1. The meaning of side dishes
Side dishes are also called side dishes, which are raw materials that have been processed by knife skills or have been sorted according to the nature of the cooking raw materials, cooking methods, eating habits and other factors. , the raw materials after initial processing are combined organically to make a complete dish after cooking. Pairing is "a process that follows knife skills. It is the link between knife skills and cooking, and is the design process of dishes. Therefore, knife skills and garnishes can also be collectively referred to as punching and garnishing." Side dishes can be divided into hot dishes and cold dishes.
The procedure for garnishing hot dishes: initial processing of raw materials → knife processing → garnishing → cooking → serving.
The garnishing procedure for cold dishes: initial processing of raw materials → cooking → knife skills → assembly → serving.
Garnishing is an important job. Because the reasonable combination of various raw materials has a direct impact on determining the quality, quantity, color, aroma, taste, shape, nutrition, cost accounting, and variety development of dishes. Specifically, the meaning and basic principles of side dishes are:
1. Determine the quality and quantity of dishes
The quality of dishes is determined by the raw materials, and the combination of raw materials directly determines the quality of the dishes. grade. High-priced dishes have expensive ingredients and generally use fewer ingredients. At a banquet, if the quality is high, the raw materials for the main course will be expensive; on the contrary, if the number of diners is large but the level is not high, the chef can add more auxiliary ingredients to reduce costs. The number of dishes on a plate or table also needs to be configured, which is determined based on the amount and number of people.
2·Determine the color, aroma, taste, shape and quality of the dish
The appearance of the raw materials is determined by the knife skills, while the overall appearance of the dish is determined by the side dishes. When garnishing dishes, appropriately combine similar or different shapes to make them into intricate and harmonious shapes.
Various raw materials have their own inherent properties such as color, aroma, and taste. When several different raw materials are combined together, they can make up for each other's deficiencies in color, aroma, taste, and shape. If the raw materials are combined skillfully, they can give full play to the color, aroma, taste, shape, quality and other characteristics of the raw materials, and play the icing on the cake. If the coordination is not good, not only will they not be able to compensate for each other, but they will disinfect each other, affecting the overall color, aroma, taste and shape of the dishes. For example, fish with green onion, shrimp with green beans, lion head with minced water chestnuts, colorful vegetables and so on. On the contrary, if the dishes are too fancy, bright red and green, or even some green peppers, carrots, mushrooms, etc. with a strong flavor, they cannot be matched with fresh-tasting dishes, otherwise they will overwhelm the guests.
3·Determine the cost of the dishes
The value of the materials used in the side dishes and the amount of portions will directly affect the cost of the dishes. If the portions are incorrect and the ratio of high-end ingredients to ordinary ingredients is inappropriate, it will not only affect the quality of the dishes, but also cause losses to consumers. The increased cost of dishes will inevitably be passed on to consumers, affecting reasonable operating income. Therefore, side dishes are also an important key to cost statistics.
4. Side dishes are also an important part of innovative dish varieties.
In addition to knife skills and cooking methods, the variety of dishes can be attributed to the combination of various raw materials. Side dishes are the basis for creating more new dishes.
5. Determine the nutritional value of dishes.
The combination of main and side ingredients can ensure the realization of a balanced diet. The traditional combination of meat and vegetables is actually very nutritious. A group of dishes has the problem of nutrient balance between dishes. For example, when designing a banquet menu, it is necessary to avoid too many meat dishes and too few vegetarian dishes. Try to arrange as many vegetarian dishes as possible or to arrange more vegetarian dishes among the ingredients.
2; Basic methods of preparing vegetables
The combination of raw materials is divided into two types: ordinary vegetables and colorful vegetables. General dishes are relatively simple; colorful dishes are more technical, focusing more on color and shape. The following introduces two basic methods of garnishing dishes:
1. Garnishing dishes for general dishes.
When distinguished by the amount of raw materials, there are three types of side dishes: combinations of a single ingredient, combinations of main ingredients and auxiliary ingredients, and combinations without distinguishing main and auxiliary ingredients.
