Most chefs I know struggle with costing complex dishes because they try to calculate everything at once. But dishes with multiple cooking methods need a component-by-component approach where you calculate each step separately, then add them together.
Why complex dishes are difficult to calculate
A simple dish has one cooking method. But many restaurant dishes combine techniques: a piece of meat gets seared, vegetables are sautéed, a sauce is made separately, and maybe there's a purée on the side. Each step has its own ingredients and its own losses.
⚠️ Note:
Many chefs only calculate the main ingredients. But oil for cooking, butter for finishing, and herbs also cost money. With complex dishes this can add up quickly.
Break each dish down into components
Treat each part as a mini-recipe. A seared duck breast with ratatouille and jus has three components:
- Duck breast: meat + oil + herbs
- Ratatouille: vegetables + oil + herbs + time
- Jus: stock + wine + butter + herbs
Calculate the cost price per component and add them up. This way you also see which part's eating into your margins.
💡 Example: Seared salmon with risotto and butter sauce
Component 1 - Salmon (per portion):
- Salmon fillet 160g: €4.80
- Olive oil: €0.15
- Salt/pepper: €0.05
Component 2 - Risotto (per portion):
- Risotto rice 80g: €0.60
- Vegetable stock: €0.25
- Onion: €0.15
- White wine: €0.40
- Parmesan: €0.80
- Butter: €0.20
Component 3 - Butter sauce (per portion):
- Butter: €0.30
- Lemon juice: €0.10
- Herbs: €0.05
Total cost price: €7.85 per portion
Calculate losses per cooking method
Different cooking methods have different losses. Meat loses moisture during searing, vegetables shrink from sautéing, sauces can break. And here's what most kitchen managers discover too late - ignoring these losses can push your actual food costs 15-20% higher than your calculations.
- Searing meat: 15-25% weight loss
- Sautéing vegetables: 10-20% weight loss
- Reducing sauces: 30-50% volume loss
- Deep frying: 5-10% weight loss + oil absorption
💡 Example: Steak with sautéed mushrooms
You want 200g steak on the plate, but due to searing loss you need 250g raw meat:
- Raw meat 250g at €32/kg: €8.00
- Mushrooms 150g (shrink to 100g): €1.20
- Oil and butter: €0.25
Total: €9.45 for what's on the plate
Use a fixed format for all recipes
Create an overview for each complex dish with all components. This prevents forgotten ingredients and makes price adjustments simple. A good layout includes:
- Component name (e.g. 'Grilled chicken')
- Ingredients with quantity and price
- Cooking loss percentage
- Subtotal per component
- Grand total all components
💡 Example: Tenderloin with vegetable medley and potato gratin
Component 1 - Tenderloin:
- Tenderloin 220g (20% loss): €13.20
- Herbs/oil: €0.30
- Subtotal: €13.50
Component 2 - Vegetable medley:
- Seasonal vegetables: €1.80
- Oil/herbs: €0.20
- Subtotal: €2.00
Component 3 - Potato gratin:
- Potatoes: €0.60
- Cream: €0.80
- Cheese: €1.20
- Subtotal: €2.60
Total cost price: €18.10 per portion
Check your food cost per component
Calculate not only the total cost price, but also which part's the most expensive. Maybe you can swap an expensive component for something cheaper without compromising the dish.
⚠️ Note:
Complex dishes quickly hit 35-40% food cost. That's unsustainable. Find your most expensive component and either adjust it or raise your selling price.
How do you calculate the cost price of a complex dish? (step by step)
Break the dish down into components
Make a list of all parts that are prepared separately. Treat each part as its own mini-recipe with its own ingredients.
Calculate the cost price per component
Add up all ingredients per part. Don't forget herbs, oil and butter. Include cooking losses (meat loses 15-25% weight when seared).
Add all components together
Sum all subtotals for the total cost price. Divide by your selling price (excl. VAT) and multiply by 100 for your food cost percentage.
Check which component is most expensive
Look at which part costs the most. If your food cost is too high (above 35%), you can adjust this component or raise the selling price.
✨ Pro tip
Test your component calculations on your 3 most complex dishes this week. You'll likely find hidden costs adding 10-15% to what you thought you were spending.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
What if I make different quantities of each component?
Calculate everything back to one portion. If you make 10 portions of risotto but 1 portion of salmon, divide the risotto costs by 10 for the cost price per portion.
How do I handle leftovers that I use the next day?
Don't count leftovers as waste. If you make a large batch of sauce and save half for tomorrow, divide the costs across all portions you make with it.
What if a cooking method uses a lot of energy, like the oven?
Energy costs aren't part of food cost but part of your overhead costs. Food cost covers purely ingredients, though you could consider whether a more energy-efficient cooking method works.
Can I combine different cooking losses in one calculation?
No, calculate each loss separately per component. Meat has different loss than vegetables. By calculating separately you see exactly where your costs are going.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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