Fusion-and-Modern-Cuisine-College-WorkBook.pdf.pdf

Workbook in Modern International Food Styles and Trends / Fusion Cuisine SCHOOL OF CULINARY MANAGEMENT SY 2020-2021 Version 6-29-2020 1  TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: FUSI...

Workbook in Modern International Food Styles and Trends / Fusion Cuisine SCHOOL OF CULINARY MANAGEMENT SY 2020-2021 Version 6-29-2020 1  TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: FUSION CUISINE 3 1.1 Assignment 7 1.2 Task 7 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 7 End of Topic Summary 8 CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION TO MODERNIST COOKING 9 1.1 Assignment 11 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 12 End of Topic Summary 12 CHAPTER 3: MODERN EMULSIFICATION AND FOAMS 13 1.1 Assignment 18 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 19 End of Topic Summary 19 CHAPTER 4: GELLING 20 1.1 Assignment 25 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 26 End of Topic Summary 26 CHAPTER 5: LOW TEMPERATURE COOKING 27 1.1 Assignment 32 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 33 End of Topic Summary 33 CHAPTER 6: SPHERIFICATION 34 1.1 Assignment 38 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 39 End of Topic Summary 39 2  CHAPTER 1: FUSION CUISINE 1. Course Description: This chapter discusses the scope of fusion cuisine and how it is made in a dish. 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Describe the scope of the fusion cuisine and its effect to the culinary world 1.2. Produce fusion cuisine dishes. 1.3. Present fusion cuisine dishes. 3. Discussion : FUSION CUISINE Fusion cuisine is the deliberate combination of elements from two or more spatially or temporally distinct cuisines. Transcending conventional geographical and historical boundaries, it is a unique form of cuisine particular to today's postmodern world. The precise origin of the term "fusion cuisine" is uncertain although "culinary globalization," "new world cuisine," "new American cuisine," and "new Australian cuisine," all other names for fusion cuisine, have their roots in the 1970s in the emergence in France of nouvelle cuisine, which combined elements of French and, primarily, Japanese cooking (Sokolov, 1992). As nouvelle cuisine spread to other nations, it combined with elements of the foods of the host country. As Adam Gopnik has observed, while the Enlightenment of new cooking took place in France, the Revolution occurred elsewhere. Indeed, fusion cuisine has emanated primarily from the United States and Australia, but has spread to other parts of the world as well. Fusion cuisine may have taken off in the United States and Australia, because of those countries' short history relative to the rest of the world, their unique immigration histories, their lack of a cuisine that is clearly recognized by other parts of the world, and, most importantly, their lack of a culinary tradition. 3 As fusion cuisine evolves, many more ethnic and regional cuisines beyond French are being combined to form new hybrids. Exemplars of fusion cuisine include Pacific Rim cooking predominant in Australia and New Zealand, and Norman Van Aken's New World Cuisine (combining Latin, Caribbean, Asian, and American elements) found in the United States. An example of a specific fusion dish that combines classic Chinese recipes with French techniques and Mexican ingredients is Susanna Foo's pan-seared sweetbreads with veal dumplings made with ancho chili and served with Sichuan pickled relish and crispy shallots. Fusion cuisine is distinct from historical combinations of cuisines, such as those that occurred in the sixteenth century when foodstuffs from the New and Old worlds mixed. It is also different from Creole cooking, which combines elements of French, African, Acadian, and Native American cooking. Geographers have described the long history of foodstuffs crossing geographical borders and the ways in which food is socially constructed through various processes (Cook and Crang, 1996; Bell and Valentine, 1997). Earlier forms of cuisine that combined elements from different regions or ethnic groups were reactive, rather than proactive, as is today's fusion cuisine. These cuisines emerged slowly from the everyday cooking practices that occurred within individual households and local communities. In contrast, fusion cuisine has developed rapidly and has found its way into everyday kitchens and restaurants as a direct consequence of the concerted and conscious activities of cultural intermediaries in the form of professional cooks, celebrity chefs, and cookbook authors. Fusion cuisine is an innovative and experimental process that demands from its practitioners the constant creation or re-creation of elements into novel food forms. Social and Cultural Conditions The social and cultural conditions that have contributed to the development of fusion cuisine, as well as most forms of contemporary cuisines, include increasing processes of globalization, increasing cultural flows through media and travel, the rise of a consumer culture, the modern food system, the expansion of the cookbook industry, the increased prominence of chefs throughout the world, the growth of the food and