Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables places the competency in context and allows for differences between enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The range of variables also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

Product preparation
· grilled whole fish, fillets, cutlets
· fried fish fillets, crustaceans, molluscs
· batter
· crumbing mixtures
· potato chips.

Personal protective clothing
· aprons
· gloves
· hair covering
· protective footwear
· protective eye wear.

Occupational Health and Safety requirements may include:
· codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction
· enterprise-specific Occupational Health and Safety procedures, policies or standards.

Regulations and requirements:
· State and Territories' food regulations
· enterprise procedures
· enterprise food safety program
· enterprise quality assurance system.
· manufacturer's instructions.

Equipment:
· deep fryers
· grill plates
· frying baskets
· oil filtering equipment
· scoops
· packaging material
· wrapping paper
· refrigerated display units
· ice machines
· fish tubs
· display trays, tongs
· scales - electronic and mechanical
· knives and sharpening steel
· cleaning equipment
· cleaning chemicals
· thermometers or other temperature measuring devices.

Cooking medium:
· commercial cooking oils.

Each unit of competency has an evidence guide that relates directly to the performance criteria and the range of variables. Its purpose is to guide assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program. The following components provide information to assist this purpose.

Underpinning knowledge
The essential knowledge and understanding a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· product knowledge:
· correct marketing name
· harvest or fishing area
· prohibited species
· seasonality
· potential food safety hazards
· assessment of spoilage, defects and parasites
· shelf life of raw materials
· presentation of product
· handling, wrapping and packaging
· cooking methods, such as grilling, barbecue, baking
· hygienic handling of pre-cooked and cooked seafood
· hygienic handing of cooked and raw seafood
· suitability of different cooking methods such as grilling, baking, barbeque and steaming for species sold.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· identifying cooking times for deep fried and grilled seafood
· assessing seafood freshness and suitability as a "cook-to-order" item
· cleaning the workplace and using cleaning chemicals safely
· handling, wrapping and packaging cooked seafood.

Literacy skills used for:
· reading enterprise procedures
· writing customers' orders when taken face-to-face or by telephone
· reading cooking recipes
· identifying and tracing product.

Numeracy skills used for:
· accurately reading a thermometer
· reading and interpreting electronic scales
· calculating extensions of weight and price to give an accurate price of product
· calculating total of invoice or bill
· counting product for stocktaking purposes.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· cook, wrap and serve suitable product courteously and knowledgeably so that customer's needs are met, and then to clean cooking equipment and preparation area to ensure compliance with enterprise procedures and food regulations.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· deep frying and grilling of a variety of seafood species
· degree of freshness and spoilage for a particular species
· common seafood defects, diseases and parasites
· species identification
· food regulations for the preparation and display of pre-cooked product
· species harvest or fishing area, seasonality and cooking methods.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed after/with:
· No recommendations.

Context of assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
· select, prepare and cook, by deep frying and grilling, a range of seafood that has at least one of the following: fresh fish, raw crustaceans, molluscs
· demonstrate product knowledge for at least 3 common fish species, 2 common crustaceans and 2 common molluscs.

Resources required for assessment
Resources may include:
· deep fryer
· grill plate
· seafood product
· refrigerated storage rooms
· temperature measuring devices
· cooking medium such as oils
· cooking materials such as batters and crumbs
· wrapping materials
· cooking utensils
· Australian Seafood Handbook: An Identification Guide to Domestic Species, CSIRO.