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Culinary Arts & Cooking vocabulary · Kitchen Brigade & Roles

Commis chef

Meaning in culinary arts & cooking, with examples

/ˈkɒmi ʃef/nounCore term

In culinary arts & cooking, commis chef means: A junior chef at the start of their career who works under a chef de partie, doing prep and learning each section of the kitchen.

In Turkish: komi, komi aşçı, aşçı yardımcısı

How it is used

The entry-level title in brigade kitchens, especially in Europe and hotels. Often shortened to commis: first commis, second commis. A commis usually rotates through sections such as larder, pastry and sauce.

Example sentences

  1. The commis chef is on veg prep all morning.

  2. I started as a commis chef in a five-star hotel in Antalya.

Common collocations

  • junior commis chef
  • first commis
  • work as a commis chef
  • commis chef position
  • chef de partieA chef in charge of one section of the kitchen, such as fish, sauce, grill or pastry, often with one or more commis chefs working under them.
  • line cookA cook who works at one station on the line, the row of cooking equipment where orders are cooked during service.
  • brigade systemThe traditional way of organising a professional kitchen into a clear chain of command and sections, developed by the French chef Auguste Escoffier in the late 19th century.
  • prepShort for preparation: the work of getting food ready before cooking or service, such as washing, peeling, cutting, portioning and making sauces. Also used as a verb.

More terms: Kitchen Brigade & Roles

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