restaurant industry, and a greater concern with healthy lifestyles. Images constantly bombard the world, increase consumer knowledge, and escalate demand. Further, advances in technology have made foodstuffs from around the world available to all at any time. Boundaries are eliminated through the Internet, television, and the convenience and affordability of travel. Further, as consumers become increasingly concerned with living healthier lifestyles, the idea of mixing the healthiest elements from a variety of cuisines becomes appealing. For example, steaming and grilling may replace frying as a method of cooking, while herbs and spices are used in place of butter. The combination of these cultural and economic elements increases the likelihood that many culinary forms and combinations will exist. Fusion cuisine, like fusion music and religion, appeals to multiculturalism, diversity, and novelty; it is also quite easy to market. It is an expression of the contemporary world of images and actively promotes a blending and diversity of cultures. It is a global cuisine in the sense that its elements 4 are representative of cultures from around the world. One of the most interesting developments associated with fusion cuisine is that no single culture, with the exception of the French, dominates. Fusion cuisine combines elements of what are traditionally referred to as ethnic or regional cuisines, and may provide an opportunity to mainstream various ethnic and regional cuisines as well as provide opportunities for immigrant and minority chefs. Additionally, because of the hegemony of French cooking that persists in the culinary world, combining elements of French cooking may elevate the status of various ethnic and regional cuisines in a way that might not be accomplished otherwise. Fusion Cuisine Criticisms Fusion cuisine has been met with mixed reactions because it is characterized by its lack of rules, or perhaps more accurately, by the precept that the rules ought to change constantly. Fischler claimed that contemporary gastronomy might be better thought of as "gastro-anomy" increasingly characterized by its lack of normative structure. Critics argue that practitioners of fusion cuisine deconstruct French and other cuisines (which do have codified culinary traditions and are clearly understood as unique culinary languages), and reassemble them into "new culinary sentences" that are not grammatically correct. Another related and frequently echoed criticism of fusion cuisine is that it is a haphazard mixing of cultures that lacks a respect for tradition. Further, particular cuisines become more or less popular as part of the hybrid, depending upon what is "hot" at the moment and not necessarily upon what tastes good. Because of increasing processes of globalization and consumerism, it is unlikely that fusion cuisine is going away any time soon. There are limitless possible combinations yet to be created. Producing Fusion dishes Producing a fusion dish isn’t really that difficult, but one must know each ingredients pretty well to be able to create a good dish. Combining ingredients from different parts of the world is a challenge, but there are some basic guidelines you can follow. First, understand your ingredients. Know there flavors and complexities and what best compliments the flavor of that ingredients. Then you will be able to pair it up with other ingredients properly. Second, know the best cooking technique for a certain ingredient. By doing this, you’ll be able to bring out the best flavor of an ingredient and serve it with an absolute taste. And third, balance your dish. Balancing a dish is simply combining flavors or adding a little bit of acid to bring out the flavor for a wonderful and clean flavor. 4. Resources: 5 Encyclopedia.com 6  1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for 5 fusion cuisine dishes online. Explain why each can be considered a fusion dish Points 100% earned 1.2 Task 1. Of the 5 fusion dishes you were able to find, produce one of those dish. Take a video. 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 7  End of Topic Summary 1. Larger number of bakers are needed for hotels and large restaurants, while independent restaurants only need small number of bakers. 2. Scaling ingredients properly is important before mixing them and baking. 8  CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION TO MODERNIST COOKING 1. Course Description: This unit will discuss the science behind modernist cooking and how it affects the modern world. 2. Course Objectives: 1. Explain what is modern cuisine and its impact to the today’s culinary industry. 