Mise en place

Mise en place is French for "putting in place". It means getting all your ingredients and equipment ready before you start to cook: everything washed, measured, chopped and set out within reach. Cooks often shorten it to "mise".

How to do it

1. Read the whole recipe before you start, including the method.
2. Take out every ingredient and check you have enough.
3. Get out the tools you need: pans, bowls, knives, spoons, a thermometer.
4. Wash, peel and cut everything as the recipe says: dice the onion, mince the garlic, chop the herbs.
5. Measure liquids, spices and other small amounts into small bowls or ramekins.
6. Group items that go into the pan at the same time. Spices added together can share one bowl.
7. Arrange everything in the order you will use it, near the stove.
8. Preheat the oven and pans if the recipe needs it.

Why it works

Many dishes move fast once the heat is on. Stir-fries, sautés and sauces can go from raw to burnt in the minute it takes to chop an onion. With everything ready, you can give all your attention to the pan. You also find out before you start if something is missing. Professional kitchens rely on it: every station sets up its mise before service so dishes can be cooked à la minute.

Common mistakes

• Starting to cook and prepping as you go, then burning the garlic while you look for the cumin.
• Not reading the recipe to the end and missing a step such as "marinate overnight".
• Using so many little bowls that doing the dishes takes longer than cooking. Group ingredients that go in together.
• Prepping delicate ingredients such as basil or avocado too early. They brown. Cut them last.

In recipes

Recipes often build mise en place into the ingredient list: "1 onion, finely diced" means the dicing is part of your prep, not the method. Keep your station tidy as you go, too. See clean as you go.