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What are the various kitchen positions?

johnsmith45678
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johnsmith45678

johnsmith45678

Posted
Posted (edited)

Sous chef, executive chef, garde manger, chef de partie, demi-chef, ... and terms I've recently heard watching Gordon Ramsay shows (they're usually intended as insults): commis, porter, ...

Executive chef is the head person, but sous chef is more vague: between the typical cooks and the executive chef? Wikipedia is pretty sparse on cooking positions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Food...ion_occupations

Anybody have definitions?

Edited by johnsmith45678 (log)
shelora

shelora

Posted
Posted (edited)

One thing never to ask for when applying for a kitchen job: a challenging position. :laugh: Or, " Do you have any positions that need filled?"

Sorry, couldn't help it when I read, "what are the various positions." - Something in a prone position, perhaps?

Seriously though, if you check a copy of Larousse, they will have all those positions aptly defined.

Edited by shelora (log)
Mottmott

Mottmott

Posted
Posted
Heh, walked into that one - forgot about the dirty minds of a lot of (most) cooks!

That's where I went, too, and I cook at home. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

"Half of cooking is thinking about cooking." ---Michael Roberts

Susan in FL

Susan in FL

Posted
Posted

Yep, my mind was in the gutter, too... Couldn't wait to click on this thread and see if I would learn about some new kitchen positions.

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted
Couldn't wait to click on this thread and see if I would learn about some new kitchen positions.
Is this what you had in mind? hierarchy of a kitchen ...

a more detailed hierarchy with descriptions

The menu, dining room ambiance and overall experience of Galatoire’s is an only-in-New Orleans phenomenon, but the pecking order of the kitchen would be familiar to a culinary professional almost anywhere.

Finally, the types of chefs ... :wink:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

jamiemaw

jamiemaw

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thanks for that GG.

But colour me still confused: Is the chef de mission(ary) over or under the chef de garde manger? On the other hand, research tells me that the chef de plongeur, whose station is generally steamiest, is under everyone.

Perhaps needless to say, with any luck at all that would properly include the hostess, and, on busy nights and bringing new meaning to the term 'slammed', the proprietor's wife.

Edited by jamiemaw (log)

from the thinly veneered desk of:

Jamie Maw

Food Editor

Vancouver magazine

www.vancouvermagazine.com

Foodblog: In the Belly of the Feast - Eating BC

"Profumo profondo della mia carne"

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted
Thanks for that GG.

But colour me still confused: Is the chef de mission(ary) over or under the chef de garde manger? On the other hand, research tells me that the chef de plongeur, whose station is generally steamiest, is under everyone.

Perhaps needless to say, with any luck at all that would properly include the hostess, and, on busy nights and bringing new meaning to the term 'slammed', the proprietor's wife.

Neither a plongeur nor plongette can refrain from the steamiest, or even the seamiest, of positions ...

Thanks, JM, for this morning's premature 'ejokulation' ... :unsure:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

johnsmith45678

johnsmith45678

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
But hey, someone please tell me how to pronounce commis.  I've asked elsewhere here without getting a reply.  Do we say it in French, or is the s pronounced?

I think it's pronounced "com-mie."

kitwilliams

kitwilliams

Posted
Posted

add me to the list of hopefuls looking for some, shall we say, new ideas?

reminds me of a dinner party i gave when living in London. I was at the sink, peeling potatoes. A friend told me that women through the ages have always been very vulnerable in that position.

that was also the evening i learned that the brits do not associate the word "toss" with salad...

and to continue, it was AFTER that dinner of red beans & rice and a well "tossed" salad that one of my guests told me that as much as he loved the dinner, he'd never eat red beans and rice again. when asked why, he said, "My bum was in TATTERS!"

ahhhh. i miss london...

so to make this post legal (if johnsmith's intent is NOT what most of us assumed it to be and my post is totally off-topic), yes...go for Larousse! :wink:

kit

"I'm bringing pastry back"