2. Identify the different modern cuisine techniques 3. Discussion : Molecular gastronomy Molecular gastronomy is the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking. The name is sometimes mistakenly given to the application of scientific knowledge to the creation of new dishes and culinary techniques. The scientific discipline—which was introduced under the name molecular and physical gastronomy and later shortened to molecular gastronomy—was established in 1988 by Hervé This, a physical chemist, and Nicholas Kurti, a former professor of physics at the University of Oxford, who were interested in the science behind the phenomena that occur during culinary processes. Although food science had existed for some centuries, its focus had historically been on the chemical composition of ingredients and on the industrial production and nutritional properties of food. Molecular gastronomy, on the other hand, focuses on the mechanisms of transformation that occur during culinary processes at the level of domestic and restaurant cooking, an area that had historically tended to rely heavily on tradition and anecdotal information. Molecular gastronomy seeks to generate new knowledge on the basis of the chemistry and physics behind culinary processes—for example, why mayonnaise becomes firm or why a soufflé swells. One side goal is to develop new ways of cooking that are rooted in science. These techniques are called molecular cooking, whereas the new culinary style based on such techniques is called molecular cuisine. 9 Molecular Cuisine Molecular cuisine or Modernist Cooking uses the science behind molecular gastronomy to create new techniques in cooking food in and help bring out a new set of flavor. The concept of applying science to food is actually already being done for hundreds of years. A good example is ham and pickling. With ham, you age pork thigh for a number of years by hanging it in a certain temperature and humidity. The result of this aging is a salty, beautiful and exquisite taste of pork ham. While in pickling, you either submerge or coat a fruit or vegetable into a vinegar brine and let it ferment for a few days or weeks. The result is a sour, yet tasty flavor that gives you a clean taste. Just like modernist cooking, you apply this type of process in food and develop a brand new texture or taste of a certain ingredient. Also, you give new experiences to your diners with the new techniques that you have developed. Chefs of the modern world There are many chefs who use the modernist style of cooking today, but we have to give credit to a man named Ferran Adria, who is considered the father of modernist cooking. He made modern cooking popular in his restaurant, El Bulli. People eat there to not just fill their stomach and eat good food, but also to experience food in a brand new way. From Parmesan cheese ice cream, to a flan that disappears when you eat it, or a caviar that taste like fruit and even an egg yolk that is color green and taste like risotto. These are the kind of food Chef Adria served in El Bulli and swept the modern food industry. Today, many chefs who trained under Ferran Adria have followed in his footsteps and has restaurants that offer almost the same experience as El Bulli. One of them is Grant Achatz. His restaurant Alinea serves modernist cooking style technique and gives diners a different experience when eating there. Common Modernist Cooking Technique In this book, we are going to explore five common modernist cooking technique. All of which have been used in modern kitchen these days. 1. Modern Emulsification 2. Foams 3. Gelatinization 4. Low temperature cooking 5. Spherification 10 4. Resources: Britannica.com 1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for 5 other chefs in the internet that uses modernist cooking. 2. How do you find modernist cooking? Do you think this style of cooking is something you could pursue once you’ve worked in a kitchen? 1.2 Task Research: Research on the five common modernist cooking techniques. Pick one technique and explain the science behind such technique. Points 100% earned 11  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Molecular gastronomy is the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking. The name is sometimes mistakenly given to the application of scientific knowledge to the creation of new dishes and culinary techniques. 2. Molecular cuisine or Modernist Cooking uses the science behind molecular gastronomy to create new techniques in cooking food in and help bring out a new set of flavor. 12  CHAPTER 3: MODERN EMULSIFICATION AND FOAMS 1. Course Description: This chapter will discuss how to produce modern emulsification and foam products 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Explain how to produce a good emulsified and foam products 1.2. Produce emulsified products 1.3. Produce foam products 3. Discussion : Emulsification Emulsifying is a very old cooking technique. Basically, it is when two liquids that don’t mix become combined in a way that is stable. The most common household emulsion is probably a vinaigrette. Since the two liquids are still separate they can fall out of suspension, causing the emulsion to “break”. This is what happens when your bottle of vinaigrette has been sitting for awhile and the oil is all at the top with the vinegar at the bottom. Each emulsion has two components, the “dispersed” liquid and the “continuous” liquid. The dispersed liquid is distributed within the continuous liquid. For example, if a swimming pool full of people was an emulsion the people would be the “dispersed liquid” and the water would be the “continuous liquid”. The majority of culinary emulsions are water based. These emulsions can take one of two forms, either water-in-oil, where the water is dispersed in the oil, or oil-in-water, where the