DAY TWO ROASTING AND BAKING

Roasting is an indirect technique for dry cooking and can be used in tough or tender items.

Roasting Technique; Meats
Whole Roasted Chicken
Baking Technique; seafood
Whole baked fish
Sauce Making Pan Gravy
& Mushroom Sauce.

In our second day of class we read Chapter 11 Cooking meats and game, pages 287 to 297

Resume of pages 287 to 297: This section of the chapter belongs to the cooking methods of Roasting and Baking meats.

Roast and bake are names for the same procedure of cooking by surrounding them with heat. Although roasting is used for larger items, while baking is used for smaller items.

Seasoning using this method is made by using alternative methods to spread salt only to the surface of the meat. Since salt will not penetrate the meat enough to season, we can alternative use marinating the meat prior to cooking or serve the meat with a flavorful gravy or jus.

Temperature:

Low temperature: Continuous roasting at low temperatures cooks meat evenly and the item has better flavor.

Searing: Is starting at a high temperature and then lowering it to achieve a browned appearance, and cook evenly.

High Temperature.- When there is small pieces of meat that need to be roasted rare this method is used.

Fat Side Up.- When the fat side is up it gives a natural bath of fats to the rest of the meat called basting. We also can do a basting with its own juice to enhance the browning. Barding, means to cover the surface of the meat with a thin layer of fat.

Mirepoix.- We use carrots, onions and celery to prepare sauces for the meat not to roast because it will give away the water in the vegetables causing a moist effect on the meat.

Gravy and Jus.- are sauces made with the fats of the roasted meat and other ingredients.

Basic Procedure for Roasting:

1.- Collect shallow roasting pans to avoid collecting moisture and racks.
2.- prepare the meat
3.- Season
4.- place meat fat side up.
5.- Insert a thermometer to look for doneness.
6.- cook uncovered.
7.- Place in pre-heated oven
8.- Roast to desire doneness.
9.- If desired use mirepoix at the last half of the cooking time.
10.- Remove meat from oven and allow to rest 20 to 30 minutes to recover the juices in the meat.
11.- If held place in a warm oven to keep temperature
12.- While roast is resting, prepare gravy or jus
13.- Slice the roast at serving time and serve with the sauce.

In this chapter we also reviewed relevant recipes such as roast rib of beef au jus, and roast stuffed shoulder lamb.

At class we produce the following recipes:

Side dish Rice Pilaf
¼ C Converted long grain white rice
¼ C Wild rice
2 C Chicken stock
¼ C Onion, macedoine
1 tbs Carrot brunoise
A/n Butter

We sweat the onion in a sauce pan with butter, then the rice is added and folded into the butter and onions to coat it, after this the chicken stock is added to cover the rice. We let it simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated; we stir a little and check for seasoning, the blanched carrots are incorporated to the rice. The sauce pan is covered with foil and a lead, and then it is placed in the oven until it is done.

Chef’s critique: The rice was very good.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy Sauce

Chicken:
1ea Chicken, fryer or broiler 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 #
½ ea Onion, parmentier
½ ea Carrot, parmentier
½ ea Celery, parmentier
tt Salt and Black Pepper
tt Blended oil
1 sprig Thyme
1 sprig Rosemary
1 sprig Parsley
1 ea Lemon

When the chicken is stiff we rub it and massage it to loosen the skin and muscles.
Inside the chicken cavity we can season with the herbs, lemon, in the class we did not add the mirepoix to the chicken. Under the skin we added also herbs, slices of peeled lemon and butter for flavor and brushed a little oil on the top skin to favor the browning of the skin.
After seasoning, the chicken was truss with cooking cord, to cook it evenly.

To truss the chicken we tied the cord to one leg and bringing both legs together, then following the natural joint lines of the chicken we turned to the back side and then we tied the cord around the neck bone. For the wings we place each wing behind the back of the chicken in a resting position.

After this we placed the chicken in a rack on top of a tray to catch the fats.
The chicken cooked for about an hour and we checked for doneness with a calibrated thermometer, sticking it into the joints touching the inside bones of the chicken.

Chef Critique: My chicken was very well done with good color and seasoning. Juicy and cooked to the right temperature which is 155°F

Pan Gravy:
Fats remaining from roasted chicken
Mirepoix
Flour (enough to match the amount of fat)
2 cups warm chicken stock

With the fats remaining from roasted chicken we created a roux with some flour. Then we caramelized the mirepoix vegetables that we did not add to the chicken (celery, carrots and onions), we added
Chicken stock and simmer until the liquid took a thick consistency, it was strained and then we added some seasoning and lemon for flavor.
Chef’s Critique: The gravy was good but could use more consistency.

Baked Whole Fish
Ingredients:
1ea Whole fish
A/n Salt and pepper
A/n Fresh herbs: thyme, basil, parsley, oregano, etc.
A/n Olive oil
2oz. Onion, small dice
½ ea Shallot, minced
2ea Garlic cloves, minced
2oz. Mushrooms, ¼” (Crimini)
2oz White wine
2oz Chicken Stock
2oz Water
½ ea Roma Tomato, concassed & cut into macedoine
Chopped herbs for garnish

Always check for a fish that smells fresh, has bright eyes not white, its gills are pink and not green. Drag a Knife on the skin of the fish to remove any remaining scales after cleaning it. Cut slits on the side of the fish to aid in the cooking process.

To prepare the fish we seasoned rubbing in the outside salt and pepper, and placing in the inside of the fish all the herbs, garlic, mirepoix and some sliced lemon wedges.

In a pan we heated some blended oil, we sweat the shallot, mushrooms and onions until translucent we added minced garlic and immediately deglazed with wine, when it was au sec we added some chicken stock to the sauce, on top we placed the seasoned fish and on top the tomato concasse. Once we added the fish and the tomato, we placed the pan into the oven for 25 minutes.

Chef’s critique: My fish was well seasoned with a nice consistency and with good garnishment. The sauce was good too.


HOMEWORK DUE TODAY

Definition of Roasting.-Differences between Roasting and Baking.- Roasting and baking use the same cooking technique of surrounding the item with heat. Although roasting is a term used when the item is meat or poultry and baking is used when the item is a fish, pastries, vegetables and bread.

Develop a detailed procedure for the roasting technique:
1.- Start the oven at the desired temperature usually above 300°F to pre-heat;
2.- The meat to be roasted should be already marinated or seasoned;
3.- Place the item to be cooked in an uncovered rack on top of a shallow roasting pan to catch the juices;
4.- Change the item position from time to time to cook evenly in all sides.
5.- Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes;
6.- Add any sauce or juice to the meat and slice to serve.

List 5 different proteins that could be roasted
1.- Chicken;
2.- Beef;
3.- Pork;
4.- Veal;
5.- Game.



Definition of Saute.- To cook food in a hot pan with a little amount of fat and a lot of movement.

Procedure for Saute.-
1.- Place a pan on top of the stove to pre-heat;
2.- Add a little amount of blended oil and coat the pan;
3.- At high heat, place the food in the pan in small batches;
4.- Move and toss the food in the pan until done.

5 different proteins that can be sautéed.
1.-chicken fajitas
2.- tuna steak
3.- New York steak
4.- mahi mahi steak
5.- shrimp with garlic