Savoir faire is a French phrase that might best be translated as “know how.”  In the kitchen, it refers to the ability to complete all the tasks necessary to make a dish.

If a chef or a recipe instructs the cook to sauté something, then the cook with savoir faire needs no further instruction. It’s understood that the pan will be hot, a small amount of fat will be used, and the product will be finished by de-glazing the pan with some liquid to pick up the “fond,” which refers to the browned bits of meat or vegetable stuck to the bottom of the pan.

More than knowledge of specific cooking techniques, savoir faire refers to a broader understanding of how several different cooking techniques can be applied to a several different foods to have them all ready at the same time in order to be served on the same plate. So if a fillet of fish is to be sautéed and served with a savory flan and a green vegetable that’s blanched in boiling water, a good cook will have the flan ready and the water boiling for the vegetables before the sauté is performed. This way, the vegetables garnishes are hot and at their peak of readiness when the pièce de la résistance is ready to plate.

Home cooks can use this way of looking at a meal to achieve mastery. It is unreasonable to expect that great cuisine will be simple, or that a novice cook can make even simple dishes perfectly on the first try. However, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that with a little practice, anyone can produce great dishes if they apply themselves and pay attention.

This month, we’ll look at two main dishes that incorporate several recipes.

First, consider Sole Meunière et Flan de Carotte, sautéed fillet of sole with a carrot flan and blanched pea vines.

Next, we’ll prepare Suprême de Volaille aux Duxelles, a breast of chicken with mushroom filling served with a gratin of potatoes and simple, buttered haricot vertes.