oil is dispersed in the water. Some common oil-in- water emulsions are mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauce, vinaigrettes, and milk. Butter is the most common example of a culinary water-in-oil emulsion. Stabilizers Because emulsions are two different liquids that are in suspension, there is the tendency for them to separate and break apart. The way to counteract this is by adding something to strengthen the 13 emulsion, which are called emulsifiers. These emulsifiers can work in a number of ways but they all make the emulsion stronger and less likely to break. Several traditional emulsifiers are egg yolk (mayonnaise), mustard (vinaigrettes and sauces), and certain proteins (milk). Modernist cooking has introduced several new ones, many based on extracts from the traditional ones. For example, lecithin is the active emulsifier in egg yolks and can also be extracted from soy beans. Lecithin is also the emulsifier used to keep the cocoa butter and cocoa emulsified in chocolate bars. Many of the newer emulsifiers are much stronger than the traditional ones. This means that a smaller amount has to be used to achieve the same result with even less of a change in flavor. Adding a teaspoon of mustard to your vinaigrette changes the flavor drastically (albeit often in a good way) while a gram of lecithin will preserve the initial flavors. Another unique use of modernist emulsifiers is the ability to combine them in a way to reduce the amount of oil or fat needed. This helps create low-fat emulsions, including low-fat mayonnaise. You can also create “cream” emulsions from any fat and liquid combination, instead of just milk fats. This allows many interesting applications such as a bacon “cream” or other flavored creams. Emulsion Properties Droplet Size The finer the droplet size, the more stable an emulsion usually is. Using mechanical tools like a blender can create very small droplets which allows the emulsion to last for much longer than just using a whisk. Viscosity of Liquid The higher the viscosity of the liquid, the more stable the emulsion will be. By adding thickeners such as xanthan gum you can increase the stability of the emulsion. Emulsifying Tools There are many different tools you can use make emulsions. The most common one is the whisk, which does an ok job for vinaigrettes that don’t have to last as long. A good option to the whisk is an immersion blender. It creates finer droplets in the emulsion which leads to greater stability. A standing blender or food processor also works very well. At the high end of emulsion making are rotor-stator homogenizers, ultrasonic homogenizers, and the high-pressure homogenizer. These are all highly specialized tools that create incredible small droplets in emulsions. Vinaigrettes Vinaigrettes are one of the most simple emulsions and most cooks are familiar with them. They are the combination of vinegar with oil, though in this book we refer to most mixtures of oil and liquid as a vinaigrette. 14 A basic vinaigrette is 1 part vinegar and 3 parts oil that is whisked or blended together. With modernist ingredients you can help stabilize the vinaigrette in a few ways. Thickening the liquid will help keep the vinaigrette from breaking. This can be done with any of the thickeners but we typically use xanthan gum. You can also strengthen the vinaigrette by adding an emulsifier. There are several different ones but lecithin or mono and diglycerides are our favorites. The stabilization techniques can usually be used together for even stronger emulsions. Vinaigrette Process To make the strengthened vinaigrette I recommend creating a standard vinaigrette first and adjusting the seasonings as you like. Then you can blend the stabilizers. Vinaigrette Ratios For a typical vinaigrette, lecithin will be added as 0.5% to 1% of the liquid by weight. To help strengthen the emulsion you can add some xanthan gum at a 0.1% to 0.4% ratio, which will also slightly thicken it. You can also use mono and diglycerides at a 0.5% to 2.0% ratio. Foams Foams are one of the techniques most associated with modernist cooking, and with good reason. They are easy to make, very versatile, and fun to use and eat. Foams have been around traditional cooking for a very long time and include whipped cream, head on beer, and even bread dough. At the most basic level, foams are a structure that traps air in bubbles. Foams are similar in this way to an emulsion, which is when a liquid traps fat in a structure, or fat traps liquids in a structure. The structure can be made from a variety of things such as proteins, water, or fat. The texture of the foam is determined by the size of the bubbles and how much liquid is in the foam. Some foams are considered “set” foams, which means the structure has been solidified, such as when breaking bread dough and a souffle. Spectrums of Foams Whether they are called bubbles, airs, meringues, espumas, puffs, or froths, all foams share certain characteristics. Similar to gels, these characteristics lie on a spectrum. Fine vs Coarse The texture of a foam ranges from fine to coarse and refers to the size and uniformness of the bubbles. A foam where the bubbles are smaller and very uniform is considered fine. Whipped cream