Kitchen brigade - what role do you play?

Are you an apprentice chef and want to know what stages you can go through in a top-class kitchen? Here you can find out details about the individual positions in a top kitchen.

The Gardemanger is primarily responsible for the cold kitchen. This area of responsibility is very important and extensive in the interaction of the kitchen brigade. The gardemanger must prepare poultry, fish, game, mussels and all shellfish so that the other chefs de partie can refine the raw materials and process them into outstanding dishes. The Gardemanger is also responsible for the production of pâtés, terrines and all types of gelatines.

The entremetier is the side dish cook within the kitchen brigade. The entremetier is responsible for cooking and simmering vegetables, for the correct preparation of potatoes, rice and all types of pasta and egg dishes.

The potager is the soup cook in a kitchen brigade. He is responsible for the preparation of all types of broths and soups - including their garnishes. At first glance, this area seems relatively simple, but the different cooking times of the respective ingredients must be taken into account, as well as the precise reduction of the respective soup.

The poissonier is responsible for processing all warm fish dishes, shellfish and crustaceans. This is an extremely influential and important position in the kitchen, as fish and shellfish are particularly sensitive to overcooking and overcooking, which can quickly turn a fish dish from a delight into a nightmare.

Whether it's fried food, pan-fried dishes or roasts: The rôtisseur is the master of hot pots and pans and takes the place of the roasting chef in the kitchen brigade. He is the one who has to get the cooking times of all types of meat used in roasts and pan-fried dishes as well as vegetables just right.

The saucier plays one of the most important roles within the kitchen brigade. The saucier is usually one of the most experienced chefs in the kitchen, has already held several positions in the kitchen before being promoted to saucier and often also takes on the role of sous-chef. As a saucier, you are responsible for cooking stocks, sauces and butter mixtures, as well as preparing goulash and ragouts. The roles of saucier, poissonier and rôtisseur are often combined in the position of saucier.

The pâtissier is the sweetest of the kitchen workers. The pâtissier plays an important role in the kitchen brigade - he is the kitchen pastry chef and is primarily responsible for desserts, providing the crowning glory of a menu. The pâtissier is responsible for the production and processing of pastries (puff pastry, yeast dough, shortcrust pastry) as well as cakes and tarts (Sacher torte, pot cake, apple strudel). But the pâtissier is also the master of his trade when it comes to classic desserts such as chocolate mousse, ice cream, sorbets, pralines and doughnuts, crepes and soufflés.