Salads and Appetisers

1. Salads and Appetisers Appetisers: Items to stimulate the appetite Salads: items to accompany the meal Some salads are served as a meal

2. Definition of a Salad • A salad can be made up of various foods: vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts, meat, seafood, eggs, pasta accompanied by a dressing that often flavoured with herbs or spices. A salad is mostly served cold. A warm salad usually has it’s meat ingredient served warm – it is tossed though at the last minute or served on top of cold salad ingredients. Salads are cut and served attractively. Flavours are combining using the chef’s judgement or there are standard salads that you will learn about in this unit. There are salads that the chef envisages as a dish or accompaniment with a main course, or as a main course. Salads are made in the COLD LARDER section. Usually more junior chefs work in this section. Cold entrees come out of this section as well. In a small kitchen, desserts are also put up by this chef.

3. Different types of salads – simple and compound • Simple salads have 1 main ingredient which is combined with a dressing that may have herb, spices and seasonings and be made using various oils and usually an acid ingredient like vinegar or citrus juices • Compound salads have 2 or more ingredients which are bound with a dressing that may have herb, spices and seasonings and be made using various oils and usually an acid ingredient like vinegar or citrus juices.

4. Research the following examples of standard compound salads Caesar salad Chefs salad Pasta salad Greek salad Nicoise Salad Make note of the main ingredients in your notebook

5. Simple salads • Use your “taste imagination” to come up with five different simple salads, include the dressing flavourings • List of ingredients that might work alone with a dressing: Carrot Beetroot Various lettuces Tomato Egg Cucumber

6. Vinaigrette: usually 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar (or citrus juice) • vinaigrette may be split into 3 groups: • Basic vinaigrette a temporary emulsion or suspension dressing • Bound vinaigrette an emulsion using an egg yolk or more frequently today due to health regulations related to raw egg, guar gum or xanthum gum is used to emulsify a dressing or mayonnaise • Cooked vinaigrette using reductions such as red wine

7. Oils and special diets: allergies to nut oils • At the restaurant I work at, the chef is very allergy conscious and vegan conscious. If special needs are catered for a business will prosper as people dine in groups often and the group will choose to dine somewhere that caters to the person with a special needs diet. • We don’t use nut oils in desserts or dressings My research revealed that vegetable and seed oils are a safer option.

8. Various do’s and don’ts with salads • In an a la carte situation the cold larder section is all about being prepped up and working quickly during service to combine the ingredients and dress the salad just before it goes out. • In a buffet situation larger amounts of salad eg seafood salad, complex and simple salads often bound by a dressing as it holds better, are made beforehand and stored in large bins with airtight lids. • Lettuce and other vegetable salad ingredients need to be washed and dried and stored in airtight plastic containers in the fridge until needed. • Lettuce is always torn not cut with a knife except in the case of cos lettuce for Caesar salad. • Salads can be presented in a wide variety of service ware, from plates to small bowls, soup bowls and large bowls for buffets

9. Other rules that apply to salads • It used to fashionable for lettuce was torn into bite size pieces to assist the customer in eating the salad. These days larger pieces of lettuce may be used for appearance and because they hold better. Some establishments may follow the old rule of breaking it up into smaller pieces. • Lettuce is delicate! Tear it gently. Break off the stalky part at the base and discard or recycle if your establishment composts. • All ingredients in a salad need to be top quality and fresh to enhance the flavour and texture of the salad.

10. Appetisers - a small dish of food or a drink taken before a meal or the main course of a meal to stimulate one's appetite. In France, the modern meaning of “entrée” on a restaurant menu is the small course that precedes the main course in a three-course meal, That is the same usage here in Australia. British call it the starter and Americans the appetiser. • In Australia an appetiser can be a canapé - a small piece of bread or pastry with a savoury topping, served with drinks at receptions or formal parties. • Some establishments serve “tapas” which are a type of Spanish bar food although some fine dining restaurants, notably Movida in Melbourne take tapas to another level. The entire menu is made of of small tapas dishes ordered separately.

11. Canapés and hors d’oeuvres Canapé an appetizer consisting of a piece of bread or toast or a cracker topped with a savory spread (such as caviar or cheeseor seafood or meat) Hors d’oeuvres comes from the French tradition a definiton and examples can be found here. • The term hors d’oeuvres means food before a main meal, usually hot and highly seasoned, tasty dishes that stimulate the taste buds and appetite. Rules for canapés: Have to be made just before they go out. Can hold for a while but not too long especially if aspic is being used. Aspic is a gelatine and stock coating that goes on warm onto the canapé which sits on a rack. These types of canapes don’t hold well at all as the toast goes soggy. Apparently oil spray is an alternative to aspic but I’ve never seen this used. Aspic can be sprayed on for a light coverage.