is an example of a fine foam. A foam with larger and less uniform bubbles are considered coarse. Some examples of coarse foams are latte froth, airs, and the head on light beer. Dry vs Wet The wetness of a foam refers to the amount of liquid that is in the structure of the bubbles. Usually, the coarser a foam is, the dryer it is. 15 Dry foams are mainly air and can be very light. The bubbles are typically larger and their flavor is diluted due to the lack of liquid. Most very dry foams are referred to as “airs”. Wet foams have much more liquid in their structure. They can range from light to dense foams. They are usually fine foams, rather than coarse foams. Most foams you know are wet foams such as whipped cream and milkshake froth. Airy vs Dense Foams can range from very light, such as airs, to very dense, mousse-like foams similar to whipped cream. The density depends on the texture and wetness of a foam. The finer the bubbles are and the wetter the foam is the denser it becomes. Types of Foams There are different names for types of foams. Some of these are interchangeable and none of the definitions are set in stone. To understand what people are talking about regarding foams, it’s important that you learn the characteristics associated with the following names. Airs Typically a dry, coarse foam that is mainly made up of air. Strongly flavored liquids should be used in airs because they have such little liquid. Dense Foams Dense foams refer to thicker, fine, wet foams. They usually have smaller bubbles. Whip cream is a good example of a dense foam. Light Foams Light foams lie somewhere in between airs and dense foams. They are finer and wetter than airs but not as thick as dense foams. Bubbles Like airs, bubbles are coarse foams but they tend to have more liquid in them than airs do and are made up of larger bubbles. They usually resemble common bubbles like those created by soap or shampoo. Froths Froths are usually wet but coarse foams. They are named after the froth that is often on the top of a milkshake or latte. Set Foams 16 Set foams are foams that have had their structure solidified. This is often done through heating or dehydrating. A loaf of bread and a baked soufflé are examples. Espuma “Espuma” is the Spanish word for foam and they are usually dense foams. They are always created by a whipping siphon and usually served hot. Meringues and Puffs Meringues and puffs are lighter foams that are often baked or dehydrated to set their structure. Stabilizing Foams In order for a foam to last more than a few seconds it needs to be stabilized. There are many ways to stabilize a foam, often by thickening or gelling the liquid. For best foaming action be sure to pick liquids that are thin and watery and do not contain many particles. If you want to make a foam from a thicker sauce you can try watering it down until it becomes thinner and running it through a chinois if there are larger particles in it. Thickened Liquid Foams One of the simplest ways to create a foam is to combine a liquid with a thickening ingredient, such as xanthan gum. Then you introduce air to it, usually through whipping, blending, or using a whipping siphon. This usually results in a coarse, wet foam that is on the lighter side. Xanthan gum is usually added in a 0.2% to 0.8% ratio, depending on the density of foam desired. Stabilized Foams Similar to thickened liquid foams, stabilized foams combine a stabilizer such as lecithin or Versawhip with the liquid. The resulting foam tends to be a little finer than thickened liquid foams. These can usually be made with most of the foaming equipment listed in this chapter. Using traditional stabilizing agents like egg white, cream, and sugar are also effective. Many of the things in those ingredients that stabilize the foam have been isolated and are sold as separate ingredients, such as lecithin. These are also incorporated into other modernist ingredients such as Versawhip. A ratio of 0.5% to 1.0% is commonly used for Versawhip. Lecithin is used at a 0.25% to 1.0% ratio. Xanthan gum can also be added for thickening at 0.1% to 0.5%. Fluid Gel Foams An effective way to create thicker foams is by using gels and fluid gels. You first turn the liquid you want to foam into a gel. Often times agar, carrageenan, gelatin, or methylcellulose are used to create the gel, or fluid gel. Depending on the ingredient, the gel can be whipped or put in a whipping siphon to create a foam. These foams have a range of textures and densities depending 17 on the fluid gel used. Agar fluid gels are usually made with a 0.25% to 1.0% ratio. Gelatin is used with a 0.4% to 1.7%. Xanthan gum can also be added to the above ingredients to thicken the foam, typically in a 0.1% to 0.4% ratio. 4. Resources: Modernist Cooking Made Easy; Jason Logson 1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for a recipe that includes emulsification in its procedure. Detail how the emulsification process in the recipe is done. 2. Look for a recipe that includes foam in the procedure. Detail how the foaming process in the recipe is done. 1.2 Task Produce the following sauces. Create a dish and include in that recipe a basic Sabayon. 