Roasting and Baking

Introductions

Methods of cookery:

This week we focused on dry heat cooking methods, specifically roasting and baking.

Dishes prepared:

This week we will be making roast chicken, Ratatouille, and Lyonnaise potatoes. 

Lab Learning Objectives:

• Apply the principles of roasting and baking

• Apply the principles of boiling potatoes to make Layonnaise potatoes

Prior Knowledge:

Before this class, I knew (or thought I knew) what roasting and baking are. Upon actually thinking about it, however, I realized I had no clue whatsoever what differentiates roasting from baking. I guess I viewed the two words as interchangeable, and I’ve used both methods in cooking at home before. I know that both are dry heat cooking methods, and both use an oven. 

Background Information

Research and discussion of method of cooking/ techniques:

Roasting and baking are both dry heat cooking methods that use primarily convection heat inside an oven. According to The Flavor Bible (Dornenburg & Page, 2008), dry heat cooking enhances flavor through browning and caramelization. This makes complex aromas and deeper flavor profiles. Roasting is typically used for meats and vegetables and usually involves adding fat to increase browning. Baking is usually used for foods that already contain fat (like bread or pastry). Both methods usually use temperatures above 300F and promote browning with the Maillard reaction, which develops when proteins and sugars react under heat (Myhrvold et al., 2011). The browning is what gives roasted chicken its golden crust and flavor.

Scientific Principles:

Roasting works primarily through: Convection (hot air circulating), radiation (the heat from oven walls), and conduction (heat moving inward from the surface). The browning that occurs on roasted chicken creates hundreds of new flavor compounds (Myhrvold et al., 2011). Moisture evaporation  is also a big part of it. As the water evaporates, the flavors concentrate and the surface crisps up. For Lyonnaise potatoes, boiling first gelatinizes the starch. When potatoes are sautéed after, the outside crisps due to dehydration.

Research and discussion of primary ingredient:

Chicken:

Chicken is consumed all across the world and is extremely versatile. Its flavor is described as mild, which makes it ideal for roasting because it absorbs seasoning well. It contains proteins that tighten and coagulate as the temperature increases. 

Sensory characteristics:

Taste: Mild and savory

Texture: Tender when cooked correctly, although it can be chewy

Appearance: Pale and pinkish raw, golden brown when roasted

Aroma: Depending on how it’s prepared, the aroma varies. For instance, a garlic and herb chicken would obviously smell like garlic and herbs. Overall it has a savory yet mild scent. 

Potatoes:

Potatoes originated in South America and are a starch used very frequently worldwide. There’s all sorts of different types of potatoes, such as Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes. 

Sensory characteristics:

Taste: Mild, buttery or earthy depending on the type

Texture: Creamy when boiled or mashed, crispy exterior when sautéed

Appearance: Pale yellow interior, golden when browned. Skin looks like it has freckles and moles

Aroma: Earthy when raw, savory when cooked

Technical characteristics:

Potatoes are super high in starch. When boiled, starch granules gelatinize. When cooled down and reheated, they can crisp/brown due to surface drying.

Dish and Method Variations:

Roasting can vary in a few ways. First, the temperature/time in the oven: slow roasting (at a lower temperature, or covered) can result in a more tender result, whereas roasting at a higher temperature will cook the food faster and make a crispier result (like crispy chicken skin). There’s also a method called spit roasting which involves the food rotating. Ratatouille also can vary in method: it can be sauteed, it can be stewed slowly for a softer texture, and it can be oven roasted for more caramelization. Also, the shape of the vegetables can vary: they can be cut into round wheels and arranged in a pattern, like in the movie Ratatouille, or they can be cubed/diced and just tossed in a pan. Lyonnaise potatoes have a few different methods of preparation as well. There's a few different ways to pre-cook the potatoes: boiling the whole potato before slicing, slicing then boiling, or even using leftover baked or roasted potatoes. For the second half of cooking, you can pan fry them on the stove in butter, they can be oven baked, or even broiled. Adding different aromatics or types of onions is another way to change things up.

Recipes:

Roast Chicken:

Ingredients:	Amount:
Whole 3 ½ lb chicken Salt and pepper Butter (room temp) Lemon (halved)	1 ea TT 2oz 1 ea

Ratatouille:

Ingredients:	Amount:
Onion (med dice) Garlic (chopped) Olive oil Green bell pepper Red bell pepper Eggplant Zucchini Yellow squash Thyme (fresh) Tomato Concasse Fresh basil (chiffonade) Salt and pepper	4 oz .25 tbsp 1 fl oz 1.5 oz 1.5 oz 4 oz 2 oz 2 oz Few sprigs 1 ea As needed TT

Lyonnaise Potatoes:

Ingredients:	Amount:
White potato Onion Clarified butter Salt and pepper	1 lb 4 oz 2 fl oz TT

Roast Chicken:

Time:	Task:	Time taken:
8:00 8:15 8:30 9:00 9:30 9:35 9:45 10:00 10:15 10:30 10:45 11:00 11:20	Huddle with chef Gather ingredients Mise en place Prep chicken Chicken in oven Begin potatoes Prep ratatouille Fry potatoes Cook ratatouille Chicken out of oven, rest, make gravy Begin plating Plates up, eat Begin final cleaning tasks	15 min 15 min 30 min 30 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 15 min 15 min 15 min 15 min 20 min 40 min

Works Cited:

Dornenburg, A., & Page, K. (2008). The flavor bible. Little, Brown and Company.

Myhrvold, N., Young, C., & Bilet, M. (2011). Modernist cuisine: The art and science of cooking. The Cooking Lab.

Roux, M. (2010). Sauces: Savory and sweet. Quadrille Publishing.

CIA. (2014). The professional chef (9th ed.). Wiley.