Brigade: Executive Chef Essay Example

chef de cuisine who manages the kitchen under the executive chef’s direction. In order to reduce workload, large operations may have an executive sous-chef to help the executive chef. Below them are sous chefs, which can vary in number depending on the size of the establishment. Even in small restaurants, there is still an important role for lead cooks to aid the sous-chef when necessary. In many set-ups, particularly in pastry kitchens, the pastry chef oversees a semi-autonomous kitchen together with the executive chef. Individual cook roles are not as prominently defined as before, especially in modern restaurants, and there are fewer work stations for specialized tasks except in larger establishments. In most cases, line cooks perform most of the cooking duties with skilled and experienced ones handling the demanding tasks. Larger kitchens may have a designated first cook or lead cook who supervises in the sous-chef's absence.Novice cooks can start by assisting at busy stations in the kitchen or working independently at a less demanding station. In larger and some smaller kitchens, there are homework chefs who are responsible for basic tasks such as peeling, cutting, and preparing ingredients or making stock and sauces. This allows more experienced cooks to focus on more skilled labor. Prep cooks are also known as cooks' helpers, who constantly assist and manage a busy station during service. Apprentices are cooks enrolled in formal training programs who learn through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction. They are typically given the opportunity to learn all positions in the kitchen, starting with prep work before moving on to the line. The dishwasher also plays an important role in the

kitchen by quickly returning used utensils to service and occasionally assisting with food preparation. Overall, both modern and traditional kitchens employ the same system, but as kitchens have become smaller and more modernized, the brigade has undergone some changes. Although the system remains the same, some chefs have been merged since fewer people are needed to run the kitchen.