18  Points 100% earned 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Emulsifying is a very old cooking technique. Basically, it is when two liquids that don’t mix become combined in a way that is stable. 2. Foams are a structure that traps air in bubbles. Foams are similar in this way to an emulsion, which is when a liquid traps fat in a structure, or fat traps liquids in a structure. 19  CHAPTER 4: GELLING 1. Course Description: This chapter discusses gelling and how to produce some gelling products 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Prepare gelled products 1.2. Explain the basic techniques on how to produce gelled products 3. Discussion : Gelling Gelling is a wide ranging and very important technique in traditional and modern cooking. It encapsulates everything from the old to the new, from custards to edible gel sheets to spherification. There are many different ingredients that cause gelling including eggs, starches like flour, and hydrocolloids like agar and xanthan gum. How Gelling Works Gelling is a very interesting process. There are a few different ways gelling happens but most of them result in some kind of solid structure that traps liquid in it. The structure is often made of proteins and gives form and body to the gel. To achieve this structure we have to add gelling agents to the liquid we want to gel. There are many traditional gelling ingredients most cooks are familiar with. Gelatin is often used in desserts as well as naturally providing body in stocks. Cooked eggs become gels. Even the proteins in flour form a network for doughs. Now, there are a variety of new gelling agents, many of which are called hydrocolloids, that give us a lot more control over the types of gels we create. 20 Gel Spectrums One of the biggest hurdles I had when learning about modernist cooking was understand the vocabulary for the different properties of gels. Many of the properties can be expressed by a spectrum so I’ve tried to explain them that way. Different ingredients, and different concentrations of ingredients, can move the gel along these spectrums. For instance, agar gels are brittle and iota carrageenan forms elastic gels. But if you combine agar with locust bean gum the gel begins to become more elastic. Brittle vs Elastic All gels fall somewhere on the brittle vs elastic spectrum. On the brittle side, gels easily fall apart with pressure, are grainy, and crumble easily. Conversely, elastic gels are more flexible, jiggly, and chewy. Gummy bears are a good example of an elastic gel. Soft vs Firm All gels also lie somewhere on the soft vs firm spectrum. Soft gels give under pressure and have a much more tender texture. Firm gels resist pressure and hold their shape better. The softness or firmness of most gels can be controlled by the amount of gelling agent used. Adding a higher percent of a gelling agent results in a firmer gel. Custards and Jell-O are a good example of soft gels and gummy bears are a firm gel. Sticky vs Clean The final spectrum that gels are on is sticky vs clean. Sticky gels tend to adhere to surfaces, and your mouth, similar to taffy or carmel. Clean gels do not stick to other substances, similar to Jell-O. Other Properties of Gels There are many other properties that a gel can have. Depending on how you are planning to use a gel they may or may not be important for any given preparation. Setting Temperature The setting temperature of a gel is the temperature below which the gel will form. For instance, gelatin has to be refrigerated before it sets while agar will set once it drops below 45ºC / 113ºF. Melting Temperature The melting temperature of a gel is the temperature above which it will unset and become a liquid again. For example, gelatin tends to melt at a hot picnic while agar can be heated up to 80ºC / 175ºF before it begins to melt. Not all gels have a melting temperature, such as thermo-irreversible gels, and will never melt. Syneresis 21 Syneresis is the leaking out, or weeping, of liquids from a gel. Sometimes this is the desired result such as when using a gel to clarify a liquid. However, most of the time syneresis is unwanted. Different gels have different levels of syneresis and many times you can prevent it by combining one or more ingredients. Locust bean gum is typically good at preventing syneresis with other gelling agents. Clarity The clarity of a gel is simply how clear it is. Gels can range from transparent to opaque. This is affected by the gelling ingredients and also the opacity of the liquid that makes up the gel. Flavor Release How well a gel will release the flavors of the liquid it is made of is referred to as its flavor release. Some gelling agents like gelatin have good flavor release while others tend to lock up the flavors more. Freeze-Thaw Stability If a gel can be frozen and then thawed without losing its structure it is considered freeze-thaw stable. This is a very important consideration if the gel is a part of foods made to be frozen and thawed. Hysteresis This is a very interesting property of gels. It basically means that the setting and melting temperatures are not the same. The higher the hysteresis, the larger the distance between the temperatures. For instance, water sets and melts at 0ºC / 32ºF, so if it’s below 0ºC / 32ºF it will freeze, and