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On the completion of this chapter you should have a basic understanding of:
Most people imagine that the term guéridon refers to table-cooking as demonstrated in fine dining- rooms. In fact, the
guéridon is simply a piece of equipment on which we serve or prepare food in the dining environment.
In this chapter we show the basic uses of the guéridon as a simple means of offering interesting service to guests,
and increasing profitability to the establishment.
This kind of furniture originated in France towards the middle of the 17th century.
Varieties of small occasional tables are now called guéridons in French. The term may also refer to a cart used in French
service for the preparation of a dish alongside the dining table at which it will be served.
• hors d’oeuvres/ appetizer there are several related terms, such as a one-bite appetizer
• salads
• bakery items
• desserts
• Fresh fruits.
Here are some key points to consider when preparing salads on the guéridon:
• Thoroughly clean salad items and drain them in the kitchen before they are brought to the guéridon.
• Prepare items in bite-size portions.
• Keep items chilled until they are needed if use.
• The salad dressing may be prepared either in the kitchen or on the guéridon.
• Salad items and the dressings should be tossed at the guéridon at the time of service.
Meat items
Key points to note when selecting and preparing meat items for the guéridon:
Fruits
When preparing a fruit for the guéridon:
Variation of recipes
The used in cooking at the guéridon may vary in detail from one establishment to another, but the essentials of the classic
recipes must be maintained to ensure that they are clearly identifiable to the guest. For example, a Caesar salad always
includes lettuce, eggs, anchovies, crisp diced bacon and croutons, but parmesan cheese is optional, and the eggs may or
may not be cooked.
New dishes can be created for preparation at the guéridon to suit the establishment’s menu. But they must follow
the rule in the selection and preparation of foods.
• Choosing the appropriate cooking medium, for example clarified butter or cooking oil.
• The length of cooking time
• The ability to create the appropriate flavours in a minimum of time.
Most of items cooked on the guéridon lend themselves to the additional effects of flaming (flambé work)
Table cooking no longer requires expensive cooking lamps, or guéridons with inbuilt cooking equipment, as range
of good but inexpensive table top gas cylinder cookers is no available.
Flambé Work
Flambé work involves lighting liquor (usually a spirit or a liqueur) in a pan of the guéridon.
The procedure is:
·Regular checks of the cooking lamps and glass bottles will ensure that potential faults, in particular loose fitting or leaks,
will be detected before the faults become dangerous.
·A fire blanket and a small hand-held extinguisher should be kept easily accessible, in a place well known to all waiting
staff.
·When preparing to use the guéridon, position it at a sufficient distance from the guests’ table to make sure there can be
no danger to the guests. The guéridon should be at least its own width away from the table. This has the added
advantage that service can take place round the table without the guéridon getting in the way of the waiters.
Boning
If there is a side table or trolley the waiter can use it for deboning items for guests in their presence. Fine dining-rooms,
employing staff with the necessary skills, are often able to offer a range of menu items requiring this form of guéridon
technique.
Guéridon boning technique is most commonly used when guests are offered the service of having their (already
cooked) fish deboned for them.
While fish can be deboned either before or after cooking, most prefer the taste of a fillet that has been deboned before it
has been cooked. Others prefer the ease of deboning an already cooked fish. There is no right or wrong time to perform
the procedure and the timing depends entirely on personal preference and the type of recipe being prepared.
Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
• razor-sharp knife
• needle-nose pliers or tweezers
• cutting board or other flat, clean surface
• cold, clean water
Before you can remove the bones, you must make certain your fish is thoroughly gutted and cleaned on both the inside
and outside. Always use cold tap water for this task, as lake or river water can and frequently does contain contaminants.
After the fish has been cleansed, dressed, and gutted, the next step is to remove its backbone. The fish should be placed
on its side. Using a sharp knife, began cutting the fish just behind the gill plate until the blade hits the fish's
backbone.Keeping your blade both flat and parallel to the cutting surface, the sharp edge of your blade should face the
fish tail. Carefully slice down the length of the backbone to the tail. Once you complete this process, turn the fish over and
repeat the process down the other side.
To remove the rib bones, simply slice between the rib bones of the fish and meat of the fillet and pull the bones out.
Removing the pin bones is often the most challenging part of deboning a fish. It is not particularly a difficult task, but it is
one that requires a bit of patience and greater dexterity than the backbone or ribs.The easiest way to remove pin bones is
to use either needle-nosed pliers or tweezers to clasp onto the bones and pull them free from the fish.
After you have removed the bones using the methods above, carefully use your fingers to feel inside the fish for any
bones that might have been to small too remove using tweezers.
Carving
The carving of the joint, poultry or game at the table was for centuries a traditional part of the dining experience.
Nowadays, in restaurant when the carving is done in the presence of the guests, it is usually performed at a special
carvery or, where there is one, on an elaborate beef trolley rather than on an ordinary guéridon.
Liqueur Coffee
Liqueurs coffee are often prepared in front of guests on a guéridon because the process is visually interesting and
provides an exciting finale t the dining experience. The technique of preparing liqueur coffees is explained later.