ethics. You can’t mix just anything to serve your purpose.
The most difficult job of a chef is not cooking, but having a consistent and smooth operation. This is because the manpower is skill-oriented and not mechanised.
There’s more; dinner service begins at 7pm. But I’ve had enough. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so we sit down to sample what we rustled up. The salad looks unappetising but tastes good, I give the antipasti a miss but the Panseared Bekti with Prawn Risotto and Garlic Froth is out of this world. That old chef’s adage comes to mind: “You are only as good as the last meal you cooked.” In that case, I am quite good, till, at least, my next trip into the kitchen!
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