(1) Single ingredient
A single ingredient refers to a dish composed of one raw material. Generally speaking, almost any ingredient can be made into a dish on its own.
Because only one raw material is used and no other raw materials are required, the method is extremely simple. However, when using a single material, the strengths of the material should be highlighted and the weaknesses covered. Because when we eat single-ingredient dishes, we mainly aim to taste the unique flavor of the raw material, so we must pay special attention to the selection of raw materials, preliminary processing, and knife skills. For example, the fresh and tender parts of various vegetables must be selected. "Steamed anchovies" are not removed because the scales of the anchovies are rich in fat and have a rich texture. Bear's paw itself does not have enough flavor, so when used as a single ingredient, some ham and chicken must be added to steam it together, and then the ham and chicken are removed and served as a single ingredient.
In addition, there are those that use one kind of raw material as the main ingredient, but other raw materials are arranged on the surface to make a beautiful dish. For example, "Orchid Pigeon Eggs", in this dish, pigeon eggs are arranged on a plate, and then ham slices are used as petals, green onions are used as leaves, and nostoc is used as whiskers, and an orchid pattern is arranged on the pigeon eggs. Although this dish is mixed with other ingredients such as ham and nostoc, they are only used as decorations, so the dish is still regarded as a single-ingredient dish.
(2) Main and auxiliary ingredients
The combination of main and auxiliary ingredients refers to a dish that uses a certain amount of auxiliary ingredients in addition to the main ingredients. The purpose of adding auxiliary ingredients is mainly to make appropriate adjustments to the color, aroma, taste, shape and nutrition of the main ingredients. For example, dishes such as "fat-free pork" and "xiangcao braised pork" are rich in fat and taste very greasy. If you add some vegetables, you can not only temper the excessive greasiness, but also add bright colors. Another example is "Pork Chops with Onions". In addition to the main ingredient of pork chops, some onions are added to make the main ingredients more fragrant. Meat is rich in protein and fat. Vegetables contain a lot of vitamins. The two work together to make nutrition more balanced.
For dishes that combine main ingredients and auxiliary ingredients, generally speaking, the main ingredient plays an important role in quality, while the auxiliary ingredients serve as a foil, auxiliary or supplement, and should not overwhelm the dish. Generally, animal materials are used as main ingredients, while plant materials are used as auxiliary ingredients. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, the Beijing dish "Babao Tofu" uses tofu as the main ingredient, and ham, chicken, dried shrimps, and scallops as supplementary ingredients; the Yangzhou dish "Boiled Dry Shreds" uses dry shreds as the main ingredient, and ham and dried shrimps as supplementary ingredients; Sichuan cuisine The dish "Piao Cucumber" is mainly made of cucumber, with pork and eggs as supplementary ingredients.
(3) No distinction between main and auxiliary materials
The so-called multiple types of raw materials without distinction between main and auxiliary materials refer to two or more materials with approximately the same weight. dishes. The main and auxiliary ingredients do not need to be distinguished. If there is a significant difference in the weight, volume or flavor intensity of several ingredients, the weights need to be adjusted to achieve balance. The garnishing techniques for this type of dishes are relatively complex, and the combination of various colors, aromas, tastes, and shapes should be handled with caution.
For example, the chicken or duck gizzards and pork belly used in "Double-fried Crisp" are crisp and elastic raw materials, so they can be shaped into coir raincoat blocks. The depth of the grinding, the size and thickness of the pieces must be uniform. Another example is the chicken, fish, bamboo shoots, etc. in "Zolao Sanbai", which should be cut into slices to make them white in color and soft and delicious.
Regardless of the dishes with clear main and auxiliary parts or no distinction between main and auxiliary parts, various raw materials must be put into various utensils separately. Because the preparations are done in order, if they are mixed together, it will be difficult to cook them separately, which may cause It affects the cooking time and damages the quality.
