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: 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.

CLASSIFICATION OF SOUP with Examples

Majorly soups are categories into four types as: Thin, Thick, Cold and International.

Thin soups are further devided into two types; Passed and Unpassed.

Thick soups are categorised as chowder, bisque, puree, cream and

Sl.	Classification	Base	Passed/Unpassed	Finish	Example
1	Clear	Stock	Passed	Usuallygarnish	Varieties ofconsommé
2	Broth	Stock and cuts of vegetables	unpassed	Choppedparsley	Minestrone and scotch broth.
3	Puree	Stock, fresh vegetable	Passed	Croutons	Lentil and potato Related soup.
4	Valuate	Blond roux,veg,and stock	Passed	cream	Chickenveloute
5	Cream	Stock and veg. puree and white sauce	passed	Cream and Creammilk	Cream of   mushroom cream of chicken.
6	Bisque	Fish stock and shell fish	Passed	Finishwith cream	Lobster
7	Chowder	Milk,	Passed	Cream	Oyster

Broths

The term broth and bouillon can be used interchangeably. Broths are among the simplest soups to prepare. Normally, their flavor comes from long-simmering of a variety of ingredients together in one pot. An assortment of separately cooked foods may be added at various times during cooking requirements of the individual items. All the ingredients should finish cooking at the same time.

Consome

This is concentrated, a thin, clear soup made from meat, poultry or fish. The word has the same origin as consummate, meaning to bring to completion or to perfection. A consommé is cooked long enough for most of the ingredients to be extracted into the liquid. In the most general sense, consommé is a meat, poultry or fish stock, which has gone through a special clarification process, served hot or cold.

Purees

They are slightly thicker than cream soups & are somewhat coarser in texture. They are normally based on dried peas, lentils or starchy vegetables, such as potatoes & carrots.

Cream Soups

Cream soups are based on béchamel sauces.

Chowders

Thick soup resembling a stew made with meat or fish and vegetables, often flavored with cheese.

Bisque

These are traditionally based on such crustaceans such as shrimp, lobster & crayfish. These share characteristics with both purees & cream soups.

Veloute

A veloute is based on a light veloute sauce, a sauce thickened with roux & finished with a liaison of egg yolk & cream.

Vegetable Soups

Any soup containing one or more vegetables, cut in dice, brunoise, julienne, chiffonade or paysanne and eaten with the liquid they have flavored, is classified as vegetable soup or potage.

Cold Soups

This is a special category because this grouping of soups is served differently from any other: Well chilled, in chilled cups or bowls. The popularity of cold soup has recently increased. Many soups that are prepared to be a hot soup can be changed into a cold soup by simply chilling them well and making minor alterations to the structure and flavor. For instance, many purees can be served

chilled if they are made with little or no butter and thinned with cream after chilling.

International Soups

• Gazpacho – Spain
• Mulligatawny – Sri Lanka
• Chicken Broth – England
• Cockie Leekie – Scotland
• Clam Chowder – U.S.A
• Bortsch – Russia
• Beer soup – Germany
• French Onion Soup – France
• Minestrone – Italian.

Special Points for the Service and Preparation

• The first-class, clean, strong and flavourful stock should be used, as it would help in producing good quality soup.

• If there is a heavy entrée, the soup should be thin or light.

• If the heavy soup is served, the portion should be small.

• The soups should not in any way be filling or consist of food particles that require much chewing

• The garnish should be small and dainty so that they can be picked up easily by soup-spoon.

• Soups should be always moderately seasoned.

• Serve hot soups; piping hot, and cold soups; very cold.

• A little sugar should be added to tone the acidity of the soup, before mixing cream as it prevents curdling.

• Consommé should be amber in color (onions halved and browned on the hot plate are added to the soup for color)

• Accompaniments of the soups should be of a crisp character, e.g. Melba toast, various crackers, breadsticks, cheese croutons, bread rolls, etc.

• Entrée portions of one liter of soup yield five portions.

BASIC RECIPES OF CONSOMME WITH 10 GARNISHES

What is consomme?

The consomme comes from the word ‘consummate’ which means to bring to complete or perfect. It is a clear soup which is prepared from beef, chicken stock, and garnish with verities of ingredients. This can be served hot or chilled, consomme take it name generally from of the garnish for example:
Consomme Julienne: Julienne cuts of vegetable.

Basic Consomme (1 lit)

S No. Ingredients          Quantity

01         Minced meat          225gm.

02         Onion                  70gm.

03         Carrot                  50gm.

04         Turnips                  30gm.

05         Stock                  ½ lit

06         Egg white          2 no.

07         Celery                  40gm.

08         Thyme                  ¼ tsp

09         Bay leaf                  1 no.

10         Peppercorns          3 -6 no.

Method:

Mix minced meat and chopped onions, carrots, turnips, celery and mix well with egg whites. Add cold stock, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns. Then put on fire and go on starring so that the ingredients do not stick to the button of the pan and the articles are suspended. When the mixture starts boiling then control the temperature. And let it simmer until the coagulated mass come to the top. Simmer for ½ hour. When the consommé is clear and tasty then strain through a double muslin cloth and adding the seasoning agent.

