Preparation, cooking and finishing of vegetable dishes - VTCT

Unit content
This section provides guidance on the recommended knowledge and skills required to enable you
to achieve each of the learning outcomes in this unit. Your tutor/assessor will ensure you have the
opportunity to cover all of the unit content.
Outcome 1: Understand how to cook complex vegetable dishes
Selecting vegetables to meet dish
requirements: Ensuring vegetables
are suitable (right quantity, quality),
weighing and checking quality of delivered
vegetables in front of the delivery person,
returns to suppliers, correct disposal of
unusable vegetables, menu requirements,
seeking advice from appropriate person/s.
Complex vegetable dishes: Timbale,
vegetable terrine, ratatouille, potato rosti/
gallette.
Characteristics of complex vegetable
dishes: Timbale usually combines different
ingredients baked in a round mould,
terrine is served at room temperature
(similar to a pâté but using more coarsely
chopped ingredients), ratatouille is a stew
of vegetables, potato rosti/gallette is made
from cooked or raw potato that has been
roughly grated then shaped into rounds
and fried.
Corrective actions for problems
with quality: Returning to suppliers,
substituting ingredients, correct disposal of
unusable ingredients, seeking advice from
appropriate person/s.
Tools and equipment: Grills, griddle,
deep-fryers, ovens, pans, woks, knives,
scissors, tongs, mincers, choppers, slicers,
graters, microwaves, wire racks, colour
coded chopping boards, trays, protective
gloves serving dishes.
Cooking methods for complex vegetable
dishes: Baking (root vegetables, potatoes,
sweet potatoes), boiling (broccoli,
cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peas, corn on
the cob, carrots, root vegetables, French
beans, spinach, cabbage, potatoes),
casserole (mixed root vegetables), grilling
(peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn
on the cob), roasting (potatoes, mixed
root vegetables, carrots), shallow frying
(potatoes, mushrooms), stir frying (onions,
peppers, carrots, mushrooms, bean
sprouts), steaming (broccoli, cauliflower,
Brussels sprouts, bean sprouts, peas,
corn on the cob, French beans, spinach,
cabbage), combining cooking methods.
Importance of using the correct
temperatures for cooking different types
of vegetables: Above 63°C ensuring food
safety, preserving important proteins and
minerals.
Methods used to maximise and retain
nutritional content: Preparing near to time
of cooking, cooking near to time of eating,
avoiding soaking vegetables, keeping
out of direct sunlight, cooking methods
(steaming, microwaving, stir frying).
Healthy eating considerations: Methods
of cookery (grilling, boiling, steaming),
substituting ingredients used in making
dishes, olive oil/polyunsaturated fats, spray
oils, low salt, controlled portion size, no
alcohol, not brushing with melted butter.
Combining vegetables with other
ingredients to create a complex and
balanced dish: Nuts, meat substitutes,
pulses, pastry, rice, pasta, colour,
appearance, balancing a final dish (portion
size, flavour, colour, seasoning, plate
appeal).
UV31185 7