2. Side dishes of colorful vegetables.
(1) Colorful cuisine is an artistic dish with special treatment in color and shape. Colorful vegetables have unique skills in the combination of knife skills and raw materials. Without superb technology, it is impossible to make dishes that are good in color, shape, delicious and nutritious. To make colorful dishes, you must pay attention to: strictly select raw materials to facilitate the processing of shapes; the patterns, shapes, and colors of the dishes should be generous, beautiful, and harmonious. Since most of them are done by hand, they must pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene.
(2) The combination of colorful vegetables has many and subtle changes. Here are a few methods:
Stacking: Stacking is to process raw materials with different colors and tastes into the same shape, mostly in the form of sheets, and then overlap the sheets and spread the paste materials (such as shrimp paste) , overlapped into a whole. For example, fried fish: cut fish fillets, ham, pork, and pickle leaves into rectangular shapes of the same size, stick them on both sides of the fish fillets, and apply shrimp paste between the fillets.
Rolls: Rolls are made by cutting elastic raw materials into larger rectangular slices, and then cutting ingredients with different colors and flavors into thin strips or mince, and placing them on the slices respectively, and coating them with egg powder. Paste (a paste of eggs and starch), rolled and formed. The ends can be made into various beautiful shapes. For example, "three-thread fish roll" is to place ham, bamboo shoots, and shredded mushrooms on a larger rectangular fish fillet (cut longer so that they are exposed from the inside of the fish fillet), roll up the fish fillet, and coat with egg batter to make the two sides End closed. Then it is steamed or fried and drizzled with sauce.
Pai: There are two types of steaks: such as "Sunflower Duck Slices". First, cut four kinds of raw materials of different colors such as duck meat, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and ham into thick slices, and put a circle at the bottom of the bowl. Mushrooms, then place duck meat, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and ham slices on top, alternately arranged in a double-petal sunflower shape, put minced duck meat on top, add seasonings, steam in a steamer, and cover on the plate Take it out and decorate it with green leaves.
The other is to use one main ingredient and add other ingredients around it to form various patterns, such as "Orchid Pigeon Eggs".
Zha, Zha is to cut raw materials into strips or slices and tie them into bunches with day lily, flat pointed wire, kelp, etc. For example, "Chaibao Duck" is made by adding boneless and heated duck strips, adding ham strips, mushroom strips, and bamboo shoot strips, and then tying the outside into bundles with dried vegetable shreds, and placing them in a steamer to steam them into soup. Another example is "Belt Chicken in Clear Soup", which is made by cutting boneless chicken, ham, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms into slices, making holes between the slices, and then skewering them with flat tips, tying the two ends to make them look like a belt, and adding seasonings. A famous dish cooked in a steamer with clear soup.
Puff: It is a variety of vegetables that is mainly made of one raw material and filled with other raw materials. For example, "green pepper", first remove the heart of the green pepper and apply a thin layer of dried water chestnut powder on the inside. Then cut the pork and ham into minced shapes, add water chestnuts and seasonings, mix well and add green peppers. Put it into the pot and fry it, then add the soup and cook it.
Bao: Bao is a colorful dish made by cutting chicken, fish, shrimp, pork and other tender and boneless raw materials into slices or minced meat, wrapping them in oil, egg cakes or lotus leaves, and heating them. . For example, "Fish Skin Wonton", first remove the bones of the large yellow fish, then cut it into large dices, dip it in water chestnut powder, beat it into a thin skin with a rolling pin, then fill it with seasoned shrimp, wrap it into a wonton shape, and cook it for a while. .
3. Principles of coordination of color, aroma, taste, shape, quality and nutritional components
1·Color coordination
The raw materials of various dishes have their own Its color. These colors will change to varying degrees after cooking. Pay attention when garnishing dishes. The color matching depends on the actual situation, but the principle is that the colors are harmonious and aesthetic.
For example, the color of "Hibiscus Chicken Slices" is white. If you add a few green vegetables, it can bring out the white color like hibiscus flowers; another example is "Fried Shrimp", the shrimp is already white and translucent. Red, natural and beautiful, if you add some green beans, it will give people a fresher feeling. If bamboo shoots or wild rice are added, the effect of harmonious colors cannot be achieved. If fungus is added, the white of the shrimp and the black of the fungus cannot be reconciled, which will destroy the beauty.
