Chefs please help?!
Answers: i was curious as to what different types of chef there are (as in head chef, commis chef, sous chef, etc), and how they are defined in what they do in the kitchen
Types of Chefs
Chefs and specialist chefs prepare and cook complete meals, banquets or specialty foods such as pastries, sauces, soups, salads, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish dishes, as well as create food displays. They instruct cooks in preparation, cooking, garnishing and presentation of food and they supervise cooks and other kitchen staff. They may plan menus as well as requisition food and kitchen supplies.
Commis
The commis is an entry-level position. Also known as an assistant or apprentice, the commis works under the line cooks (chefs de partie) to learn particulars of a station, through food preparation and plating. Though the commis may seem to have a lowly position in the kitchen, the experience is invaluable. Besides gaining knife and prep skills by working with chefs, the commis will experience the pace, pressure, and demands of a kitchen.
Pastry Chef
Pastry chefs must have the knowledge to create different kinds of baked goods and confections, as well as be able to take on special projects. They must also be creative, have a good aesthetic eye, and understand the principles of taste and flavor in desserts.
In the corporate environment of a large hotel, the pastry chef typically reports to the Executive Pastry Chef, who reports to the Corporate Pastry Chef. Below pastry chefs, in the typical restaurant structure, are Assistant Pastry Chefs and line employees.
A good pastry chef must be an exceptional manager of people, be able to coordinate staffing with production requirements. Must be able to keep track of costs and be in charge of ingredient ordering.
Saucier
Among the kitchen positions known as "section chefs," the saucier (sah-see-ayy) is relatively prestigious. This person makes all the sauces, and sometimes might make meat dishes cooked in a particular sauce. Because sauces are the foundation of French haute cuisine, the saucier might be considered "the keeper of the flame" in the traditional French-based restaurant kitchen.
The classically trained saucier knows that the basis of all sauces are the five "Mother sauces." The first is Espagnole (or Brown Sauce), made from a dark roux of cooked flour and butter, along with brown stock made from roasted bones and vegetables. Veloute is a white sauce, made with a pale roux and a light stock. Bechamel is a basic white sauce made of flour, butter, and milk, to which cheese is often added. Vinaigrette is oil and vinegar, usually flavored with garlic, shallots, or herbs. And Hollandaise represents the emulsified sauces of egg and oil or butter, which include Mayonnaise.
Sous Chef
The sous ("soo") chef is the second in command after the chef de cuisine or executive chef in the kitchen, almost like the first mate to the captain. Sous is French for "under," and the under chef is the unsung hero of the kitchen, the one who makes things run. While the executive chef's name is on the menu, it might well be the sous chef who created--and cooked--the dish that's on the table in front of you.
Sous-chefs supervise the activities of specialist chefs, chefs, cooks and other kitchen workers, and they may demonstrate new cooking techniques and equipment to cooking staff. They may plan menus, requisition food and kitchen supplies, and prepare and cook meals and specialty foods.
Executive Chef
Executive chefs plan and direct food preparation and cooking activities in restaurants, hospitals or other establishments with food services. They plan menus, ensure that food meets quality standards, estimate food requirements, and may also estimate food and labour costs. They supervise the activities of sous-chefs, specialist chefs, chefs and cooks, and they recruit and hire staff. They may cook food on a regular basis for special guests or functions.
Some executive chefs are very hands-on, in their restaurants every day and night, actually preparing dishes or finishing the plates to make sure everything that leaves their kitchen is perfection. At the opposite extreme, the executive chef may have created the dishes and settled the menu, but leaves the sous chef to do all the day-to-day running of the kitchen while the executive takes time to write a cookbook or travel.
Garde Manger
Like most kitchen positions, the Garde Manger is a highly specialized line cook who is responsible for all cold food presentation, such as composed salads, pates, canapes and hors d'ouevres--everything cold that might appear on a buffet table. The garde manger chef handles all cold sauces, such as vinaigrettes and dressings, as well as aspics, pickles, chutneys and relishes. In a large corporate setting, the garde manger chef could be responsible for ice sculpture and large-scale food still-lifes to decorate a buffet table.
A Personal Chef
A Personal Chef is someone who loves to cook and help families gather around the table again for a meal together. Busy, time-starved families need the services of a Personal Chef in order to avoid frozen pizza, fast food joints, or expensive restaurant dining. A Personal Chef will complete a family interview to determine dinner time favorites, discuss allergies and dislikes, then shop for all the fresh ingredients and go to their client's homes to prepare delicious meals to their client's specifications.
Look up info on classical french kitchen brigade.
Well I don't think I can top the first answer.
But one thing that I find interesting is the history of the uniform.
Marie-Antoine Carême was the19th century chef who designed what is the "standard" chef uniform: a double breasted white jacket with knotted buttons, checkered pants, and the poofy hat, known as a "toque." In general the bigger the hat that higher the position in the kitchen. It turns out that Marie was on the short side and he has his hat extra big so people could find him in the kitchen. In many kitchens, only the head chef wears the checkered pants.
Nowadays, the uniforms have become more comfortable in most places. Chefs today typically wear baggy black or colorful pants and can sometimes even get away with wearing Hawaiian shirts. The poofy hats have been replace by baseball caps. The most important part of the uniform though, are the waterproof chef clogs, which can take having boiling water spilled on them and are design so they can be worn for ten hours. Mario Batalli wears bright orange ones. If you ever watch Iron Chef, you don't see any toques!
I think part of the uniform change is that chefs today are expected to think outside of the standard French chef apprenticeship that the uniform implies. But it's also that many restaurants have their "cooks" in chef's uniforms when they don't even know what a roux is. If I see someone under 30 in the traditional uniform with the check pants, I'm guessing their uniform is owned by a linen service.
Another interesting question is what is a chef? There are many graduates from so-so cullinary schools that are terrible cooks and there are great cooks that never went to culinary school.
Bobby Flay was considered to be a chef a long time ago, but most(I'm being polite) "old-school" chefs see him as a poser. Some people even call Rachel Ray a chef. Antony Bourdain is a true chef along with Batalli but where do we draw the line? Alton Brown is in the same generation of chefs as I am, but some folks wouldn't consider him a chef.
Anyway, great question!
ok the lowest level is kitchen porter they do the washing up cleaning and some basic prep such as veg pealing
next is commis chef they generally do basic prep and assist the chefs with other duties and usually the rubish jobs veg prep, sandwiches etc.
then u have chef de partie/section chef
they will lead/cook for a section of the kitchen
jounior sous chef, basically the same as chef de party with extra duties to supervise the chef de partuie they also deputise for the sous chef
sous chef is next does all the bellow but helps the head chef run the kitchen and other duties such as ordering and health and safety, they deputise in head chefs absence
head chef
in charge of the kitchen does all of below duties, plus menu planning, responsible for stock, standards etc
excutive chef these are above head chef and usually oversees the head chefs duties, excutive chefs will uslally over see severl head chefs for a group of restaurant kitchns,
then u have speciality chefs such as pastry chefs etc
jonni is pot on but wrong as a commi chef is a chef who has completed there trade school training, so they start with 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year apprentices