Prepare appetisers and

salads
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 Introduction
Salads can be made up of a variety of different ingredients but usually include some
forms of lettuce with the addition of other ingredients and a dressing.

Salads can be served as entrees, main courses or even as dessert and can be used on a
variety of menus for different time of day.

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 Mise en Place
 
Mise en place literally translated from the French means ‘to set in place’ or
‘everything in place’.
 
In most circumstances a cook will make a mise en Place list at the start of their shift
and then rank that list in order of priority and efficiency, then get on with the job.
Mise en place for appetisers and salads may be to wash and prepare lettuces, cook
terrines, cut garnishes or prepare salad dressings.

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 The ‘Standard Recipe’
The main purpose for using standard recipes is to:
 
• Maintain a consistent quality in food production; all cooks making it the same
way every time.
• Calculate and record the food cost for each menu item.
• Control the portion size.
• Establish the food cost percentage for each menu item.
• Write accurate food orders by referring to the quantities and portions in the recipe.
• Assist in the training of new staff.

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 Activity 1
 
A grilled prawn dish with prosciutto and basil uses 60 ml of olive oil per 4 portions.
How much olive oil do you need for 70 Portions?
 
Stuffed mushroom caps use 30g of Gruyere cheese per four portions. How much
Gruyere cheese is needed for 80 Portions?
 

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 Portion control
 
• Weight is normally measured in grams (g) and is usually used to measure portions
for items such as fish, meat, poultry, and vegetables.
• Volume is used to measure items such as soup, juices, cocktail, spirits and other
liquid type ingredients. The measurement is usually in millilitres (ml).
• Count items such as eggs, asparagus, ice cream scoops, chops or bacon are
examples of ingredients that are counted.

An approximate portion allowance could be in the following ranges:

 
• Entree 100g.
• Soup 200 – 250ml.
• Main course 200 – 250g.
• Vegetables 50g.
• Dessert 100g.

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 Activity 2
What portions are the soups in your business?

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 Portion control equipment
 
• Soup ladles.
• Ice cream scoops.
• Cups, saucers, and glasses.
• Spoons.
• Dispensers.
• Moulds.
• Pie dishes, plates and bowls.
• Scales.

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 Salads
Salads can be made from a variety of ingredients including:

• All types of green herbaceous salad greens for salads that are eaten raw.
• All types of bulbs, stems, flowers, legumes, fruits etc... which can be used raw, or
cooked.
• Grains such as quinoa or wild rice.
• Poultry, roast meat, pickled meats.
• Fish and shellfish.
• All types of hard and soft fruits.
• Some flowers and roots can be used, as well as the leaves.

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 Salad greens
• Iceberg lettuce
• Butter crunch lettuce
• Coral lettuce
• Cos lettuce
• Lamb’s tongue lettuce (Mache)
• Mignonette
• Oak leaf lettuce
• Curly endive
• Escarole
• Witlof
• Radicchio
• Watercress
• Rocket (Arugula)
• Wombok (Chinese cabbage)

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 Salad herbs
• Curly parsley.
• Italian parsley.
• Chives.
• Mint.
• Vietnamese mint (spicy).
• Tarragon.
• Coriander.
• Basil.
• Dill.
• Fennel.
• Oregano.

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 Activity 3
 
Name a salad that uses the following herb as an ingredient:
 
• Basil  
• Chives 
• Parsley

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 Salad oils and dressings
Oils with a neutral flavour and aroma:
• Sunflower.
• Safflower.
• Grape seed.
• Vegetable.
• Peanut.
 
Oils with a Strong or noticeable flavour and aroma:
• Olive oil.
• Extra Virgin olive oil.
• Walnut.
• Hazelnut.
• Rose (strong and expensive).
• Truffle (expensive).
• Chilli (very strong).
• Sesame.

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 Vinegars
• White wine vinegar.

• Red wine vinegar.

• Sherry vinegar.

• Cider vinegar.

• Champagne vinegar.

• Balsamic vinegar.

• Malt vinegar.

• White vinegar.

• Flavoured vinegars, such as Tarragon vinegar.

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 Activity 4
 
Why would a white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar be better to use in a salad
rather than standard white vinegar? Explain.

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 Fruits
Combinations may be:
 
• Pear, walnut, gorgonzola and rocket salad.
• Waldorf salad.
• Fresh peach with endive and mozzarella.
• Fresh Figs with pancetta and goats cheese.
• Peach with wild rocket and a raspberry vinegar.
• Mango and poached prawns and curried mayonnaise.
• Greens with a pomegranate dressing.
• Citrus salad with smoked salmon.