In addition to paying attention to the color coordination of individual dishes, you must also pay attention to the color coordination of the entire table.
2· Combination of aroma and taste
Most raw materials themselves have unique aroma and taste, but the taste and aroma of cooking can only be truly revealed after heating and seasoning. , so you need to understand what aroma and taste will be produced when cooking is completed, so that you can combine the aroma and taste in a skillful way when combining raw materials. Combining aroma and flavor is a complex technology. Generally speaking, animal raw materials and plant raw materials each have different delicious flavors and volatile aromatic substances. Therefore, when combining raw materials, attention should be paid to maintaining and enhancing the production of these fragrances.
For example, onions, garlic, celery, etc. are rich in aromatic substances and are suitable for combination with animal raw materials to make dishes more fragrant and delicious. In addition, those with strong aromas can be paired with those with lighter aromas.
If the aroma and taste are not well matched, it will affect the quality of the dishes. For example, if coriander is added to the "Crab Roe Lion Head", it will eclipse the dish.
Ingredients with similar aromas are also not suitable for pairing, such as beef and mutton, herring and yellow croaker, potatoes and potatoes, loofah and cucumber, green vegetables and lettuce, etc.
3·Shape coordination
Shape coordination is related to the appearance of the dishes and also affects the quality of the dishes.
In addition to maintaining the natural shape of dishes, you can also use knife skills to make them more convenient. The length of heating time is closely related to the difference in the shape of the raw materials. Raw materials with small shapes are not suitable for long-term cooking; raw materials with thick shapes are not suitable for short-time cooking.
When serving dishes with main and auxiliary ingredients, the auxiliary ingredients should not be larger than the main ingredients. If the main and auxiliary ingredients are not distinguished, the shapes of the various raw materials should be similar. Only by combining strips with strips, dices with dices, and blocks with blocks can the dishes be harmonious and balanced.
When arranging colorful vegetables, you should carefully pay attention to the unity of the composition. It must be neat and balanced, clean, clear, beautiful and lifelike to attract people.
4·Quality combination
In a dish, the texture combination of the main and auxiliary ingredients is also very important. In addition to considering the nature of the raw materials, it is more important to adapt to the requirements of the cooking method.
In some dishes, the texture of the auxiliary ingredients is the same as that of the main ingredients, so-called "crisp with crisp" and "soft with soft". That is, if the texture of the main ingredient is brittle, the texture of the auxiliary ingredients should also be brittle; if the texture of the main ingredient is soft, the texture of the auxiliary ingredients should also be soft. For example, "Double Crispy" uses chicken gizzards and pork belly (these two raw materials are the main ingredients), and the texture is crispy; "Squid Slices" uses soft and tender ingredients as the main ingredients. Use relatively tender ingredients such as cabbage sum. In these dishes, if the main ingredients and auxiliary ingredients are not properly matched, it will affect the characteristics of the dish.
For some dishes, the texture of the auxiliary ingredients and the main ingredients are not required to be the same. A common one is "Shredded Pork Stir-fried with Shredded Bamboo Shoots", in which the shredded pork is relatively soft, while the shredded bamboo shoots are relatively crisp and tender, but when the two are paired together, as long as the heat and seasoning are properly controlled, the resulting dish is very popular. In dishes made with long-term heating cooking methods such as stewing, stewing, roasting, grilling, etc., the main and auxiliary ingredients are more likely to be soft and strong, but they can be made soft by adding the ingredients in sequence and the appropriate heat. Basically the same.
5. Combination of nutrients
As mentioned before, the amount of nutrients contained in the dishes and whether they are conducive to digestion and absorption should also be considered when garnishing the dishes. . Different raw materials contain different nutrients, which requires appropriate combination of different raw materials when garnishing dishes. As a new type of chef, he must master the knowledge of the nutritional components of various raw materials in order to master and apply them in practice, so that eaters can get more comprehensive nutrition, thereby improving people's health.