Variation of consommé

SL.          Name                                            Garnish

01 Consommé Royal                    Dice of savoury, egg custard.
02 Consommé Julienne            Julienne cuts of vegetables.
03 Consommé Brunnoise            Small dice cuts of veg. (2mm)
04 Consommé Celestine            Julienne cuts of thin pan cake.
05 Consommé vermicelli            Fine noodles.
06 Consommé entasse                    Lightly jelly with gelatin.
07 Consommé Breton                    Julienne cuts of celery, onions lack.
08 Consommé Daubery            Floweret’s of caulis flower
09 Consommé Madrilène            Dice cuts of tomato and green peas.
10 Consommé st. German            Green peas.
11 Consommé cereals                    Rice and barley.
12 Consommé Paysanme            Uniform size cuts of fresh vegetables.
13 Consommé Diabolism            Diamond cuts of cheese bisque.
14 Consommé Aurora                    Tomato puree and tapioca.
15 Consommé Caroline            Dry cook rice.
16 Consommé Hungarian            Paprika powder and saute tomato.
17 Consommé Leopold            Semolina, Julienne of chervil.
18 Consommé Egg-drops            Beaten egg.
19 Consommé Thunderstone    Slice mushroom.
20 Consommé Florentine            Julienne cuts of spinach.
21 Consommé Washington            Sweet corn.
22 Consommé Permentiere            Potato
23 Consommé A ‘I’ Agnon            Golden brown onion.

SOUPS

Soups are a generally warm food made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are characterised by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purees are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisque are made from pureed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, lentils, flour, and grains; many popular soups also include carrots and potatoes.

Definition

It is probable that soup in its earliest form was a complete meal because it was found hearty, nourishing, economical and wholesome.

Soup is a liquid food consisting of meat, seafood, vegetables cereals or poultry. They play an important role on the menu and are regarded as appetizers as they stimulate the appetite for the heavier food to follow. On the menu, they are
served as the first course, if hors d‘oeuvre is not being served. If hors d‘ oeuvre is served then the soup is served as the second course.

Composition of soups

From the above explanation, it is evident that for making any kind of soup the following group of ingredients are obvious.

• Stock: of any variety.
• Main body ingredients: the soup will gets its name.
• Herbs: to match the flavor.
• Butter: as cooking medium.
• Seasonings: for the taste.
• Thickening agent: for binding solids and liquids.
• Garnish: for presentation and eye appeal.

The function of soup on the menu is to stimulate the customer’s appetite rather than act as a complete meal.  For this reason many soups are of alight and delicate nature.  Hot soups are a welcome feature on winter menus; conversely cold soups are ideal in the summertime.As the soup preparation needs very less amount of butter or fat and also not very spicy,it can be easily an ideal food for invalids.

EGG COOKERY

Introduction to Egg Cookery

An egg is a nutritious alternative source of protein to ovavagens. It is packed with a lot of protein and other energy-giving nutrients.

Initially, eggs were treated as non-vegetarian in nature, but today science has proved that unfertilised egg can be treated as vegetarian.

Egg cookery is very vast by itself. Eggs are used for cooking, baking, poaching, etc. be it in Indian style of cooking or continental, it plays a vital role. Eggs of hens, ducks, geese, quails, ostrich, and emu are used frequently nowadays.

The most popular and widely used eggs are of hens in India, although eggs of turkeys, guinea fowls, ducks, and geese are also used.

Colour
The colour of eggshells and egg yolks varies with the breed of hen and the food they eat, but this makes no difference to the food value.

Temperature
The ideal storage temperature for eggs is 2-5 degree Celsius.

Significance
Eggs are essential to all kinds of cooking, not only in the preparation but as food in their own right. They produce meals that are economical in price, and with a minimum of waste and time. By the term egg we mean those of the domestic hen, but these are not the only edible eggs. There are those of ducks, geese, turkeys, also of wild birds such as plovers and gulls.

An egg has been described as a “Complete Food” because they are highly nutritious and used in a range of recipes. Yolks and eggs are used separately.

In all culinary preparations, eggs are used for binding, colouring, enriching, increasing volume, coating, etc.

STRUCTURE OF AN EGG

Egg is primarily made up of shell, membranes, air cell, albumen, chalazae, vitelline membrane and yolk.

STRUCTURE OF AN EGG

Shell
Bumpy and grainy in texture, an eggshell is covered with as many as 17,000 tiny pores. Eggshell is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals. It is a semi-permeable membrane, which means that air and moisture can pass through its pores. The shell also has a thin outermost coating called the bloom or cuticle that helps keep out bacteria and dust.