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 Vegetables
Common vegetable items and uses are:
 
• Potato and bacon salad.
• Coleslaw – Cabbage and carrot.
• Greek salad using capsicums.
• Carrot and sultana salad.
• Pasta salad with peas and corn.
• Snow peas and bean shoots used in Asian salads.
• Beetroot salad with an orange and horseradish dressing.

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 Composition of salads

Base Usually some form of salad green or grain.

Ingredients that make up the main part of the

Body salad.

The dressing blends the salad ingredients together

Dressing and adds flavour and makes salad more palatable;
it is also an aid to digestion

Garnishing adds colour, texture and flavour to the

Garnish salad and should always complement the other
ingredients.

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 Classification of salads
 
A Simple Salad consists of one type of ingredient, combined with or served with a
dressing just prior to service.

A Mixed, or Composed, Salad consists of more than one type of ingredient, usually
mixed together and combined with a suitable dressing such as mayonnaise,
vinaigrette or acidulated cream.

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 Examples of classical salads
• Coleslaw
• Greek salad
• Potato salad
• Tomato salad
• Waldorf salad
• Bean salad
• Nicoise salad
• Russian salad
• Caesar salad
• Rice salad
• Cobb salad
• Tabbouleh
• Beetroot

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 Examples of modern salads
• Salad of rocket, pear, walnut and blue cheese, possible with a lemon juice and
olive oil dressing.
• Grain salad of puy lentils, freekeh, pumpkins seeds, almonds, pine units, currents,
parsley, pomegranate seeds, red onion and lemon juice and olive and topped with
yoghurt.
• Roasted cauliflower salad with chickpeas and a lemon tahini dressing.
• Goats cheese, date and fig salad with apples, walnuts and witlof and mesclun
leaves and a honey raisin dressing.
• A salad of assorted fresh green beans, golden beans, chickpeas and sugar snap
peas with pancetta and marinated feta.

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 Activity 5
 
Name three simple salads

Name three composed salads

Name three modern salads

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 Dressings and sauces
• Vinaigrette
• Mayonnaise
• Yoghurt
• Mustard dressings
• Lemon
• Asian dressings
• Blue cheese
• Balsamic

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 Preparing salad greens
Keep the following guidelines in mind:
 
• Hold greens under refrigeration until they are to be prepared and served. Clean
them as close to the serving time as possible.
• Clean all greens scrupulously to remove all traces of sand, grit and insects. Before
cleaning a lettuce, remove the core from the head.
• Dry greens as thoroughly as possible after washing.
• Place the dried greens on a plastic sheet, or a tray of aluminium or stainless steel.
• Remove any tough stems or wilted spots.
• Greens ready for service should be in bite-size pieces that are easy to pick up with
a fork.
• Dress greens with the appropriate salad dressing as close to service time as
possible.

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 Principles of salad preparation

• Mise en place and organisation

• Colour and texture

• Flavour

• Assembling the salad

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 Quality points to remember
 
• All ingredients should be as fresh as possible and thoroughly washed and rinsed.
• Keep ingredients crisp by keeping them covered, moist and in the refrigerator until
just before service.
• Salad ingredients should be in bite sized pieces so the customer can place each
forkful into their mouth easily.
• Salads should only be dressed just before serving so they do not wilt.
• When mixing salads do so gently so the ingredients do not ‘bruise’.
• Make sure the dressing is thoroughly mixed before adding it to the salad.
• Don’t add too much dressing or you end up with ‘salad soup’.
• Make sure your salad is presented attractively to maximise eye appeal.

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 Activity 6
 
What is the difference between ‘Virgin Olive Oil’ And ‘Olive Oil?’

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 Constructing salads
• If you are unfamiliar with the recipe, refer to the standard recipe cards.
• Salads can present a food safety risk if not prepared in a clean and hygienic manner
in a clean and hygienic area.
• Assemble all ingredients, equipment and presentation plates before you start to
construct the salad.
• Wash, trim, peel fruit and vegetables as required by the recipe.
• If ingredients are not required immediately, then store those ingredients under
refrigeration to keep them safe and fresh.
• If preparing salads to order, ensure that you have all mise en place close to you.
• When you are ready to construct the salad, place all required ingredients into an
appropriately sized container.
• Add just enough dressing to moisten the salad to give it the appropriate appearance.
• Use a clean spoon or fork to taste the salad and check seasoning.
• Present the salad according to the requirements of your chef or venue.
• Salads can be served plated up in single portions or in bulk amounts.

