mise en place

or mise-en-place

[ mee zahn plos ]

noun

, French.

1. the gathering and preliminary preparation of the ingredients and equipment to be used in cooking or serving food:

   The chef started the mise en place for the curry: chopping tomatoes, cutting onions, and measuring spices.

2. the ingredients and equipment gathered and prepared before cooking:

   The dish is the perfect size for minced herbs and other mise-en-place you need within easy reach of the stove.

mise en place

/ miz ɑ̃ plas /

noun

1. (in a restaurant kitchen) the preparation of equipment and food before service begins

Word History and Origins

Origin of mise en place¹

First recorded in 1860–65; French: literally, “a putting in place”

Example Sentences

The myth that all of the ingredients need to be prepared before any cooking starts comes to us from restaurant kitchens, where the concept of “mise en place,” French for put in place, is fundamental.

From Seattle Times

It's one of the reasons I so love "mise en place."

From Salon

The other thing that is really important and will really help people is I encourage them to do their mise en place.

From Salon

"Because this was our 20th season, it's a big anniversary season for us, so we were looking to do some of the classic challenges as well, and we were hoping to get a mise en place race in somewhere."

From Salon

Because this was our 20th season, it's a big anniversary season for us, so we were looking to do some of the classic challenges as well, and we were hoping to get a mise en place race in somewhere.

From Salon