EFINITION & INTRODUCTION OF LARDER WORK
The larder or Garde Manger is a department
set aside for the storage of perishable food, both raw and cooked and were food
stuffs such as meat fish poultry and game are prepared and made ready for
cooking.
In this department all cold
food items found on the menu such as Hors d’oeuvre cold fish or meat dishes, cold
sauces, salad dressings are prepared and dressed. One
particular special duty of this department is the preparation and presentation
of all types of cold buffet, which are nowadays a feature of so many functions.
For these functions to be carried out, it is essential that:
- The larder be separated from the kitchen and located in a cool place. At the same time, it must be close to the kitchen to avoid undue running about between two departments which are closely interrelated.
- It should be light, airy and well established and sufficiently spacious to allow the staff to carry out their duties in a clean and efficient manner. It must also be able to store prepared foods and buffets in a cool and hygienic manner.
- It should be equipped with the necessary fitting, machinery and tools. In accordance with the volume and/or quality of the trade of the catering establishment in which it is situated.
BREAKDOWN OF WORK
Taking the above into consideration, it
naturally follows that the work is broken down into various fields such as Hors
d'oeuvre, Salads, Butchery, Poultry, Cold Buffet etc, and in effect, in large
busy establishments each of these functions or duties are carried out by one or
more men or sometimes women, who specialize in the work of that particular
sub-department. As an example, the Butcher, Poulterer or Fishmonger may be an
expert in that particular field without being a trained chef or cook, and it
sometimes happens that the salads or Hors d'oeuvre are prepared by female staff
trained in those particular duties only.
More frequently, these various duties are
allocated by the Chef Grade Manager, who is in overall charge of the
department, to commis or assistant chefs, and they are known as Commis
Grade-Manager, whatever duties they re assigned to. Naturally, the busier the
establishment, the more Larder work it entails, therefore more is required to
man the department. The smaller the volume of trade the fewer commis required,
and so on. In many establishments the Chef Grade-Manager is single handed and
carries out all the various functions himself.
It should be mentioned at this stage that
often quality rather than quantity, of trade is the determining factor in
deciding the number of staff required in the Grade-Manager, or for that matter
in the kitchen as a whole.
EQUIPMENTS FOUND IN
THE LARDER
Heavy:
- Refrigeration equipment including refrigerators, walk-ins, reach-in, pull outs, traulsen, deep freezers, bottle coolers, ice machines, coolers and chillers.
- Food Processors with attachments for grinding, pureeing, kneading, mixing, Buffalo choppers, bone saws
- Gas range, boilers, heaters (if required)
- Weighing scales - Electronic and manual
- Steel tables, cupboards, storage racks and sinks
Light:
Mixers, juicers, Butchers
block, Storage bins and shelves, Slicers, Blow torch, Pots, pans, stockpots, larder
tools such as serving spoons and ladles, sieves , Colanders , Conical strainers
and Chinois, heat Presses , Pie moulds, whisks, egg slices, steel basins and
graters
Miscellaneous:
Frying and flat spoons - Assorted
knives (Butchers
Boning knives ,butcher’s steak or cutting knives , Butchers saw(Tenon),
Butchers saw(Bow), Butcher’s choppers and cleavers, Butchers chopping Knives,
Cook’s 30 cms(12 inches)Knives, Cook’s 20-24 cm (a/7 inches) knives, Cook’s 6-8
cm (4 inches) knives, Cook’s 14-20cm(7 inches) filleting Knives Tranchelard
Knives, Palette Knives) - Butchers
saw (Tenon and bow) - Butchers chopper - Filleting knives and palette knives - Piping
bags and assorted nozzles – Peelers - fancy cutters - mandolin slicer - Wooden
spoons and mushrooms (wooden mushrooms are used for pressing food stuffs
through sieves) - Cutlet bat and steak hammers (for flattening cuts of meat) - Larding
and trussing needles and pins(for larding and trussing joints of meat and
poultry) - Lemon zesters & decorators (for scraping and channeling lemon
peel) - decorating knives and vegetable scoops (for shaping vegetables &
potatoes) – Skewers - butchers hooks (for hanging joints) - Brining syringe
(for pumping brine solution into joints) - brinometer(for measuring density of
brine solution) - assorted thermometers - Assorted trays for storage of food.
PLANNING THE GARDE MANGER
Layout : Planning
the layout for a garde manger department can be a complex task. Unlike other
departments that can depend on a basic menu and basic work load, the Garde
Manger department is unique in its operation. On a daily basis the Garde Manger
department may handle its own butchery, its own bakery, its own sauce making
,its own frying , smoking of fish and cold meats , all the decorating including
tallow and ice sculpture , Plus a complete line on charcuterie products such as
galantines and pates.
The Garde
Manger department can relate to a food service facility in three ways:
-
on a pick up Basis.
-
on a distribution basis.
-
on a combination of the two bases.
When a Garde Manger department Executes food
order on an ala Carte basis, this is known as Pick up .This system operates in
an unpredictable fashion ,Since the number and timing of orders is not known in
advance. Work load is set depending upon the dishes listed on the menu.
When the Garde Manger department Executes
food orders in advance for a known quantity, to be delivered at a certain time
(Parties, banquets) this is known as the distribution basis. The main problem
here is workloads will be different each day depending upon booking, functions
etc., For this reason it is difficult to establish an appropriate mise-en-place
on a daily basis as it is bound to vary.
