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EnglandFood Preparation & Nutrition

Section D: Skill requirements

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What practical food preparation skills must be mastered for GCSE Food?

The Section D skill requirements: general skills, knife skills, preparing fruit and vegetables, use of equipment, cooking methods, prepare-combine-and-shape, sauces, tenderising and marinating, dough, raising agents and setting mixtures.
A focused answer on the food preparation skills in Section D of OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering knife skills, use of equipment, cooking methods, sauces, dough, raising agents, setting mixtures, and how the skills are assessed.
9 min answer →

How do you plan a dish or menu, manage your time and use mise en place?

Planning and time management for practical work: writing a clear time plan, mise en place, ordering and dovetailing tasks, managing the cooker and equipment, contingency, and working safely and hygienically.
A focused answer on planning and time management for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering writing a time plan, mise en place, ordering and dovetailing tasks, managing equipment, contingency, and safe, hygienic working.
8 min answer →

How do you present food well and evaluate a finished dish?

Presentation and evaluation of food: the principles of presenting dishes (portion, colour, garnish, height, balance), and how to evaluate a dish against the brief using sensory analysis, nutrition and suggested improvements.
A focused answer on presentation and evaluation for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering the principles of presenting dishes well and how to evaluate a finished dish using sensory analysis, nutrition and the brief, with suggested improvements.
8 min answer →

What is the Food Investigation Task, and how do you investigate the properties of ingredients?

NEA 1, the Food Investigation Task: investigating the working characteristics and functional and chemical properties of ingredients through practical experiments, the structure of the 1500 to 2000 word report, and how it is marked.
A focused answer on NEA 1, the Food Investigation Task, for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering how to investigate the functional and chemical properties of ingredients, the structure of the 1500 to 2000 word report, fair testing, and how it is marked.
9 min answer →

What is the Food Preparation Task, and how do you plan and cook three dishes in three hours?

NEA 2, the Food Preparation Task: planning, preparing, cooking and presenting a menu of three dishes within three hours, the dovetailed time plan, the technical skills shown, and how it is marked.
A focused answer on NEA 2, the Food Preparation Task, for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering planning and cooking three dishes in three hours, the dovetailed time plan, the technical skills shown, food safety, and how it is marked.
9 min answer →