Method of Cooking: Roasting

The term roasting is given to three different techniques of cooking. In all cases, the term refers to a dry method of cooking involving either the addition of fat/oil or the use of foods with high-fat content. The three techniques are Spit-roasting, Pot-Roasting, and Oven Roasting

Spit Roasting
This is the traditional use of the term roasting and is only applicable to cooking meats. It could be more accurately described as slow grilling as it involves cooking by radiated heat, on a spit, over a very fierce glowing fire. The meat is prevented from drying out by the constant rotation of the spit which allows the meat to baste itself with hot fat which oozes from the surface.

Pot Roasting (Poêle’)
Pot roasting uses a cooking utensil with a fight fitting lid. It is not a true roast because it uses moist heat. i.e. steam trapped under the lid of the closed utensil. The food is cooked with a vegetable called Matignon and butter (the only type of fat suitable) or mirepoix. Just before it is fully cooked the lid is removed to allow the steam to escape and the dry heat to colour the food.  The juices and veg are used to make the accompanying sauce. Pot roasting is suitable for duck, poultry, game.

Note: Matignon: An edible mirepoix that is often used in Poele’ed dish. Typically, Matignon includes two parts of the carrot, one part celery, one part leeks, one part onion, one part mushroom, and one part ham and bacon.

Oven Roasting
Food is cooked in an oven by dry heat at quite high temperatures. A small amount of fat or oil is used to stop the food drying out.

Heat transfer: Radiation, Convection, Conduction

Advantages

• Minimal fire risk
• Meat juices from the meat can be used for gravy which enhances the flavor
• Gives a variety to the menu

Disadvantages

• Constant attention is required
• Losses of nutrients like amino acids

Safety Rules

• The correct degree of cooking of meats must be accurately measured to protect the consumer from parasitic worms and pathogenic bacteria.
• Care should be taken when handling oven trays to prevent spillages of hot fat.
•  Safe practices should be observed in operational procedures, clothing, and footwear.

Method of Cooking: Grilling

Grilling is a fast, dry method of cooking that uses the intense heat radiated by an electrical element, gas flame, or glowing charcoal. The heat sources can be either above or below the food or both.

Barbecue
When the process takes place. Out of doors, it is usually referred to as ‘Barbecuing’. The heat source in this situation is usually glowing charcoal, a gas flame or an open wood fire, positioned below the food.

Grilling over the heats
This is cooking on greased grill bars with the help of fat over direct heat. Only first-class cuts of meat are used to grill in this method.

Grilling under the heat
In this method, food is put in a tray as a dish and kept under heat pans. Salamander is one of the best examples of this type of griller.

Advantages

• Grilling is a quick, easy method of cooking
• There is little loss of nutrients and less fat is used.
• Grilled food is tasty and easy to digest

Disadvantages

• Grilled foods cannot be successfully reheated and are difficult to keep warm without drying and toughening.  They need to be served straight away.
• Only tender cuts of meat, which are generally more expensive, can be used. However other foods such as vegetables, kebabs are suitable for grilling.

Safety Rules

• Do not leave food unattended whilst cooking. It will quickly overcook and burn.
• Keep floor areas free from spilled grease as this can lead to slippery and dangerous floors.
• Exercise great care when adjusting grill bars or salamander racks. They a heavy and contain
• hot food and oil.
• Exercise great care when adjusting grill bears or salamander racks. They are heavy and contain hot food and oil.
• Safe practice should be observed in operational procedures in clothing and footwear.

Method of Cooking: Frying

Frying is a quick method of cooking food in hot oil or fat but requires care and attention to produce satisfactory results. Frying gives food a good flavor and colour.

Methods of Frying
Four different methods of frying are shallow-frying, deep-frying, sauteing, stir-frying, and meuniere. Read each method one by one below.

Shallow-Frying
This is a dry method of cooking. Foods to be shallowly fried are cooked in a small amount of fat or oil the level of fat can be anywhere from halfway up the side of food.

Heat Transfer:
The food cooks by direct heat conduction from the metal surface. The frying medium may aid the process if a sufficient depth is used or merely serve as a thin lubricating layer to stop sticking and burning.

Deep-Frying
Deep frying involves the complete immersion of food in hot fat or oil. It is not in contact with any surface of the frying vessel.

Heat Transfer:
Conduction and convection.

Sauteing
Sauteing is tossing the food in the pan during cooking so that it cooks and browns on all sides. The name comes from the French for ‘to jump’.  Some times the food is described as sauteed even if it is too big to be tossed in the pan (Sauteed Chicken)  this simply means it has been turned so that it is browned all over.

Stir-fry
A traditional method of Chinese cookery used for fast frying vegetables and thin strips of meat in a specially designed utensil termed a wok. The base of the wok is rounded with high sides so that only a small amount of food is in contact with the heat and therefore, stirring is the only action needed to control browning.

Meuniere
This term means ‘in the style of a miller’s wife’. It describes a method of cooking that applies mainly to fish. Fish cooked in this way is seasoned, lightly floured (Presumably the connection with the miller) and shallow fried in butter or oil. The fish is sprinkled with lemon juice, garnished with a slice of lemon and finished with beurre noisette and chopped parsley.

Advantages
Taste is improved, along with the texture.
Increases the calorific value.
The fastest method of cooking.
In shallow fat frying, the amount of foil consumption can be controlled.

Disadvantages
Some times the food may become oily or soggy with too much absorption of oil.
More attention is required while cooking and care should be taken to avoid accidents.
The food becomes very expensive.
Fried food takes a long time to digest.
Repeated use of heated oils may produce harmful substances and reduce the smoking point.

Safety Rules
All operators must be trained not only to use the equipment but also in a fire drill procedure.
The correct level of the frying medium should be used.
The fryer must not be overloaded as this may cause hot oil/fat overflow.
Drain wet foods and then dry with absorbent paper. This prevents splatters of hot fat reaching the skin of the food handler.
Pans must be moved carefully on the stovetop to prevent splattering and burns.

Method of Cooking: Baking

Baking is a dry method of cooking in an oven. The texture, surface, volume of baked goods are modified by steam. This is produced by the food as it cooks or can be injected into the oven if required.

Heat Transfer
The heat source in the oven radiates infrared heat energy and also heats the air in the oven cavity directly and also heats the air in the oven cavity directly be producing convection currents. The surface of the food will absorb heat from both sources and also from the hot trays and racks by conduction.

Suitable foods and cooking procedures
The process of baking is usually associated with flour products; egg and milk dishes; fruit; vegetables and fish. The baking of meat usually involves fat and is therefore classified as roasting illustrates the application of the three methods to different foods and shows the cooking procedures for the main groups of baked foods.

Advantages

• Flavour and texture are improved.
• Variety of dishes can be made
• Uniform and bulk cooking can be achieved e.g. bun and bread.

Disadvantages

• Special equipment and skill are required.

Safety Rules

Care is needed in moving heavily loaded trays, into and out of ovens to prevent burns and scalds from the hot and steamy oven atmosphere.

The food-handler should take care when removing baked items from trays/bins/moulds.

Safe practice should be observed in operational procedure, clothing, and footwear.