Buffet Presentation

Chapter 11

Buffet Presentation

Chapter Overview

Buffets are one of the garde manger’s most exciting professional challenges. They demand a unique blend of culinary and management skills. The practical aspects of a buffet make them advantageous to virtually any type of operation. The creative challenges and opportunities they open up to the garde manger make them a meaningful way to advance and develop a career. The work of the garde manger as banquet chef falls into four distinct phases. In the first phase, the concept or theme is identified so that planning can begin. In the second phase, the menu and theme are worked out together, culminating in a production plan that makes good culinary and business sense from the menu to the plans for food presentation and service. In the third stage, the chef prepares plans for the layout and setup of the buffet lines, tables, and platters intended to make the buffet attractive and welcoming for the guest as well as efficient and practical for the service staff to replenish. The final stage, the actual production and display of the food, flows directly from the planning and preparation in the preceding stages.

Chapter Objectives

After reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to:

Ø Understand the phases of buffet events

Ø Recognize the importance of concepts and themes

Ø Explain how to plan a buffet menu, including a breakfast buffet

Ø Identify how price ranges are central to planning a buffet

Ø Discuss how to meet and exceed guest expectations

Ø Explain the role of action stations in a buffet, including raw bars, pasta stations, and omelet stations

Ø Explain mise en place and production for buffets

Ø Design a buffet to be both effective and attractive

Ø Understand how to enhance food presentation

Ø Describe the importance of centerpieces and displays, including ice carvings

Study Outline

Key Terms and Concepts

Concepts and Themes

Concept Menu Theme

The Menu

Clientele Competition Market segments

Pricing Trends

Price Range

Action station Cost per piece Food cost

Labor cost Organization Preplating

Purchasing strategies

Meeting and Exceeding Expectations

Action station Amount of food offered Authenticity

Development list Raw bar Variety of choices

Oysters

Atlantic oyster European flat oyster Flavor profile

Freshness Kumamoto oyster Pacific oyster

Shucking

Clams

Cherrystones Freshness Hard-shell clams

Littlenecks Shucking Topnecks

Steamed Mussels

Cultivated mussel Freshness Steaming

Wild mussel

Shrimp

Freshness IQF Jumbo

Large PND PUD

Poaching Small Steaming

Crabs

Claws Legs

Raw Bar Safety

Cultivation Depuration Impurities

Mise en Place and Production for Buffets

Buffet production order Consumption Cutting skills

Portioning Precision Production

Arranging Foods

Gross pièce Sequencing Slicing

Buffet Design

Action stations Chafing dishes Consumption control

Functional garnish Garnishes Linens

Lines Nonfunctional garnish Preplating

Satellite stations Serpentine line Steam tables

Straight line Table configuration Utensils

Waste receptacles

Enhancing Food Presentation

Aroma Asymmetry Balance

Color Contrast Cooking technique

Design Flavor Focal point

Function Regularity Shape and height

Strong lines Symmetry Texture

Centerpieces and Displays

Centerpiece Display Feathered ice

Focal point Ice block Ice carving

Chapter Exercises

True/False

____ 1. All facets of the foodservice industry have found effective uses for buffets.

____ 2. When a buffet is part of a special event or celebration, the food should be over the top so that it stands out.

____ 3. Breakfast and lunch buffets are designed to have wide appeal and work to improve the restaurant’s bottom line.

____ 4. Menu items in a buffet should be fresh and new and not drawn from previous events.

____ 5. Raw bars present too much of a health and safety hazard and should be avoided at all costs.

____ 6. A serpentine line is made by combining a series of horseshoe tables is a more fluid and contemporary look and can hold more food than a straight line.

____ 7. Pre-plating foods at a buffet event gives the chef better control over portioning, which means less waste.

____ 8. All senses should be stimulated in a buffet display, most importantly sight.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following is integral in holding together the theme at an event with a buffet?

a. The season.

b. The weather.

c. The guests’ comfort and expectations.

d. All of these.

2. The focal point for a guest at a buffet is typically:

a. The event.

b. The food.

c. The beverages.

d. The service.

3. Warm water oysters have a flavor profile of:

a. Mild, buttery flavor and creamy texture.

b. Briny, metallic flavor, and crisp texture.

c. Strong, salty flavor, and firm texture.

d. Mild, metallic flavor and creamy texture.

4. Raw bar products can be held on ice prior to service for:

a. 6 hours.

b. 12 hours.

c. 1 day.

d. 2–3 days.

5. On a meat platter, a large piece of the sliced item you are displaying is called:

a. A centerpiece.

b. A focal point.

c. A grosse pièce.

d. An identifier.

6. Who is responsible for the use of tablecloths?

a. The Greeks.

b. The Romans.

c. The Egyptians.

d. The British.

7. To prevent feathering in a block of ice that will be carved, you must:

a. Keep the water circulating while it is being frozen.

b. Freeze it rapidly.

c. Obtain the ice from a frozen lake.

d. Freeze it under bright lights.

Fill in the Blank

1. An event’s ______ is typically the starting point for developing a plan for the buffet itself.

2. It is the banquet chef’s responsibility to consider all aspects of the banquet including ______, ______, and ______.

3. ______include a carving station, a raw bar, and an omelet station.

4. Littlenecks, Topnecks, and Cherrystones are types of ______.

5. Smaller stations in a buffet setting that are used to break up the traditional “line” are known as ______ or ______stations.

6. ______and ______ are used in a buffet line to keep foods hot.

7. Garnishes that do not compliment flavors on a plate are called ______ and should not be used.

8. ______ are the most common electric tool used in ice carving today.

Short/Written Answer

1. Explain some general guidelines of how to arrange items on a line in a buffet situation.