4. Basic requirements for side dishes
1. Familiar with the knowledge of raw materials.
Each raw material has its own different properties, elastic, crisp, soft and hard. For example, the properties of various parts of pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, etc. are different. The tender parts are suitable for bursting and stir-frying; the tough parts are suitable for roasting, boiling, stewing, stewing, etc.
The cooking ingredients are all supplied by the market. The raw materials supplied in the market are constantly changing due to production conditions, seasonal changes, supply relationships and other factors. At a certain period, there will be more of some raw materials and less of some raw materials. This factor should be considered when garnishing dishes so that the characteristics of the restaurant can be maintained.
In addition, the waiter must be familiar with the inventory of the restaurant kitchen and make a plan for deciding on the varieties to purchase. At each purchase, the purchasing personnel should be informed of the items that should be purchased and the items that do not need to be purchased, so as to avoid excessive inventory or lack of supplies in the restaurant kitchen.
2. Understand the names of dishes and cooking characteristics
There are many varieties of Chinese food. There are local dishes with unique flavors in various places, and each store also has its own unique signature dishes. Those who prepare dishes should know the names, preparation methods and characteristics of our dishes in detail, so that they can garnish them skillfully and highlight the characteristics.
3. Be proficient in knife skills and cooking
The garnishing of hot dishes is between cutting and cooking. Therefore, in addition to being proficient in knife skills, those who prepare dishes must also be aware of the rules of certain changes in raw materials due to differences in heat and seasoning.
4. Pay attention to nutritional coordination and cleanliness
The side dishes should comply with nutritional principles. Chefs should master the basic principles of nutrition and strive to make dishes consistent with the principles of a balanced diet. At the same time, hygiene must be maintained when preparing dishes, and dishes that do not meet hygienic requirements should be rejected.
5. Grasp the quality standards and costs
The side dish cooker should be good at understanding the quality, specifications, cost, profit and selling price of each dish, and the main ingredients and side dishes. Be aware of the quality, quantity and loss of ingredients and seasonings, and then determine the profit and selling price of each dish according to the established gross profit margin, then formulate a quality specification and cost table for each dish, and garnish the dishes according to the table.
6. Innovate and innovate dishes
In addition to following the traditional characteristics and the correct mixing methods of commonly known and established dishes, garnishers do not need to be overly rigid in the old methods. According to the characteristics of raw material processing and cooking, we should adapt to changes in market trends and create new dishes that are more beautiful in appearance, better in color and aroma, and popular with customers to enrich the variety of dishes.
5. Arranging dishes
Putting dishes is to arrange the prepared ingredients on the kitchen table in the order of serving according to consumption habits, and put the utensils suitable for the dishes on the kitchen table. A job in its proper place. Help the chef to work quickly and smoothly to prevent the order of dishes from being reversed and chaos occurring. This position is also called "Da He" by Cantonese chefs.
When arranging dishes, you must pay attention to the following points:
1. Distinguish between wine and food
In general dining situations, most people drink first and then eat, so they should go out first The food and wine are served, then the rice is arranged, and finally the soup is served. The order cannot be reversed.
2. Differentiate the cooking time of dishes
In order to make the dishes consistent, the dishes that take longer to cook should be prepared first and let the chef cook them in the pot first. Dishes that require shorter cooking times can be delayed slightly.
3. Distinguish between ordinary dishes and emergency dishes
Ordinary dishes refer to dishes that are usually provided, while emergency dishes are dishes that must be made in a hurry because the guests are in a hurry. In order to accommodate guests who are pressed for time, those setting dishes should give priority to urgent dishes. If there are extra or missing dishes, the dishes must be served as soon as possible.
4. Distinguish the intensity of seasoning
Strong flavor means that the customer requires spicy, sour, sweet, salty, etc., while light flavor means that the customer requires a lighter flavor. Or it is a dish where the customer requests to limit animal fats, salt, sugar and other seasonings due to their own pathological reasons. Dishes should be strictly differentiated when arranging to meet customer requirements.