if it’s above 0ºC / 32ºF then it will melt. Agar, on the other hand, has a setting temperature around 40ºC / 104ºF and a melting temperature of 85ºC / 185ºF. This means if agar is a solid, then it will remain a solid until heated above 80ºC / 176ºF. Then as it cools, it will remain a liquid until it goes below 40ºC / 104ºF. The result is between 40ºC / 104ºF and 80ºC / 176ºF an agar gel can be either a solid or a liquid. Particle Suspending As discussed earlier, a gel is typically a solid structure that traps liquid. However, this structure can also trap other solid particles in it, suspending them. This is very useful for holding herbs in a vinaigrette or tomato chunks in a puree. Thermoreversibility If a gel can get set and then melt, like Jell-O melting on a warm day, then it is considered thermoreversible. If the gel cannot be unset, like a soufflé, then it is considered thermo-irreversible. Most thermoreversible gels can be set and unset many times without a loss in gelling strength. 22 Shear Thinning or Thixotropy Both of these terms refer to the ability to act like a set gel when at rest and to flow when agitated, as through whisking, stirring, or blending. This can be a very nice effect, especially for sauces you want to coat food with or for purees that need extra body. This is a common property in fluid or sheared gels. The Gelling Process Even though there are lots of different kinds of gels, most of the time a similar process is used to create them. For instructions for a specific ingredient you can see the chapter for it from the section on Ingredients. Dispersion Typically, the first step is to disperse the gelling agent in the liquid you want to gel. Dispersion is simply the act of evenly distributing the ingredient throughout the liquid. This will ensure a gel of even strength. A good example of dispersion gone wrong is when you try to add flour to a hot liquid. Instead of a smooth gravy you get lumps where the flour gelled together. Proper dispersion of the flour, usually using a water slurry or fat-based roux, eliminates the lumps. Depending on the ingredient you may have to use a hot, cold, acidic, or other liquid for proper dispersion. For some ingredients a whisk or spoon will work fine, others will need the stronger shearing forces of an immersion or standing blender. One exception to the rule of dispersing first is gelatin. It is hydrated, or “bloomed” first, before being dispersed. Hydration Once the gelling agent has been fully dispersed it needs to hydrate. Hydration is basically the process of absorbing water, or another liquid, and swelling. This absorption of liquid, in conjunction with other processes, causes the thickening of the mixture, creating a molecular mesh that traps water. Depending on the gelling agent and the liquid being used, hydration will occur at different temperatures and over different time frames. Many ingredients will need to be heated for hydration to occur, like flour and agar. Gelling or Setting The final stage is when the liquid actually gels. Many gelling agents will gel at a specific temperature, others may gel at any temperature. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to many hours. Fluid Gels Fluid gels are a special type of gel that behave as both a gel and a liquid. They may look like a gel and taste like a liquid, or look like a liquid but suspend other particles like a gel does. The best known example of a fluid gel is ketchup. It looks and acts like a gel in the bottle and will not come out despite your best efforts. Then suddenly, the shear forces are enough and the gel turns into a liquid and flows quickly all over your plate. 23 When to Use Fluid Gels Fluid gels have many of the same uses as thickened liquids but there are some specific differences between them. Thicker Liquids Unlike many thickeners, such as xanthan gum, fluid gels can be made very thick without developing bad textures. This helps create sauces with the consistency of ketchup or even pudding without developing unfavorable mouthfeel. If you tried to use xanthan gum to thicken the same amount if would develop an unappealing mucus-like texture. Stays in Place Because fluid gels act like a gel when they are stationary they tend to stay put on the plate better. This is nice if you have different sauces for different items, or if the sauces are a separate, decorative element. Also, unlike thickened liquids, they thin out when eaten, so the texture in the mouth can be different than the texture on the plate. Particle Suspension The suspension of particles can be accomplished both with a fluid gel and a thickened liquid. However, a thickened liquid will feel thick in the mouth while the fluid gel will feel thin and fluid. This is why many beverages with particles in them, such as fruit juices and flavored milks, use fluid gels instead of thickened liquids, they are more palatable. Fluid Gel Process Fluid gels are very easy to create. You first make a standard gel using one of a subset of the above gelling agents. You can adjust the initial thickness of the fluid gel by changing the concentration of the gelling ingredient. Once the gel sets you puree it in a standing blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. You can