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 Presentation tips
 
• Do not add too much dressing.
• Ensure that all the ingredients are as fresh as possible.
• Taste the food you are preparing to ensure the flavour is correct.
• Avoid trying to create patterns as they rarely look good.
• Ensure that presentation is balanced in portion size, colour and taste.
• Give the presentation some height and shape, rather than it being flat and boring.

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 Mason jars
There is a modern trend for cafes to serve healthy salads in mason jars as a light café
meal.

Raw ingredients describe as rice

Cauliflower and broccoli are two ingredients that can be finely chopped to the size of
rice grains and used as the basis for a salad.

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 Canapés, appetisers and savouries
Appetisers: Appetisers are small portions of prepared food served before a meal or as
the first course to in a multi course meal (usually evening meals).

Canapés: In the traditional context, they are small portions of food; croutes (fried or
toasted slice of bread) or pastry based and topped with flavoured butter, cream, a main
ingredient and appropriate garnish.

Savouries: On today’s modern menus savouries are a range of small savoury hot or
cold dishes offered as an entree and are usually called an Amuse Bouche.

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 The role of the appetiser
• Pre-dinner appetisers can be found in bar areas and will include crudités with dips,
chips and canapés. Other names for these types of appetisers are Tapas or Mezze.

• Classical menus feature hors d’oeuvre in hot and cold format. Their role is to
continue to ‘tease’ palates by their colour, visual appeal and flavour.

• Many restaurants will sometimes feature a small savoury delivered to the table by
the waiter as soon as the guest arrives. These forms of appetisers are called Amuse
Bouche.

• If appetisers are the only food item being served, between six and twelve varieties
can be offered at a cocktail party over a one to two hour period.

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 Antipasti
An antipasti platter would normally contain food items such as:
 
• Cured meats.
• Olives.
• Marinated or grilled vegetables.
• Pickled vegetables.
• Semi dried vegetables.
• Italian cheeses.
• Artichoke hearts.
• Frittata.
• Seafood.
• Terrines.
• Bread

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 Activity 7
 
Name two Italian cheeses suitable for an Antipasti platter

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 Sandwiches
They can be made from a variety of breads, fresh or toasted, and cut into a range of
shapes using an almost endless assortment of products for fillings.

Bread
The most versatile bread is a firm, close-grained rectangular loaf that slices thinly and
toasts well.

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 Bread storage
 
• Dry store conditions apply to bread. It should not be refrigerated, as this actually
accelerates bread going stale.
• Soft breads, buns and rolls must be kept covered or they will dry out and become
stale. Keep loaves, whether whole, cut or separated, covered in their original
wrapper until needed.
• Hard rolls should not be covered. Leave them out so that their crusts stay crisp.
• Bread can pick up odours from strong-flavoured foods such as onions and fish.
Make sure it is stored away from these foods.
• Do not stack loaves too high on their trays or bread slices will be crushed.
• Exposed stacks should be covered with the heel of the loaf to prevent the top slice
from drying out.

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 Spreads
Butter is the most common spread used for sandwiches. As well as adding flavour,
butter prevents the bread from absorbing moisture from the filling, and helps ensure
that the filling and bread stick firmly together.

Margarine spreads may be used in the same way as butter.

Mayonnaise may be used as a spread for sandwiches which are to be served

immediately. It does not protect the bread from soaking as well as butter or margarine.
Mayonnaise itself will soak into the bread unless it is spread with butter or margarine
first.

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 Fillings
There are many types of sandwich fillings, including:

• Sliced cooked meats - Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, tongue.

• Small goods - Ham, salami, mortadella.
• Seafood - Smoked fish, tinned fish, pastes, smoke salmon, prawns etc.
• Sliced vegetables - Tomatoes, cucumber, avocado.
• Grilled and roasted vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, semi sundried tomato)
• Cheese.
• Boiled eggs.

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 Tips on preparing fillings
• Prepare fresh supplies of sandwich ingredients daily.
• Slice evenly and in advance, such foods as tomatoes, cheese and meats.
• Wash lettuce thoroughly. Separate leaves, drain and crisp in the refrigerator.
Prepare all other vegetables by thorough washing, slicing, draining and crisping.
• Standardise all portions regularly used to correspond with your portion control
system.
• Keep only small amounts of fillings on the counter top as a working supply,
replenishing as needed.
• Cross-stack sliced ingredients such as cheese and meat for quick and easy pick-up
and use.

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 Garnishes
• Slice tomato or lettuce
• Watercress.
• Mustard Cress, Alfalfa.
• Julienne of carrot and green capsicum, made crisp in ice water.
• Bean sprouts.
• Radishes.

