Becoming a professional chef isn’t for everyone. Lately, the allure of the many top-rated cooking shows, paired with top-selling cookbooks has put this profession at the center of the public’s eye. Nonetheless, the fact is that while most of us love to eat, not all of us are cut off for a cooking life.
If you really think this is where you’ll find happiness, here are our top tips on how to become a professional chef.
1. Get a job in the kitchen
As we said, the life within a kitchen can be really rough and certainly not all of you will be cut out for it. So before investing thousands of dollars in a culinary school, you might want to consider getting a first job in the kitchen.
2. Pay your dues
Before turning into basically superstars, most of today’s world-renowned chefs have sweat it out for years, if not decades, in the kitchen. So if you’re not ready to take on some heat, this profession might not be for you.
3. Study the legends
When you’re out of work, take some time to study cookbooks and recipes of your favorite award-winning chefs. Try to understand what makes them different in the kitchen.
4. Train your palette
This one is absolutely mandatory. A top chef can only create unique masterful dishes by deeply understanding what flavors work together (and how!). Try to get to know and understand different textures and flavors from both spices, fish, and meats.
5. Go out
In order to become a professional chef, you need to know what’s out there. Be prepared to spend some money by exploring different restaurants and cuisines. You don’t need to go for 5-star restaurants, but need to be in touch with the new trends that top chefs are setting.
6. Explore your contacts
Most of today’s top chefs have at some point been apprentices in a kitchen. Be kind and attentive to the people you meet. You never know when your breakthrough opportunity will arrive.
