Course description
This free cooking course will cover a broad overview of various food preparation skills, cooking methods and more advanced techniques. One of the many building blocks for a chef to learn is making stock, an essential component in many dishes and the base for many sauces. Learn why, once a stock has been made, you need to follow the correct cooling down, storing and reheating methods in order to avoid bacteria growth. Next, see why sauces are crucial in marrying individual components and providing an explosion of flavour. Meat is the centre of many cuisines, courses and dishes so it is important to know the three categories domestic meat is usually divided into. Which is the generally the most prized and commands the highest prices? How does the quality differ depending on the type of animal it is derived from? How have breeders changed the qualities of certain meats to be leaner and lower in fat? Can some types of meats harbour a specific parasite that can cause serious health risks?
Poultry and seafood are also popular ingredients that, like meat, are significant sources of protein. The first group includes at least eight different types of birds and the course breaks down the most and least popular joints. It also covers what to look for when choosing seafood and how to tell if it is fresh or not. Gutting fish correctly is a crucial skill for all cooks to know, and the material will show you how to do so properly to avoid the guts releasing an enzyme that quickly spoils the fish. You will consider the types, anatomy and cooking of shellfish and cephalopods, which are also part of the seafood group. Finally, you will study the plethora of ‘side dishes’, including vegetables, grains and pasta. Learn how we have cultivated grains for centuries, including wheat, rice, quinoa, barley and many others, and see why pasta may be considered to belong to the grain family. Learn how combining flour and eggs or water creates pasta, and why making fresh pasta can produce a richer flavour.
Lastly, this free course focuses on desserts, many of which require highly specialised techniques to execute correctly. Whether made from chocolate or vanilla, or served hot to cold, being able to make a variety of desserts is crucial to being a well-rounded cook or chef. This course is essential for anyone who would like to brush up on their food skills in the kitchen, whether you are a home cook or a professional chef who is just starting out. By mastering the essential skills and techniques contained in this course, you will also be able to create your own dishes because you will have a solid foundation of methods and a knowledge of stocks, sauces, meats, side dishes and desserts. You will also conquer food waste and, of you own a restaurant or catering company, see how correct food storage and preparation can increase your gross profit. Stay-at-home parents, students, childminders and even carers can benefit from completing this beneficial food skills and techniques course.
Upcoming start dates
Training content
Preparing Stocks, Soups and Produce
Description: This module will teach you that stock is an essential component in many dishes and will form the base for many sauces. Once a stock has been made, use the correct cooling down methods, storing & reheating to avoid bacteria's growth. Sauces are also an essential part of any dish because they marry individual components and provide an explosion of flavour. We will also view the many different types of groups containing plants, fruit, vegetables, and fungi prepared as a main meal or as a side dish.
- Learning Outcomes
- Stock - An Essential Component
- Cooling, Storage and Soup-Making
- Sauces
- Brassiacas, Stalks and Leafy Greens
- Prepare and Cook Vegetables - Roots, Mushrooms & Potatoes
- Prepare and Cook Vegetables- Pods, Onions, Herbs & More
- Prepare and Cook Fruits
- Lesson Summary
Preparing and Cooking Meat
Description: In this module, we will learn a wide variety of common meat that are readily available. One of the most prized of all meat is beef, and it is divided into three categories. When cooking beef take in consideration that different cuts require different cooking methods and times. The next meat we will learn about is lamb. If it is less than six months old, it’s prized for being sweet & flavoursome. Pork meat is very versatile, and it is the basis of many cured products essential in the kitchen.
- Learning Outcomes
- Preparing Beef Cuts
- Preparing and Cooking: Beef
- Preparing and Cooking: Lamb
- Preparing and Cooking: Pork
- Game Meats & Offal
- Lesson Summary
Poultry
Description: This module will consider the eight poultry categories, which include the most commonly known ones such as chicken, duck, goose, and quail. We will also cover essential points to keep in mind when buying poultry as there can be serious health risks if specific rules are overlooked. Follow the correct cooking times and techniques to help you achieve delicious poultry dishes mentioned in this module.
- Learning Outcomes
- Categorizing Poultry
- Preparing Poultry
- Cooking Poultry
- Lesson Summary
First Assessment
- Assessment: Food Skills and Techniques - First Assessment
Preparing and Cooking Seafood
Description: Crucial points need to be remembered when selecting fresh fish. It should smell fresh and clean, with bright gills, eyes and firm flesh. Before it is cooked, specific procedures dealing with cleaning and gutting are crucial to do quickly to avoid spoiling a fish. The two categories that fish are divided into each have different cooking methods and handling. Shellfish & cephalopods and what are included in this category will be considered in this module.
- Learning Outcomes
- Round Fish
- Flat Fish
- Shellfish & Crustaceans
- Cephalopods & Seafood Recipes
- Lesson Summary
Preparing Grain, Pasta and Egg Dishes
Description: Grains are some of the oldest cultivated crops, forming the staple diet of countless civilisations. This module will consider the various types of rice & grain, each with a distinct flavour. Pasta-making is an essential skill to learn in the kitchen as fresh pasta can produce a tastier dish. Finally, we will learn about one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen: the egg. It can be used in sweet and savoury dishes, and are routinely used for their enriching and binding properties.
- Learning Outcomes
- Rice & Grains
- Pasta
- Eggs
- Lesson Summary
Preparing Desserts and Pastries
Description: Desserts represent a large category of dishes, some of which require a chef to be specialised. In this module, we will give a broad overview of basic techniques and dishes. A dessert is traditionally eaten at the end of a meal. Gelatine is used to set a dessert that is served at room temperature or chilled. Another type of product commonly used in desserts is pastry. Pastry products have diverse uses, from canapés and amuse bouches through to desserts and petits fours, & every course in between.
- Learning Outcomes
- Desserts & Meringues
- Gelatin, Cream & Bread Desserts
- Pastry Products and Suet Paste
- Lesson Summary
Making Biscuits, Cakes & Dough
Description: This course will consider different types of baking products and their cooking methods. First, we look at biscuits, which take their name from a French word meaning "twice-cooked", but most are now only baked once. Next, we consider cakes & sponges. The three main cooking methods described in this module allow you to change your cake or sponge's structure and texture. Finally, we will learn about different kinds of flours and how may they affect your dish.
- Learning Outcomes
- Making Biscuits
- Cake and Sponges
- Preparing Dough and Different Shapes
- Preparing Dough & Bread Recipes
- Lesson Summary
Second Assessment
Description: This secondary assessment enables you to review your learning, so you can determine your knowledge and understanding of the following modules: Preparing Grain, Pasta and Egg Dishes, Preparing Desserts and Pastries, Making Biscuits & Dough.
- Assessment: Food Skills and Techniques - Second Assessment
Course assessment
- Assessment: Course Assessment
Certification / Credits
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Identify the 6 stages that stocks are made in
- Discuss why it is crucial to thoroughly cook pork
- Summarize the types of poultry commonly available
- Indicate various types of flatfish and round fish
- Classify different types of rice by their appearance
- Recognize how pasta can be flavoured using a wide selection of ingredients
- Explain the correct method of turning and folding puff pastry
- Examine how and when fermentation occurs
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Alison is the world’s largest free online empowerment platform for education and skills training, offering thousands of CPD-accredited courses and a range of impactful career development tools. It is a for-profit social enterprise dedicated to making it possible for anyone,...