Station Specialists
What is the Garde Manger?
This station chef is responsible for preparing salads, cold appetizers, and dressings.
What French culinary pioneer credited with inventing the Kitchen Brigade system?
Auguste Escoffier
The mandatory response line cooks must shout immediately after the Aboyeur calls out a ticket.
"HEARD!"
Traditional French kitchens had a Plongeur whose sole job was washing dishes. Why is this job still essential in modern kitchens?
Keeping the kitchen clean and ensuring cooks never run out of pots, pans, or plates
Commercial equipment used by the Friturier to submerge food in hot oil.
Deep Fryer
If an order comes in for a grilled ribeye steak or charbroiled burger, this station handles it.
Grillardin
Who is the second-in-command line manager who manages daily operations and steps in when the Head Chef is away
Sous Chef
The command given by the expediter telling a cook to immediately start cooking a specific dish component.
"FIRE!"
Auguste Escoffier based the original kitchen brigade hierarchy on this organized, rank-structured group
Military (or army)
Heated overhead lamps placed above "the pass" to keep completed dishes warm while waiting for pickup.
Heat lamps
What is the Friturier?
This station chef handles deep-fryer operations, making items like french fries and fried shrimp.
Who is Stationed at "the pass," this person reads incoming tickets, gives time checks, and inspects finished plates.
Aboyeur (Expediter)
The callout made by the expediter when an entire ticket is complete and ready to be served to the customer.
"PICKUP!"
True or False: Fast-food restaurants like McDonald's use an assembly-line brigade system to make food quickly
True
This long-handled metal tool with two arms is used by line cooks to grab, turn, and serve hot foods like steak or pasta safely.
Tongs
What is the Saucier?
Responsible for sautéed items, pan sauces, and warm gravies, this is historically one of the highest-ranking station roles.
What are Commis chefs?
Entry-level cooks or apprentices learning station duties under senior chefs are called this.
What cooks call out when walking behind a fellow chef with hot cookware or sharp objects to avoid accidents.
"BEHIND!" (or "HOT!" / "SHARP!")
In a modern kitchen, what is the main benefit of having station cooks work together as a team instead of individually?
Getting food out faster and hot to the customer
This basic wooden or plastic board protects countertops and keeps knife blades sharp while chopping vegetables.
Cutting board
Plating chocolate molten cakes, soufflés, and house-made pastries falls under this specialist.
Pâtissier
Essential role responsible for washing cookware, sanitation, and maintaining line inventory of clean dishes.
Who is the Plongeur (Dishwasher)
The physical counter or window that separates the Back-of-House kitchen staff from Front-of-House servers.
"The Pass"
In a classic brigade, the Garde Manger prepped all cold foods from scratch. In a modern fast-casual brigade (like Chipotle), who handles cold ingredient prep before the line opens?
Prep cook
What piece of cloth or protective gear must a line cook use to grab hot pan handles off a stove safely?
A dry side towel (or oven mitt)