How do restaurants prepare complex foods/recipes in a much shorter time? - Extended discussion

[k.udhaya]

I already posted my question here and made few discussions at this location:

How do restaurants prepare complex foods/recipes in a much shorter time?

I take this food as an example: https://youtu.be/u66pG73UroY I had kept chopped onion, cut tomato pieces, cashew milk, marinated chicken etc. ready before I turned on the stove. But the stove time itself took me about 40 minutes (sauteing of onion and tomato, mixing of chicken with different...

www.discusscooking.com

This post is an extension to that.

My recipe of interest:

Objective: Make the same food at a shorter time with a reasonable, yet acceptable, difference in taste
This is my proposal for the same:

I want to know the experts' opinion as what kind of difference this fast track makes with respect to original youtube video?
Also I read somewhere, boiling chicken two times may be unhygienic, but I don't know if that's correct. In my fast track proposal, as you can see I pre-boil chicken as a pre-preparation before order and later at the end of 'preparation' I boil it again.
Pl. give your comments. TIA.

 

[k.udhaya]

I already posted my question here and made few discussions at this location:

How do restaurants prepare complex foods/recipes in a much shorter time?

I take this food as an example: https://youtu.be/u66pG73UroY I had kept chopped onion, cut tomato pieces, cashew milk, marinated chicken etc. ready before I turned on the stove. But the stove time itself took me about 40 minutes (sauteing of onion and tomato, mixing of chicken with different...

www.discusscooking.com

This post is an extension to that.

My recipe of interest:

Objective: Make the same food at a shorter time with a reasonable, yet acceptable, difference in taste
This is my proposal for the same:
View attachment 63945
I want to know the experts' opinion as what kind of difference this fast track makes with respect to original youtube video?
Also I read somewhere, boiling chicken two times may be unhygienic, but I don't know if that's correct. In my fast track proposal, as you can see I pre-boil chicken as a pre-preparation before order and later at the end of 'preparation' I boil it again.
Pl. give your comments. TIA.

Clearer image:

Cooking-Youtube-vs-Fast-track hosted at ImgBB

Image Cooking-Youtube-vs-Fast-track hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[dragnlaw]

I am curious as to your reasons for "fast tracking" - this almost sounds like a school project or perhaps you are trying to open a "fast food restaurant" and wanting to boast of quicker - fresher times?
There are always going to be some good points and bad points to adjusting recipes. You will have to just try and see for yourself what you like and how the taste changes.

 

[k.udhaya]

I am curious as to your reasons for "fast tracking" - this almost sounds like a school project or perhaps you are trying to open a "fast food restaurant" and wanting to boast of quicker - fresher times?
There are always going to be some good points and bad points to adjusting recipes. You will have to just try and see for yourself what you like and how the taste changes.

//...and wanting to boast of quicker - fresher times?// No, not at all. Whenever I have been to the restaurants, they bring me the same gravy in 20 mins. time.

Had they got it already prepared before I place the order, I should have got it instantaneously - Shouldn't have taken 20 mins.

If they also start preparing after I place the order, they should have taken a minimum 35 mins to serve.

So I can only assume that they have a good balance between an "already prepared" method and "start preparing after the order" method.

And this is kind of interesting to know for me.

Also, agreed that I should "try" to have a complete picture. But as of now, do you find anything unhygienic in my proposed "Fast track" style? or something very compromising in quality or taste?

 

[thymeless]

A few books that discuss how curries are made to order quickly.

The Curry Secret by Kris Dillon
The Curry Guy Bible by Dan Toombs

It's basically that they have pre prepped sauce bases and related prepped ingredients on hand that they adapt to a particular subset of curries for each sauce base type.

For a more home cook approach try:
Instantly Indian by Madhur Jeffrey. This is Instant pot /pressure cooker centric but it's a common technique for home cooks of India. Also her 100 Weeknight Curries

Similarly Chetna's 30 Minute Indian by Chetna Makan

 

[thymeless]

Turns out there is an update to the Curry Secret. The New Curry Secret.

 

[k.udhaya]

A few books that discuss how curries are made to order quickly.

