Prepare before you cook

Summary

This pattern is for home cooks who want calmer, more predictable cooking. It describes “mise en place” (French for “everything in its place”): reading, gathering and preparing everything before you turn on the heat.

Recommendation	Why?
Read the whole recipe, start to finish, before you begin.	You’ll spot marinating, resting or preheating times and steps that happen at the same time.
Check you have every ingredient and piece of equipment.	It’s far easier to change plans before you start than with a hot pan on the stove.
Clear and wipe the bench, and empty the sink or dishwasher.	You need space to work and somewhere for dirty things to go.
Wash, peel, chop and measure everything before cooking.	Once the heat is on you only have to add things, not prepare them.
Put prepared items in small bowls or on a plate, grouped by when they go in.	You can see at a glance what’s next and that nothing has been forgotten.
Preheat the oven or pan while you finish the prep.	The heat is ready when you are, and the cooking times in the recipe hold true.
Clean as you go.	A tidy space is safer to cut in, and there’s less to face when the meal is over.

Context

This pattern suits most stovetop cooking and baking, especially fast methods like stir-frying, where there’s no time to chop between steps.

It does not suit long, slow dishes where there’s plenty of idle time (a stew or roast), where you can comfortably prep the next stage while the first one cooks. It’s also overkill for something you make every week without thinking.

There’s a trade-off with washing-up. Lots of little bowls mean more dishes. You can cut this by grouping ingredients that go in together on one plate, or measuring dry spices into a single cup. This pattern accepts a few extra dishes in exchange for less stress and fewer mistakes.

Usage

Before you start: read the recipe and note every time-dependent step. Lay out the ingredients and tools, and put away anything you check off so the bench stays clear.

Prepping: set up a stable board (see Stable board, claw grip) and work through the vegetables, then meat, so raw meat juices don’t touch food that won’t be cooked. Wash the board and knife between raw meat and other food. Measure liquids and spices into containers in the order they’re used.

Cooking: with everything in reach, focus on the pan. Use a thermometer rather than the clock to judge when meat is done; see Cook by temperature, not time.

Cleaning up as you go: during idle moments, put ingredients back, wipe the bench, and stack used bowls straight into the dishwasher (see Loading and unloading the dishwasher).

References

Food Standards Australia New Zealand publishes advice on avoiding cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods, and most good general cookbooks describe mise en place in their introductory chapters.