Inner and Outer Membranes
Lying between the eggshell and egg white, these two transparent protein membranes provide efficient defense against bacterial invasion. If you give these layers a tug, you’ll find they’re surprisingly strong. They’re made partly of keratin,
a protein that’s also in human hair.

Air Cell
An air space forms when the contents of the egg cool and contract after the egg is laid. The air cell usually rests between the outer and inner membranes at the egg’s larger end, and it accounts for the crater you often see at the end of a hard-cooked egg. The air cell grows larger as egg ages

Albumen
The egg white is known as the albumen, which comes from albus, the Latin word for “white.” Four alternating layers of thick and thin albumen contain approximately 40 different proteins, the main components of the egg white in addition to water.

Chalazae
Opaque ropes of egg white, the chalazae hold the yolk in the centre of the egg. Like, little anchors, they attach the yolk’s casing to the membrane lining the eggshell. The more prominent they are, the fresher the egg.

Vitelline Membrane
The clear casing that encloses the yolk.

Yolk
The yolk contains less water and more protein than the white, some fat, and most of the vitamins and minerals of the egg. These include iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, phosphorus, calcium, thiamine, and riboflavin. The yolk is also a source of lecithin, an effective emulsifier. Yolk colour ranges from just a hint of yellow to a magnificent deep orange, according to the feed and breed of the hen.

SELECTION OF AN EGG

Selection criteria of an egg are as follows:

• A fresh egg is heavy. As the egg gets older it loses water through the shell making air pocket larger so the older the egg, the lighter it will be.
• One way of judging the quality is by observing the condition of the shell. When the egg is freshly laid the shell is covered with a substance called bloom. This coating disappears with time. So the egg may be considered as fresh if the bloom is there.
• One can determine the freshness of an egg by shaking it.
• Another is to break an egg on to the plate if the yolk is compact and positioned in the centre, the egg is fresh if the egg is old, the yolk has the tendency to spread.
• The freshness of an egg can also be tested by holding it up to the light this process is known as candling. Holding the egg in front of the light, an air chamber indicates fresh egg.
• It is easy to test the freshness of an egg by plunging into the water. The fresh egg will settle in the bottom of the glass and if the egg is stale it will float to the surface water.
• Stale eggs will have an unpleasant odour.
• Check for the crack in the shell which could let bacteria in and contaminate the egg.

USES OF EGG IN COOKERY

Various forms of using eggs in food preparation are:

Binding
Addition of eggs to minced mead and mashed vegetables etc. helps to bind the mixture. As the heat coagulates, the proteins are bound into a cohesive mass. It helps to retain the shape of mutton croquettes, meat loaf, medallions, hamburgers, etc.

Coating
The egg and egg batter help to give a coat to the food items and prevent them from disintegrating and give them a protective coating. Many of the food items such as fish fillets, croquettes, etc. are dipped into the batter before crumbing and then fried. Eggs are also used for preparing pancake batters.

Leavening
By beating the egg whites, foam is made up of air bubbles, surrounded by a thin elastic film of egg white. The mixture, when added to products such as sponge cakes, meringues, souffles, etc., increases the volume and the egg white film hardens. Addition of sugar to egg white makes it stable, smooth, and the foam does not collapse easily. Egg yolk has a less foaming power because of its fat content. An egg is used as the principal ingredient for Chou paste from which eclairs, beignets, fritters, and profiteroles are made.

Emulsifying
Eggs form stable emulsions. For example, mayonnaise, oil, and vinegar separate out unless oil droplets are coated with a substance that keeps them from separating. Eggs are the emulsifiers that give a smooth mayonnaise sauce. It is also used as an emulsifier in ice creams, cakes, cream puffs. Eggs enhance colour and shine.

Thickening
Eggs help to improve the consistency of gravies, curries, sauces, and soups. Egg liaisons used in soups and sauces help to thicken and improve consistency. When used in custards, the heat coagulates the eggs and makes the custard firm.

Decoration and Garnishing of Dishes
Silver, sieved or quarters of boiled eggs are used to decorate or garnish dishes such as salads, biryanis, curries, Vienna steaks, etc. For Consomme Xavier, threaded eggs are added as a garnish.

Clarifying
Consomme are clarified with egg whites.

Nutritional Value of an Egg
Eggs provide a significant amount of protein to one’s diet, as well as various nutrients. Chicken eggs are the most commonly eaten eggs and are highly nutritious. They supply a large amount of complete, high-quality protein (which contains all essential amino acids for humans), and provide significant amounts of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.

They are also one of the least expensive single-food sources of complete protein. One large chicken egg contains approximately 7 grams of protein. All of the egg’s vitamin A, D, and E are in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods which naturally contain Vitamin D. A large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg of cholesterol.