I’ve been teaching my daughter how to cook; and, while we were prepping today, she asked me why I do all this cutting and seasoning so much earlier than when I actually cook. That question made me realize that many home cooks don’t do any prep work. I started to wonder why. Is it because they don’t think about it or are overwhelmed at the thought?

I’ve been told that you can’t discuss this topic without using the “chef term.” “Mid en Place!” There I said it, now down to the topic at hand.

How you prep is simple, why you prep is important.  Prepping your meal ahead of time, saves you time during the cooking process.  Additionally it helps you keep things in order. Prepping will ensure that should something unexpected arise, you can see to it, without ruining your meal.   When I’m home all day, I tend to do my prep work early in the morning or a few hours before I cook.  This ensures that when I am cooking, I can focus on cooking, cleanliness and safety.  For someone like myself with a disability, it’s extra important. The time it takes to turn around, get situated to open the fridge and get back, is enough time to ruin a roux, scorch my vegetable, or over cook my protein.   Worse, yet, if you don’t prep, you can get hyper-focused and rush; which, can turn into hurting yourself.  Many home cooks will do their prep work, just before they start cooking. Either way works equally well, it’s really a matter of what fits you better.

If I’m instructing my daughter, prep time, is an optimal opportunity for a cooking lesson.  Another thing that prepping does, is that it introduces a chance to  add flavor to a meal.  This is the time to make sure your protein is seasoned well, add some seasoning to your vegetable, and really take note of what else you can do with the ingredients you have. 

So what is involved with prep work? 

For myself, I take every ingredient I need and put them in front of me.  I chop my veggies, season the protein and get them ready.  I will also measure out my carbohydrates, and get my tools ready.  When everything is out, I start with my protein.  Cut and trim the chicken, beef or pork. Then season the pieces and marinate them.  Peel the shrimp and layout the fish.  Make sure you dry them all before you season or marinate them. One thing to keep in mind here, is that in the case of seafood, it’s usually a bad idea to marinate them longer than 20/30 minutes.  If the marinade has vinegar or citrus in it, the marinade may cook the surface of the seafood and it will not cook properly. I will also get get a rubbery texture. 

When the protein is set up, start chopping your veggies and garnishes.  I keep my garlic and herbs in a separate container.  The garlic and herbs cook faster than peppers and onions.  Therefore, the peppers  and onions go in their own container. -tip here- go ahead and add some seasoning to your vegetable.  Remember, seasonings are also raw ingredients, and mature better when cooked.  Adding some at this point will help them add flavor to your veggie while it’s on standby in the fridge.  Never miss an opportunity to add flavor.   

When everything is cut and measured out, add them to the fridge and take them out about 10-15 minutes before you cook.  Getting your ingredients up to room temperature before you cook, helps them to cook more evenly. 

Another thing not to forget, is when you do go to cook, remove your protein from its marinade first. Lay them on a baking pan or cutting board and dry them with a paper towel.  At this point the marinade did its job, and you don’t want the liquid from the marinade to ruin the seer or complicate the cooking process.  Lastly, preheat your pan and oven before you start cooking.  The pan is hot enough when the oil or butter slides around freely on the bottom.  

I’m sure most of that was redundant for you established home cooks; but, I’m equally sure it helped some of the people newer to cooking.  

Thank you for reading this and enjoy your time in the lab(kitchen).  Cooking is fun, don’t be afraid to play with your food.