The Curry Secret by Kris Dillon
The Curry Guy Bible by Dan Toombs

It's basically that they have pre prepped sauce bases and related prepped ingredients on hand that they adapt to a particular subset of curries for each sauce base type.

For a more home cook approach try:
Instantly Indian by Madhur Jeffrey. This is Instant pot /pressure cooker centric but it's a common technique for home cooks of India. Also her 100 Weeknight Curries

Similarly Chetna's 30 Minute Indian by Chetna Makan

Thanks Thymeless. I am looking for opinions on this specific recipe. Also my important question still is "Can I boil (cook) chicken twice - before and after order?"

 

[jennyema]

Never boil chicken. You ruin it that way. Gently simmer it.

 

[Silversage]

Restaurants prepare dishes to a 'certain point', which varies by recipe. Then they hold it, either in the pan to stay warm or in the fridge, as appropriate for the specific dish. All they have to do is bring it back to proper temp and finish it when ordered. They don't make it all from the beginning each time it's ordered.

 

[taxlady]

Thanks Thymeless. I am looking for opinions on this specific recipe. Also my important question still is "Can I boil (cook) chicken twice - before and after order?"

How much do you plan to boil the chicken the first time? Will the chicken be boiled for long enough to kill all the microorganisms? Where will you store the chicken before the second time it is cooked? How long will it be stored before being cooked the second time. If that isn't managed carefully, I see all sorts of ways for microorganisms to multiply and cause problems.

 

[dragnlaw]

Thanks Thymeless. I am looking for opinions on this specific recipe. Also my important question still is "Can I boil (cook) chicken twice - before and after order?"

k.udhaya - to answer your question, Yes, you can boil cook chicken twice. Many, many recipes have you start partial cooking ahead of time and finish cooking at the end.

ps. I believe I read, at the end of the comparison - the chicken is not boiled, but fried. Not that it really makes any difference to your question nor the answer.

 

[k.udhaya]

Restaurants prepare dishes to a 'certain point', which varies by recipe. Then they hold it, either in the pan to stay warm or in the fridge, as appropriate for the specific dish. All they have to do is bring it back to proper temp and finish it when ordered. They don't make it all from the beginning each time it's ordered.

Thanks. For the example recipe I shared here, what is that "certain point"?

 

[dragnlaw]

It is right there on your charts. Between the two blue arrows.

 

[IC 2.0]

Most stuff is prepped ahead of time (sauces, starches, veg, etc.), generally earlier in the day before service or they day before. You're only firing (cooking off) the proteins a la minute like steaks, fish, etc. All braised meats are cooked the day or two before.

 

[Jade Emperor]

In all the restaurants I worked in over many years, there were commis and apprentices who would be prepping for their entire shift - making batches of sauces, chopping veggies and generally assisting to make all the mis en place for the next service. The chefs would also be making their own mis specific to their own station. During service, a lot of the work was already done for each dish and just needed to be “mounted”.
Also, keep in mind that a great deal of the kitchen equipment is designed to be able to handle quick firing- combi ovens, planches, Hobarts etc. The chefs always have a lot of pans available for cooking each step without having to worry about cleaning up every pan in between (that’s the job of the kitchen hand).
There are also many chefs who are responsible for perhaps one or two elements of each dish and they all work together to make sure everything is ready when time to plate up.
A well drilled kitchen is a great machine to watch in action and I personally learned a great deal about cooking from watching great kitchens in operation.

 

[GotGarlic]

Thanks Thymeless. I am looking for opinions on this specific recipe. Also my important question still is "Can I boil (cook) chicken twice - before and after order?"

I wouldn't boil the chicken at all - poach it instead. With boneless, skinless chicken breasts, it takes about 20 minutes; boneless, skinless thighs take about 30 minutes. Bone-in, skin-on pieces take longer.

From there, you cool it quickly (place the cooked chicken in plastic storage bags and put the bags in a stock pot filled with ice water in a sink filled with cold water). Once the chicken is cold, put it in the fridge until needed.

Since the chicken is completely cooked and cooled, you only need to reheat it for service. You can do that in the pan where you finish the dish - no need to boil it separately.

Here is more information than you ever wanted to know about how restaurants are supposed to handle chicken in the United States: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/chicken-farm-table