5. Distinguish between snacks, group dishes and table dishes
For trivial snacks, the customer's requirements, eating habits, and cooking speed should be considered, and the serving time should be properly arranged. For group dishes or single-table dishes, dishes should be served in order according to the menu. When deciding on the order of cooking, be careful not to serve the dishes at the same time. Always let the guests feel that the chef is cooking and serving food in a rhythm according to the situation on the table.
To do a good job in arranging dishes, you must concentrate, be serious and responsible, maintain close communication between waiters and chefs, and better serve guests. 6. Naming of dishes
After the raw materials are cut and mixed, what kind of name is given to the dish is not only related to the marketing of the dish, but also reflects the chef's understanding of the entire dish operation process and the chef's quality. Especially for some innovative dishes, having a nice, loud and realistic name can really add luster to the dish.
There are many types of Chinese cuisine, and the names of the dishes are very complicated. However, from the more common dish names, the following methods of naming the dishes can be summarized.
1. Add the name of the cooking method before the name of the main ingredient.
For example: boiled shredded shreds, dry-roasted prawns, raw stir-fried grass heads, soft fried mushrooms, steamed anchovies, steamed pork with rice flour, and hanging oven roast duck. This naming method is direct and clear so that people can know the whole dish at a glance. Contents and cooking methods of dishes. This method can be used for any dishes with unique cooking methods.
2. Add the type of seasoning or the name of the seasoning method before the main ingredient.
For example: sweet and sour pork ribs, salt and pepper hoof, beef in oyster sauce, curry chicken, fish-flavored kidneys, salted duck. This naming method allows people to understand the seasoning methods and seasonings of the dishes at a glance.
3. Indicate the characteristics of color, aroma, taste and shape before the main raw materials.
For example: snowflake chicken, hibiscus chicken slices, crispy duck, crispy eel, strange-flavored duck, orchid pigeon egg, butterfly sea cucumber. This nomenclature is suitable for products with distinctive color, aroma, taste and shape. dishes.
4. The main ingredients appear in the dish name at the same time.
For example: shrimp trotters, pork chops with onions, and fish with clams. The ingredients often appear before the main ingredients, highlighting the importance of the ingredients.
5. The cooking method plus the color, aroma, taste and shape characteristics of the raw materials.
For example: fried double crispy in oil (double crispy refers to two crispy things: chicken gizzards and pork belly), fried three whites (three whites are: chicken, fish and bamboo shoots), stir-fried three delicacies (three whites) Fresh refers to: chicken, fish, pork), steamed lion head, etc. This method can display the characteristics of the color, aroma, taste and shape of the raw materials, allowing people to identify the raw materials used.
6. Add the place name before the main material.
For example, Minshengguo (a famous Fujian-style thousand-fruit dish), Chengdu egg soup (Chengdu-style egg soup), Ningbo clams (Ningbo clams), West Lake vinegar fish (sweet and sour grass carp made by Hangzhou people) ), this nomenclature points out the origin of the dish and is suitable for dishes with a strong hometown flavor.
7. List all the names of the main and auxiliary ingredients and cooking methods.
For example: Braised Pork with Black Bean Sauce, Steamed Pork Pie with Salted Fish, Steamed Chicken with Sausage, Stir-fried Shredded Beef with Celery, Roast Pork with Dried Vegetables. This naming method is very common and is used for general dishes. The origin of the dish can be known from the name. All content.
8. Special containers and ingredients.
For example: iron pot eggs, potted seabass, large fish head in casserole, etc. This method aims to highlight the container. In addition to the nomenclature of the above-mentioned dishes, there are also some artistic names, such as peacock spreading its tail, pushing yarn to look at the moon, squirrel mandarin fish, bird prawns and so on. The names of these dishes often bring artistic beauty to customers and make the food full of interest.
In fact, the name of a dish cannot be changed once it is decided. Of course, you can also name it without following the above method. Based on the cooking method and the characteristics of color, aroma, taste and shape, you can create a name that meets the requirements. The content and characteristics of the dishes, and their artistic names.