Weebl

Peter B Wolf

Peter B Wolf

Posted
Posted

In the old European Kitchen/Cuisine Hierarchie it went like this:

* Chef de Cuisine

* Souschef

* Chef de Party

* Gardemanger

* Saucier

* Tournant

* Rotisseur

* Entremetier

* Potage

* Poisonnier

* Patissier

* Casserolier

* Plongeur

and, as always: I stand corrected

Peter
johnsmith45678

johnsmith45678

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

There also a position known as "kitchen porter" in British/European kitchens. As far as I can tell, it's akin to dishwasher, prep cook, and/or busboy.

jackal10

jackal10

Posted
Posted
In the old European Kitchen/Cuisine Hierarchie it went like this:

* Chef de Cuisine

* Souschef

* Chef de Party

* Gardemanger

* Saucier

* Tournant

* Rotisseur

* Entremetier

* Potage

* Poisonnier

* Patissier

* Casserolier

* Plongeur

and, as always: I stand corrected

I think you need some indents.

Gardemanger....Casserolier are divisions, each under a Chef de Partie and may have Commis chef etc working in them. Tournant is a little different since they are the relief ched who can work any of the other stations.

KP or Kitchen Porters are often also plongeurs.

You should add Stagiers (students) who are even lower in the heirarchy...

DoctorPaul

DoctorPaul

Posted
Posted
In the old European Kitchen/Cuisine Hierarchie it went like this:

* Chef de Cuisine

* Souschef

* Chef de Party

* Gardemanger

* Saucier

* Tournant

* Rotisseur

* Entremetier

* Potage

* Poisonnier

* Patissier

* Casserolier

* Plongeur

and, as always: I stand corrected

Peter...

You are brilliant!

I didn't know that there were so many positions and titles in the industry.

Your expertise is always appreciated!

Paul

Dr. Paul N. Gervais

chefpeon

chefpeon

Posted
Posted
In the old European Kitchen/Cuisine Hierarchie it went like this:

* Chef de Cuisine

* Souschef

* Chef de Party

* Gardemanger

* Saucier

* Tournant

* Rotisseur

* Entremetier

* Potage

* Poisonnier

* Patissier

* Casserolier

* Plongeur

It figures......patissier is second from the bottom....... :hmmm:

In most of the American kitchens I've worked in, the dude with the loudest mouth was at the top.

We call it "Chef de Decibele". :raz:

Annie's Cake-o-Rama

Confessions of a Burned Out Pastry Chef

chef koo

chef koo

Posted
Posted (edited)
In the old European Kitchen/Cuisine Hierarchie it went like this:

* Chef de Cuisine

* Souschef

* Chef de Party

* Gardemanger

* Saucier

* Tournant

* Rotisseur

* Entremetier

* Potage

* Poisonnier

* Patissier

* Casserolier

* Plongeur

and, as always: I stand corrected

the more modern version looks like this

-chef de cuisine

-executive sous chef

-sous chef

-chef de partie

-----saucier

-----entremetier

-----garde anger

-----rotisseur

-----tournant

-----commungard

-1/2 chef de partie

-1st cook

-2nd cook

-3rd cook

-apprentice

Edited by chef koo (log)

bork bork bork

chef koo

chef koo

Posted
Posted
A Pastry Chef is a Chef de Partie (and NOT second from the bottom).

i think pastry chefs are neglected in the brigade since in north america their duties and responsabilities are away from the line. to be a chef de partie or a sous chef you start on the bottom and work your way up. along the way you do the different stations. whereas a pastry chef you start baking and you keep baking. the brigade is more a way of signifying seniority. where as in most kitchens in north america pastry chefs answer to lnly the head chef. and even that's a stretch

bork bork bork

johnsmith45678

johnsmith45678

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Apparently there are some more kitchen positions too:

drive-thru headphones wearer, napkin dispenser filler, special sauce mixer, hairnet distributor, burger flipper, bathroom cleaner, tray gatherer and angry drive-thru customer handler.

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