February 13, 2023; Updated February 19, 2023
Introductions
List the method of cookery and dishes to be covered in class
During the sixth week of my HOSP 2350 course, we will be shifting our focus from learning about stocks and soups to learning about roasting and baking methods. We will be making a roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus, and suprême sauce.
List your learning objectives for the class
This week, I am looking forward to roasting a chicken. My Nana has done that for dinner on multiple occasions but now it is my turn. I also love mashed potatoes so I am very excited that we get to make mashed potatoes this week. I do not think I have ever had suprême sauce so it will be interesting to try something new.
Discuss your prior knowledge of the content
I have had roasted chicken all my life but I have never cooked it myself. One of my most favorite foods is mashed potatoes and I have always enjoyed making mashed potatoes. I enjoyed eating stir fried asparagus during our last lab class so I wonder if I will enjoy steamed asparagus just as much.
Background Information
Research and Discussion of method of cooking:
According to our textbook, roasting and baking are both dry heat cooking methods. Chefs will use these methods when they are wanting to cook and/or caramelize meats, poultry, bread, fish, vegetables, starches, or pastry items. If they are roasting an item, chefs may baste or moisten the foods with a melted fat or other liquid. This improves the overall appearance and texture of the food item. The heat being transferred through a convection process will penetrate the food by conduction. The surface of the food will dehydrate, and the food will brown as it begins to caramelize.
Unlike roasting and baking which are solely dry heat cooking methods, steaming is considered a moist-heat cooking method. Steaming is best used for delicate foods such as vegetables. This helps the vegetables retain their nutrients while still cooking them. It also helps enhance the food's natural flavor.
Scientific principles behind the method of cooking (for example, steaming, roasting, broiling)
When roasting and baking, the chef will be placing the food items in a closed chamber that will then be filled with hot, dry air. In turn, chefs would use a steaming cooking method if they were wanting to surround and cook food by utilizing steam only.
Research and Discussion of Dishes
For historical dishes
Suprême Sauce
Of all the dishes we will be making this week, suprême sauce has the most historical origin. Traditionally, according to TasteAtlas, suprême sauce is a rich sauce from France. It is typically made by combining a mother sauce with an additional ingredient. Usually this ingredient is a reduced chicken velouté. Although this dish can be used with several types of dishes, it is most often paired with poultry dishes.
For cooking methods
This week, we will be implementing multiple cooking methods. We will be steaming, roasting and baking. Each of these methods take practice to perfect and to utilize properly. I look forward to learning more about these methods and possibly more cooking methods I have not utilized before.
Dish/Method Variations
All of these dishes can vary based on which ingredients you choose to use and the flavor you choose to add. These dishes can also vary based on the quality of the ingredients you use. All of these factors will significantly alter the flavor, texture, and appearance of your dish.
Recipes
Results
Describe the outcomes of the lab class:
The outcome of our lab class on February 15th, 2023, was our class successfully practiced and produced a meal of roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus, and suprême sauce.
Describe how well the technique/cooking method worked:
The preparation of our dishes was successful overall. This was by far my favorite lab class this semester. The chicken was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Describe the sensory results of the dish:
Taste - Overall, each dish had a different taste because of their different ingredients. While each dish had a different taste, the dishes all tasted pleasant. The chicken had a mild lemon taste while the garlic mashed potatoes were buttery and garlicky.
Flavor - When it came to each dish, the flavors were different from another. This, in itself, made this week's meal interesting and exciting. I enjoyed having the aspects of a meal blending together on a plate.
Texture - During this class, there were MANY textures present. The suprême sauce was creamy but thick while the mashed potatoes were starchy and buttery. Additionally, chicken was meaty and hearty.
Appearance - Each dish we made this week had an inviting appearance. The appearance of a full meal on a plate this week was encouraging and I left the lab with a satisfied stomach.
Evaluation of Results
Explain and discuss the important outcomes:
The important outcome for this week was our class produced a series of dishes successfully and with the right amount of flavor.
Discuss the techniques that did work well:
One of the techniques that did work well was stuffing the chicken and adding lots of butter. I never thought of the idea of separating the skin from the meat to make pockets for butter. This technique worked amazingly well and I plan to use that technique every time I roast a chicken.
Discuss the techniques that did not work well:
One technique that did not work well was the suprême sauce in general. I feel the sauce did not taste right and the texture was more like glue than a sauce in my opinion. I did not like the sauce at all but I feel like with more practice, I could make a better suprême sauce.
Discuss the particular improvements and changes:
A few things I would improve on is working on a better way to incorporate garlic and butter into the mashed potatoes. It was fun to roast a head of garlic and squeeze garlic out of the pockets but, at the end of the day, this method did not allow for an even incorporation of garlic into the mashed potatoes. I was disappointed at the lack of garlic and butter flavors in the potatoes.
Conclusions
During our class this week, we successfully produced a meal of roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus, and suprême sauce. I look forward to the next class but I am also excited to make these dishes again on my own time. I was happy that my first time roasting a chicken went well and I would love to try roasting a turkey next time.
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