A guide to prepping ahead to help yourself in the long run.
I am a chronic planner. There is nothing I love more than to have a menu written out, a freezer full of prep, and a plan A, B and C in place. This has probably grown out of necessity after working on multiple busy charter boats and being caught with my pants down a few times (metaphorically, I may add).
There are different levels of things to make in advance, depending on what kind of doomsday scenario you’re prepping for. Give it a try with whatever time you have and enjoy that smug feeling of pulling out prep and, best of all, allowing yourself an extra 20 to 30 minutes at break time.
Easy, Low-Effort Buy-Ins
Pre-made burger and hot dog buns (get the St Pierre brand: brioche and beautifully burnished)
Sundae sauces (chocolate and caramel)
Mirror glaze (white and chocolate)
Candied nuts (pecans, peanuts etc.)
Basic
Minced ginger and garlic from scratch: Fresh ginger blended with vegetable oil and blitz peeled garlic with oil as well to have some handy helpers.
Cookie doughs: Make a huge plain batch, divide and mix in different toppings. I roll into long sausages with cling film and then slice frozen when needed.
Herb oils: elevates a dish, makes really cool herb mayo, and uses up all those excessive herbs. Use grapeseed oil for an extra green boost.
Dressings: homemade Caesar is elite; leave that bottled stuff to the rookies.
Banana bread: the first of our morning service tricks. It always seems like when the bananas get ripe, it’s all at once. So, it’s an excellent way to use them up and prep ahead.
Pickles! I went a bit wild this season — pickled chilies, lemons, radishes, shallots — all in small tubs in the fridge for an easy garnish and pop.
Gastrique/infused vinegar: give yourself a head start on the hollandaise and reduce white wine vinegar with shallots, tarragon and mustard seeds for flavorful punch.
Advanced
Bolognese: this one takes a little more time, and it’s best knocked out when batching some crew bolognese as well. Freeze in portion sizes because I’ve lost count of the number of times a young guest has requested bolognese while at the table.
Doughnuts: while not the most difficult, they do take up time and space, so by prepping a large number at once, you can keep them in the freezer, defrost overnight and then proof the next day to fry off fresh.
Cinnamon rolls: along the same lines as doughnuts. No one wants to get up early to prep these! Freeze after you’ve rolled them (or plaited, twisted, etc.) and then defrost overnight and proof in the morning.
Dessert elements: such as shortcrust pastry crumbs, brownies, churros sticks, mousse frozen in molds and frozen ganaches.
Pesto: I always find it a bit of a faff picking the basil leaves. Samin Nosrat of Salt Fat Acid Heat fame has the best recipe — her ratios are perfect, and I add the zest and juice of one lemon to make it my own.
Elite
Braised meat: let’s say I’m planning on arancini or dumplings — I’ll braise oxtail or short rib in advance and roll into balls and freeze.
Chicken jus: such a hack for beautiful sauces and flavor boosts. While it’s a long process of reducing, it’s mostly hands-off work. I keep a tub in the freezer and spoon some out whenever needed. (Bonewerks chicken demi-glace would bump this up to the basic category, and also works as a beurre monté base.
Canapes: think miniature spring rolls, beef croquettes and gyozas.
Entire desserts: think entremets or popsicles. Get Silikomart molds, and take a few days to prep all the elements (sponge, croustillant, gel, mousse) and then assemble and freeze. It’s the best feeling popping a frozen dessert out of the mold pre-service, spraying with cocoa butter (any color or a mirror glaze) and ta-da, dessert is ready.
Chocolates: this is something I’ve started dabbling in only recently, after completing the mymuybueno chocolate course by Hannah Rose. But once all my trays are full, and stashed away for the season, it feels really special to hand over a beautiful tiny plate of boat-made chocolates for the guests to enjoy.