Is it feasible to cook a gourmet tasting menu in a home kitchen?

Is it feasible to cook a gourmet tasting menu in a home kitchen? - From above of empty clipboard for recipe ingredients or menu placement located on desk with linen tablecloth and surrounded by fresh delicious tomato on branch together with chopped garlic and green parsley

This is not a question about cooking per se, but about professional cooks outside their day jobs. I have seen a few movies where chefs have a restaurant-grade kitchen and kitchenware at home, all ready to use on a regular basis. For example, in Chef, the titular character quits his job at a fancy LA restaurant after an argument with the owner, then goes home and proceeds to cook the same gourmet tasting menu he was planning to cook at the restaurant.

Is this a realistic depiction? Could he likely cook that menu at home, or would he likely need things present only in a professional kitchen? I understand that chefs might want to invest on high-grade hardware for their own homes, but I wonder to what extent they actually need to have everything they would need in their work kitchen.



Best Answer

I agree it's quite believable. Most restaurant equipment is more about cooking in bulk than being particularly specialized things you can't get at home. So it's extra durable/stays sharp longer or is just big (like a fridge).

It really doesn't take much money to make good food though. A lot of the gadgets and gizmos that you see on TV can be replaced with 1 good knife kept sharp...and a lot of chefs prefer a knife for the control. For example I have a mandolin. It cuts my vegetables very rapidly and saves me a bunch of time when I make vegetable stew, which I make a lot-- but it doesn't cut my vegetables evenly, which in a gourmet restaurant could be a problem for presentation. (Actually I'm going to get rid of my mandolin soon, too. I've gotten faster with a knife by now from practice.)

Another thing to think about-- being a chef is a hard job. If you're a gourmet chef you're probably passionate about cooking, so it makes sense to spend money on that hobby for at home as well.




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How do you serve a tasting menu at home?

The best way to do that is to choose a menu that makes it possible.
  • Consider your heat sources. The primary limiting factor is probably your heat sources. ...
  • When it makes sense, go cold! ...
  • Cook sous vide. ...
  • Choose courses with very little a la minute prep. ...
  • Choose courses that require different serving plates.


  • Are tasting menus worth it?

    A tasting menu gives your kitchen more creativity and inventory control to make costly ingredients more feasible to use. Guests also see tasting menus as a more elevated offering that they're willing to splurge on, an opportunity for a deeper connection with the chef, and a memorable dining experience overall.

    How do you make a tasting menu?

    Keeping It Simple: 10 Tasting Menu Ideas That Really Work
  • DO WHAT YOU DO BEST. ...
  • THINK OUTSIDE THE INGREDIENT. ...
  • MAINTAIN MENU BALANCE. ...
  • GIVE GUESTS ROOM TO BREATHE. ...
  • PAY ATTENTION TO PORTIONS. ...
  • OFFER SERVING FLEXIBILITY. ...
  • SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY. ...
  • SHOW OFF REGIONAL FLAVORS.


  • How do I make food taste like a restaurant?

    How to make your home cooking as flavourful as a restaurant meal
  • Time. Without a doubt, time is one of a chef's best tools and most valuable ingredients. ...
  • Cream 35 per cent. ...
  • Salt. ...
  • Citrus juice and zest. ...
  • Heat. ...
  • Fresh spices. ...
  • Shell out for certain ingredients.




  • Go Through the Entire 19-Course Tasting Menu of a Michelin-Starred Barcelona Restaurant




    More answers regarding is it feasible to cook a gourmet tasting menu in a home kitchen?

    Answer 2

    I saw this in action at my brother in law's wedding. His uncle, who is a chef on a ship, prepared the wedding meal in the inlaws' home kitchen. He was actually used preparing food for a ship's company in a much smaller kitchen. The only thing he did that was "different" equipment wise was he spent some time sharpening the knives before he started. It was fascinating to watch him work.

    If you look at the MasterChef kitchen, everything in their kitchen is available to the home cook (except maybe the liquid nitrogen, but really, how many professional chefs use liquid nitrogen on a regular basis?). The pans are mostly the heavier grade stainless, with the occasional teflon coated skillet used.

    With that said, I would really like a professional style flat top and gas burners. My home range doesn't quite have the "oompf" to keep the pan hot when I'm trying to sear more than about one serving of meat at a time.

    Answer 3

    Most restaurant equipment meets particular safety requirements or durability requirements. While there are some fancy pieces of large equipment that do specialized things (deep fryers, combi ovens), the vast majority of restaurant food can be reproduced at home with typical home kitchen tools. While made for entertainment, the scene you described is believable.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Karolina Grabowska, Gary Barnes, Katerina Holmes, furkanfdemir