Food Preparation Techniques

Food Preparation Techniques

Cutting Techniques

Different cutting techniques: Include chopping, mi(s)cing, dicing, julienning and chiffonade. Familiarise yourself with these terms and the sizes they refer to in cooking.
Proper knife care: A well-maintained blade leads to safer, easier, and efficient cutting.
Knife usage safety: Understand and practise safe usage of knives including proper gripping, cutting techniques, and safe storage.

Peeling and De-seeding Techniques

Different peeling techniques: Peeling manually using a knife, peeling using a peeler and how some peelings can be removed through blanching.
De-seeding techniques: Removing seeds & pits from fruits and vegetables. Know which foods commonly need their seeds removed before cooking or serving.

Preparing Meat, Fish and Poultry

Deboning: Process of removing bones from fish and poultry.
Jointing: Cutting a carcass into separate pieces.
Filleting: Process to remove bones from meat or fish before or after cooking.
Trussing: Tying poultry or other meats before cooking to preserve a certain shape or stuff the meat.

Preparing Vegetables and Fruits

Blanching: Process of exposing vegetables to boiling water briefly, then immediately transferring to a bowl of ice water.
Roasting vegetables: Cooking vegetables in the oven at a high temperature with little or no liquid.
Sweating vegetables: Done over low heat with small amount of fat until vegetables soften and release their moisture.
Preparing fruits: Techniques involving macerating, stewing, grilling and caramelising.

Food Safety and Hygiene

Proper Food Handling: Handling food with clean hands and ensuring that the food has been stored at the correct temperature before use.
Food Storage: Correct storing methods of different types of food to prevent spoilage and contamination.
Cross Contamination: Strategies to prevent cross contamination, such as use of different cutting boards for raw and cooked foods, and use of separate utensils for different ingredients.