à la minute

"À la minute" preparation of various dishes in the kitchen of a gourmet restaurant (here in the L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges by Paul Bocuse )

In gastronomy, à la minute ( French for “exactly to the minute”, à la “according to the way ...”) is the term used to describe the timing of the preparation of dishes that are ready exactly when they are to be served have to. The aim is to be able to serve different dishes at the same time when ordering “ à la carte ”, or to be able to serve the next course at the right moment for menus , without the quality being affected by keeping them warm or cold.

The term à la minute often refers to sauces as well as smaller pieces of meat that have to be served immediately after they are made. An à la minute sauce is usually made in the pan or pot in which the main course was prepared and uses the roast set or a base sauce as a base. Butter is often assembled in sauces à la minute . In general, sauces tend to appear “freshest and cleanest” and turn out to be "fresh and clean" when finished à la minute.

Cooking à la minute requires sufficiently experienced cooks and waiters and is therefore usually only practiced in upscale restaurants .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Michael Ruhlman, Anthony Bourdain : The Elements Of Cooking. Translating The Chef's Craft For Every Kitchen. New edition. Simon & Schuster, New York City 2010, ISBN 978-14391-7252-0 , p. 72 (English; limited preview in Google Book Search).