12. More on Canapés • Canapés are usually presented on an attractive service platter in a symmetrical layout that can enhance the overall presentation • Quality canapés require a harmonious balance of colours, flavours and ingredients • A layout plan and straight edge can help to arrange canapés neatly onto a service platter • Canapés should be bite-sized so they can be eaten easily, e.g. at cocktail parties

13. Key aspects for cold larder - hygiene, garnishing, service efficiency and freshness • Garnishes should be simple, complementary and attractive • Dishes should have a relatively short service preparation time – that means you have to be able to “put them up” in a short a mount of time • Cold food should be served cold and on cold plates, hot food served hot and on warmed plates • Menu items can have complex flavour profiles containing many ingredients • Dishes should be prepped up – mise en place in fridge in sealed containers and labelled with dates. • The danger zone for food contamination is between 5°C and 60°C. Things can’t be in the danger zone for more than 4 hours altogether. At 4 hours they need to be used immediately or discarded. • All perishable commodities should be stored under refrigeration at 1°C-4°C

14. Hygiene requirements for avoiding contamination risks for appetisers and salads • The use of gloves will not reduce the need for frequent hand washing procedures and completely eliminate the risk of contamination. They should be changed frequently if used. • When preparing food make sure that you only take out small amounts at a time to minimise internal temperature changes and to keep bacterial development to a minimum. • Always be aware of the danger zone and keep cold foods below 5°C and hot foods above 60°C • Keep food types separate to avoid cross-contamination and consider your work processes during preparation and plating • There is risk for cross-contamination in the larder section, as many perishable seafood and meat items are used in entrees and salads. Keep your board clean and wash your hands regularly. • Small takeaway containers, vacuum packaging and plastic wrap all assist in keeping products in optimum condition and minimising waste through spoilage or drying out.

15. Tips to stay ahead • If in a la carte, let chef in charge of service know if something is running low in plenty of time to let the dining room know so that customers don’t order something that is no longer available. • Work clean and work fast no matter what the setting • Work with consistency especially with canapés as they need to be identical to look good on the platter • Find out how chef wants a dish plated and try to do it like that every time. • Always shake un-emulsified “basic vinaigrettes” before dressing a salad. Don’t forget to put your finger over the opening! • If you want to get ahead and get a position in another section like stove or grill, you will likely have to spend time in cold larder…. WHAT SKILLS TO YOU THINK YOU WILL DEVELOP IN THIS SECTION THAT WILL HELP YOU PROGRESS IN THE KITCHEN BRIGADE?

16. Work Health and Safety hygiene requirements for using equipment • Hygiene is a key factor during any job and regular cleaning and sanitation of equipment during usage or when changing a food item, is essential • Equipment malfunctions and faults must be reported to a supervisor and any faulty equipment must be tagged and removed from operations • If you are unsure about any aspect of how to use equipment you must refuse to do the task • Any equipment that has to be assembled must be put together correctly. Incorrect assembly could damage the equipment or cause injury • Equipment must be dry properly to prevent the growth of mould and bacteria • Whichever equipment is used, it is important to check it first for cleanliness to prevent cross-contamination

17. Assembling and preparing ingredients formiseen place • Any items that can be reused must be stored hygienically and are normally identified with a tag or label stating the item, the date of packaging and the intended use • Trimmings and losses during preparation need to be considered as the recipe details do not include this • Prepare the ingredients into the correct size or trim as required. The requirements should be outlined in the recipe and will be influenced by the dish, its origin and final presentation • Once all of the ingredients are weighed consider the correct storage requirements for further use as well as preparation and workflow implications • During preparation it is important to consider any trimmings or offcuts and how they could be utilised in other recipes or sections of the kitchen • The recipe can then be produced following the steps outlined in the standard recipe card • After the recipe card has been consulted and your production has been planned, correct weighing of ingredients is essential

18. Dairy-based dressing • Yoghurt dressing A low fat alternative to traditional dressings which is particularly suited to seafood and warm salads such as warm tandoori chicken salad • Cheese dressings Usually white mould or blue vein varieties are used • Cream and sour cream dressings Acidulated cream is a common example and is usually combined with fruit-based salads

19. Suitable garnishes Smoked oyster: lemon, olive Pâté: Cumberland jelly Brie on fruit bread: Quince Paste Smoked salmon: horseradish cream, capers Prawns : dill mayonnaise Chicken mousse roulade: tomato chutney, chervil Roast beef on grainy mustard: cornichon, sauce remoulade

20. Various Appetisers Appetiser: Term used to describe all menu items served at the beginning of a meal Starter: Alternative term used in some menus instead of appetisers Amuse bouche: Small complimentary item chosen by the chef to ‘amuse the mouth’ of the customer, create interest and waken the palate Hors d’œuvre: Small bite-size items which are often served upon guest arrival at a function Canapés: Bite size pieces of food served on a base. The base is usually bread, which may be toasted Crudités: Raw vegetables cut into bite-size pieces, often served with a dip Entrées: Plated meal served before the main course

21. Lettuce and salad greens Iceberg Baby Spinach Leaves Racicchio Watercress Rocket Oakleaf Cos Butter lettuce Witlof Baby Lettuce Mignonette Asian Salad Mix

22. More lettuce and salad greens Mesclun Tatsoi Mizuna Endive

23. Antipasto - an Italian tradition Antipasti (the plural) is an Italian tradition where a selection of small savoury items such as olives, cheese, salami, roast capsicum, pickled vegetables, prosciutto and grissini are served when customers arrive. It is designed as finger food to be eaten in a social setting, with pre-dinner drinks. Hotels often serve antipasti in the bar. In traditional hotels antipasti are often served as part of an Hors d’oeuvre trolley.