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 Traditional sandwiches
• Conventional
• Tea (Pullman) sandwiches
• Pinwheel sandwiches
• Cocktail sandwiches
• Open sandwiches
• Club sandwich
• Bookmaker
• Ribbon or domino sandwich

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 Culinary influences
There has been a considerable influence of cuisines other than traditional French/
European in Australia, particularly since the mid- 1980s.

Below are several countries/regions whose cuisine has influenced appetisers in

Australia:

• China
• Japan
• India
• Malaysia
• Greece

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 Preparing appetisers, salads and canapés
Before serving your appetisers or canapés you should consider the following
service points:
 
• Plates and/or presentation platters are at the correct temperature.
• All platters and presentation materials are spotlessly clean.
• All glazed foods are shiny and appetising.
• Portion size is uniform.
• Appropriate and suitable ingredient combinations.
• Precise and uniform cut of ingredients.
• Store prepared items for later service in appropriate conditions.

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 Glazes
Aspic: Cold appetisers and canapés are often glazed with ‘Aspic’.

Oil: Some cold items of food, particularly foods such as Italian and Greek foods may
be glazed or drizzled with olive oil to give it a glossy effect

Chaud Froid: In French ‘Chaud Froid’ means ‘Cold Hot’ that is a hot sauce served
that is served cold, and is applied to coat or glaze a food item.

Egg wash: When cooking pastries or breads a glaze of egg yolk or whole egg is used
to give the pastry a glossy colour.

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 Knife handling techniques
Cutting techniques

• Hold the knife firmly by the handle with fingers together.

• Fingers should grasp the food, be tucked in while the thumb sits behind the item
being cut.
• Only knuckles should be visible from above.
• As you cut, use the knuckles as a guide for the knife.
• Keep the point of the knife on the board.
• Use the correct knife for the activity.

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 Equipment
• Stick blender
• Paring knife
• Turning knife
• Oyster knife
• Parisienne scoop
• Whisk
• Citrus zester
• Fine grater
• Vegetable peeler
• Mandolin
• Food processor
• Thermometers

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 Safety with knives
 
• Always handle knives carefully, especially when cleaning them.
• Never leave knives in a sink of water. This is bad for the blade and presents a
safety hazard to anyone who puts their hands into the water.
• As a general rule, hold the knife edge away from the body.
• When carrying a knife in the kitchen, make sure the cutting edge is close to your
leg and have the point toward the ground.
• Don’t run your fingers down the edge to check the sharpness.
• Don’t attempt to catch a falling knife; let it fall and get your feet out of the way.
• Don’t hide a knife under anything.
• Don’t hand a knife to anyone else. Put it down on the table and let them pick it up.
• When carrying your knives in public places, they must be in a knife case or roll, or
a tool box.

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 Chopping boards
 
Using colour coded chopping boards can help prevent ‘Cross Contamination’.

Cross contamination is where ready to eat foods, such as appetisers and salads become
contaminated from raw foods such as meat and chicken.
 
To avoid this dangerous problem we use colour coded chopping boards to prepare
food.

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 Kitchen equipment
Food equipment is classified according to use into three main categories:

• Utensils: These are small hand operated pieces of equipment such as a Mouli,
Chinois, ladles, whisks, tongs etc.
 
• Mechanical equipment: Mechanical equipment can be small or large and is
usually electrically operated. It includes hand mixers, Bamix, slicers, food
processors etc.
 
• Large fixed equipment: Large equipment comprises of fixed items such as
Rationale oven stoves, salamanders, Brat pans, boilers etc.

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 Gloves for food handling
 
Disposable food handling gloves used in the correct way are very useful and can add
to the safety and hygiene of the food.

Gloves are mainly used on ‘Ready to eat’ foods.

Gloves are used when handling these items because any bacteria or contamination
added to the food from handling the food will go directly to the person who eats the
food and may cause illness.

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 Wastage control
In salad preparation, this can be achieved by:
 
• Dressing green/garden salads just prior to serving them.
• Not overcooking the vegetables for salads that require cooked vegetables.
• Not preparing more than is required, resulting in having to discard the rest.
• Purchasing good quality produce which requires only minimal preparation thus
reducing wastage.
• Maintaining correct methods of storage for prepared and unprepared food.
• Minimising or eliminating careless preparation techniques, which results in food
being wasted.

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 Using quality trimmings
• Only use good quality and fresh ingredients, don’t use old food that is for the
rubbish.
• Only use trimming that have been hygienically handled and stored.
• Canapés are especially useful for using trimmings.
• Small pieces of lettuce can be used as a base on canapés.
• Sandwich fillings also are good uses for trimmings.
• Some trimmings can be pureed and used as a puree.
• Some trimmings also make good garnishes that can add colour to your appetisers,
salads and canapés.
• Small pieces of vegetable trimmings can be used in salads.
• Small pieces of cheese can be used on canapés.
• Trimming can be used in items such as spring rolls or samosas.
• Trimming can also be used as an antipasti item.
• Trimming can be used in a sauce to fill Vol au Vents.

