Mise en Place

Mise en place (French mise en place — “putting in place”) is a fundamental principle of the professional kitchen, meaning the full preparation of the workstation before cooking begins: all ingredients weighed, washed, peeled, cut, and arranged in bowls, all tools and dishes to hand, the stove heated.

It is not merely tidying but a whole philosophy of organising work, the heart of the restaurant kitchen. At the height of service, when dozens of orders pour into the kitchen, the cook has not a second to peel an onion or hunt for a spice — everything must already be ready. Good mise en place allows one to cook quickly, cleanly, without fuss or mistakes, concentrating only on the process itself and the quality of the dish. Each cook is responsible for the mise en place of their station and prepares it in advance, before the venue opens. The principle has long gone beyond restaurants: it is equally useful at home, since prepared and arranged ingredients make cooking calm and pleasant. Mise en place is at once about organisation, discipline, and respect for the product and for time. No wonder it is said that good mise en place is half the work.