COMMON TERMS USED IN THE LARDER & LARDER
CONTROL
Aging:
Holding meats in coolers under controlled conditions to allow natural tenderizing
to take place.
AP
required: As-purchased amount necessary to yield the desired
EP weight. AP required is computed as EP required divided by yield percentage.
Antipasto:
Italian Hors d’oeuvre
Beginning
inventory: The dollar value of all products on hand at the
beginning of the accounting period. This amount is determined by completing a
physical inventory.
Bin
card: An index card with both additions to and deletions
from inventory of a given product. To facilitate its use, the card is usually
affixed to the shelf that holds the given item. Used in a perpetual inventory system.
Canapé:
An hors d’oeuvre consisting of a small piece
of bread or toast, often cut in decorative shape, garnished with savoury spread
or topping.
Carpaccio:
Very thin slices of meat or fish, served raw.
Carryover:
A menu item prepared for sale during a meal period but carried over for
use in a different meal period.
Casing:
A synthetic or natural membrane used to
enclose sausage forcemeat.
Caul:
A fatty membrane that covers the stomach of a
pig; used for wrapping meats for cooking and for lining terrines.
Chitterlings:
Pork intestines.
Coulis:
A vegetable or fruit puree, used as a sauce.
Crepinette:
A sausage patty wrapped in caul.
Crudités:
A raw vegetable served as a relish.
Daily
inventory sheet: A form that lists the items in storage, the unit of
purchase, and the par value. It also contains the following columns: on hand,
special order, and order amount.
Edible
portion (EP): This term refers to the weight or count of a
product after it has been trimmed, cooked, and portioned.
Ending
inventory: The dollar value of all products on hand at the end
of the accounting period. This amount is determined by completing a physical
inventory.
First-in,
first-out (FIFO): Term used to describe a method of storage in which
the operator intends to sell his or her oldest product before selling the most
recently delivered product.
Forcemeat: A mixture
of chopped or ground meat and other ingredients used for pates, sausages and
other preparations.
Garniture: Garnish;
the act or process of garnishing.
Inventory
turnover: The number of times the total value of inventory has
been purchased and replaced in an accounting period.
Lard: The rendered fat of hogs; to
insert strips of fat into meats low in marbling.
Last-in,
first-out (LIFO): Term used to describe a method of storage in which
the operator intends to sell his or her most recently delivered product before
selling the older product.
Par
level: A system of determining the purchase point by using
management-established minimum and maximum allowable inventory levels for a
given inventory item.
Requisition:
When a food or beverage product is requested from storage by an employee
for use in an operation.
Shelf
life: The period of time an ingredient or menu item
maintains its freshness, flavor, and quality.
Tripe:
The muscular stomach lining of beef or other
meat animals.
Waste
percentage: This formula is defined as product loss divided by
AP weight and refers to product lost in the preparation process.
Working
stock: The quantity of goods from inventory reasonably
expected to be used between deliveries.
Yield
percentage: This formula is defined as 1 minus waste percentage
and refers to the amount of product available for use by the operator after all
preparation-related losses have been taken into account.
Yield
test: A procedure used to determine actual EP ingredient
costs. It is used to help establish actual costs on a product that will
experience weight or volume loss in preparation.
LARDER CONTROL
If the larder is to be run effectively, efficiently
and economically, it is essential that the Chef Garde Manger exercise strict
control over the foodstuff received and stored in the department.
This will involve:
1. Checking the quality and quantity of all food
received in the department.
2. Ensuring that all food stuff is stored at the
right temperature and that they can easily be checked
3. That the food is protected from contamination by vermin.
4. That portion control is ensured.
5. That stock is regularly turned over.
6. That food is not over stocked.
7. A simple daily stock sheet to be maintained by each sub department.
8. Every possible effort is made to ensure the highest standard of hygiene.
9. Pilferage is discouraged and controlled.
3. That the food is protected from contamination by vermin.
4. That portion control is ensured.
5. That stock is regularly turned over.
6. That food is not over stocked.
7. A simple daily stock sheet to be maintained by each sub department.
8. Every possible effort is made to ensure the highest standard of hygiene.
9. Pilferage is discouraged and controlled.
STOCK
SHEET
The stock
and order sheet should be as simple and easy to keep up to data as possible. A
complicated stock sheet requiring too much writing will defect the whole
purpose as it will be neglected during busy rush periods, the very time it
is needed most. For some sub
departments, devising an easy and simple system is reasonably easy. In some
cases it is not so easy for example; also keeping of the stock of food sent in
and returned by the cold buffet can be complicated and time wasting if one is
to measure every ounce or inch. Therefore it is necessary to accept some rule
of thumb providing it is well supervised. An experienced chef Garde Manger
should be able to tell at a glance the weight, or number of Portion of a given
joint or cold dish. The butchery department also presents some Problems and the
stock sheet for this department needs careful consideration. Each establishment
will devise its own system taking into account its own problems.
|
Department
|
Day and date
|
||||
|
Item
|
Unit
|
Stock
|
Unit Price
|
Cost
|
Order
|
|
Tomatoes
|
kg(lb)
|
2
|
|
|
12
|
|
Sardines
|
tins
|
4
|
|
|
8
|
|
Eggs
|
doz
|
11/2
|
|
|
4
|
|
Oil
|
1.(gal)
|
1/2
|
|
|
1
|
|
Vinegar
|
1.(qt)
|
1
|
|
|
2
|
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