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 Presentation
If food looks appetising the guest is already in a better state of mind to enjoy the meal.
Many people who are dinning out are also looking for something special that they
cannot make at home themselves.

Colour

One of the first impressions formed in the eyes of the diner is the appearance of the
dish. In this context, correct colour becomes an important factor, should be as natural
as possible and not spoiled by overcooking or the addition of artificial colouring.

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 Garnishes
 
Food garnishes are decorations (raw and cooked) added for colour contrast and to
provide visual appeal and flavour. Not only should garnishes be edible, but
appropriate to a particular dish.

Crockery
The choice of plates and crockery is of vital importance in the presentation of food.
Most food looks good on classical white plates but a wide variety of shapes, styles and
colours are available.

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 Positioning food on the plate
 
First of all NEVER place food on the rim of the plate. It looks like the plate is too
small and untidy.

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 Activity 8
 
What would be an appropriate garnish for the following dishes?

• Smoked salmon

• Asparagus spears with hollandaise sauce

 
• Sushi platter

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 What is Workflow Planning?
The objective of workflow planning is to make work easier. This can be achieved by
simplifying the operation, eliminating unnecessary movements, combining two
operations into one where possible, or improving old methods.

Factors affecting workflow planning

• Logical sequence
• Organisation
• Time constraints
• Cooperation

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 Why use workflow planning?
 
A workflow plan identifies the precise steps of the task:
 
• The type of food to be prepared and served.
• The number and size of the portions to be served.
• The time when food has to be served.
• The method of food service and presentation.
• The location of the food service, e.g. the dining room.

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 Storage
 
With a few exceptions (hot appetisers), most appetisers and salads will require
refrigeration. The storage temperature for refrigerated food items is between 0ºCto
5ºC.

Stock rotation
This means that the oldest stock will be used first (First in, first out). It is important to
maintain correct store procedures to assist in maintaining product shelf life and
minimise food spoilage.

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 Storage of dressings, sauces and salads
Vinaigrette based dressings: Vinaigrette has no ingredients that require refrigeration.
To ensure that there is absolutely no threat of food spoilage, however, it is advisable to
keep this dressing in a refrigerated area and covered in an airtight container (glass or
stainless steel).

Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise or its derivatives should be kept in a refrigerated area and

covered in an airtight container; preferably glass or stainless steel.

Salads: Some salads will require storage to allow flavour absorption, e.g. Marinated
red pepper salad.

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 Food Labels
Some food such as cans, milk and packets of food already have food labels and use by
dates on the food. However, when you prepare food in a kitchen it usually no longer
has the original labels to show you a use by or production date.

Food segregation
• Parmesan cheese
• Blue vein cheese
• Fish/seafood
• Onions
• Eggs
• Peeled garlic
• Avocados
• Cream

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 First in–First out – FIFO
 
In the hospitality industry the term FIFO refers to stock rotation. That means the stock
which was delivered first gets used before new stock that has just been delivered.

The 2-hour/4-hour rule

Any ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food if it has been at temperatures between
5°C and 60°C:
 
• For a total of less than 2 hours; must be refrigerated or used immediately.
• For a total of longer than 2 hours but less than 4 hours; must be used immediately.
• For a total of 4 hours or longer; must be thrown out.

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 Cross Contamination
 
Cross contamination is the transfer of one or more contaminants, chemical, physical
or microbiological, from one food/area to another food/area.
 
Whenever there is a change in products there must be a complete clean and sanitising
process to avoid cross contamination from occurring.

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 Important Assessment Note
 
The ‘Performance Evidence’ criteria for this unit requires the student to submit
evidence of the student:
 
 Using Each of the FOURTEEN ingredients listed in the performance
evidence
 Preparing Each of the FOUR styles of appetisers listed in the performance
evidence
 Preparing Each of the FIVE styles of salads listed in the performance
evidence
 Using at least FOUR of the methods of cookery listed in the performance
evidence
 Preparing the appetisers and salads for at least SIX DIFFERENT
customers
 
The student will need to ensure that these criteria are satisfied.
 
Please ensure that you read in full both the ‘Performance Evidence’ and the
‘Knowledge Evidence’ in the training package for the unit to be aware of ALL
assessment criteria required.
 
This information is located at the beginning of the student resource.
 

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 These PowerPoints are designed to match
Version 2.1 of the student resource.

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