Soux chef – a career in the culinary arts
What does the term soux chef mean? This term originates from the French language, as many other culinary-related terms. The literal translation means “the under-chef”. The soux chef is in fact the Head Chef’s second in command helper. He is the one to substitute the Head Chef when he is not there. He then has the biggest authority in the kitchen.
The responsibilities and tasks of a soux chef are very similar with those of the Head Chef. The soux chef is involved in every process related to the proper operation of the kitchen. Of course, he does some of the cooking. He needs to be impeccable on the job and show a good example for the other employees. But, to be a soux chef is to do much more than just cooking.
A big part of the soux chef’s job is to supervise the kitchen. Firstly, he needs to supervise the work of the kitchen staff. He should make sure that the food they prepare is up to standards. He should also monitor the quantity of food served in a portion. He cannot allow the other cooks serve more food per portion than the amount the customer pays for. If that happens, the restaurant will be losing on profits.
The soux chef also must take care of the supply and inventory of ingredients. He should make sure that the food delivered to the restaurant is of satisfactory quality, and that the deliveries are on time. He also needs to make sure that there is enough storage space for each delivery. Sanitation and safety are also concerns of the soux chef. Together with Head Chef, the soux chef will be a part of the compilation of the menus. The soux chef must know how to prepare well all of the dishes on the menu.
Any person interested in becoming a soux chef must possess certain qualities that make a great soux chef. In a kitchen, the soux chef is middle management. Part of his job is to lead the kitchen staff. Another part of his job is to help the Head Chef and maintain a good relationship with him. This means that the soux chef needs to be able to act as a leader and as a team player. This job would be hard for temperamental people. The soux chef needs to be approachable, open-minded, and quick on his feet. Working with people is hard, and it requires communication skills. Working in a kitchen means working on a really short deadline. The customer is out there, waiting for the product within the 20 minutes. Any problems that arise must be solved quickly.
Getting to the position of a soux chef will require a lot of time and effort on your part. A culinary degree wouldn’t hurt either. If you don’t have a degree, than you will need to accumulate a lot of valuable experience before you become a soux chef. And then, soux chef is only one step before you become the Head Chef of your own kitchen.