change the thickness of the pureed gel by adding xanthan gum to thicken it or liquid to thin it out. Fluid Gel Ingredients A few of the gelling agents work well for the creation of fluid gels. I’ve found best results for cold gels with agar, iota and kappa carrageenan, and gelatin. For hot gels, agar is really the only ingredient in this book that can hold up to the heat. Gellan, which we don’t cover in depth, is also commonly used. 24 Pre-Made Fluid Gel If you find yourself making fluid gels on a regular basis or want to gel raw ingredients, you can sacrifice some flavor by using pre-made fluid gels. Simply make a gel with water and 1% agar and let it set. It will last covered in the refrigerator for a week or two. When you want to turn a liquid into a fluid gel you puree it with some of the pre-made fluid gel. Just start with a small amount and continue adding more until the liquid is the texture you prefer. Because of the water content it will dilute the liquid some but the convenience can be worth it. 4. Resources: Modernist Cooking Made Easy; Jason Logson 1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for 3 videos using the gelling technique. Describe the procedure of each video. 1.2 Task Prepare any kind of dish and add a fruit caviar in that dish. Use agar agar or gelatine to produce a fruit caviar. Points 100% earned 25  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Gelling is a wide ranging and very important technique in traditional and modern cooking. It encapsulates everything from the old to the new, from custards to edible gel sheets to spherification. 26  CHAPTER 5: LOW TEMPERATURE COOKING 1. Course Description: This chapter will discuss on how to prepare dishes using low temperature cooking 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Produce products using low temperature cooking 1.2. Describe the effects of cooking food using low temperature. 3. Discussion: History of Sous Vide Sous vide, or low temperature cooking, is the process of cooking food at a very tightly controlled temperature, normally the temperature the food will be served at. This is a departure from traditional cooking methods that use high heat to cook the food, which must be removed at the exact moment it reaches the desired temperature. Sous vide was first used as an upscale culinary technique in kitchens in France in the 1970s and traditionally is the process of cooking vacuum sealed food in a low temperature water bath. This process helps to achieve texture and doneness not found in other cooking techniques, as well as introducing many conveniences for a professional kitchen. Sous vide has slowly been spreading around the world in professional kitchens everywhere and is finally making the jump to home kitchens. As sous vide has become more popular and moved to the home kitchen the term now encompasses both traditional “under vacuum” sous vide and also low temperature cooking. Some preparations rely on the vacuum pressure to change the texture of the food but in most cases the benefits of sous vide are realized in the controlled, low temperature cooking process. This means that fancy vacuum sealers can be set aside for home sealers or even ziploc bags. 27 How it Works The basic concept of sous vide cooking is that food should be cooked at the temperature it will be served at. For instance, if you are cooking a steak to medium rare, you want to serve it at 131°F / 55ºC. With traditional cooking methods you would normally cook it on a hot grill or oven at around 400°F- 500°F / 200ºC-260ºC and pull it off at the right moment when the middle has reached 131ºF / 55ºC. This results in a “bulls-eye effect” of burnt meat on the outside turning to medium rare in the middle. This steak cooked sous vide would be cooked at 131ºF / 55ºC for several hours. This will result in the entire piece of meat being a perfectly cooked medium rare. The steak would then usually be quickly seared at high heat to add the flavorful, browned crust to it. There are two basic components to sous vide cooking at home: temperature and time. Each one of these can affect the end quality, texture, and taste of sous vide dishes. Understanding how they affect the food is one of the most important things to learn as you begin sous vide cooking. Temperature All sous vide cooking is done at temperatures below the boiling point of water and normally not above 185°F / 85ºC. You usually cook the food at the temperature you want it served at, so most settings are between 120°F / 49ºC and 185°F / 85ºC, depending on the food being prepared. While the range of temperature used in sous vide is much less variable than for traditional cooking, the precise control of the temperature is of great importance. When you set your oven at 400°F it actually fluctuates about 50 degrees, sending it between 375°F and 425°F, which is fine when cooking at high temperatures. When cooking sous vide, the temperature of the water determines the doneness of your food, so a 50°F fluctuation would result in over-cooked food. Most sous vide machines fluctuate less than 1°F and the best are less than 0.1°F. This precision is why many sous vide machines are very expensive. However, there are many more home machines available in the last few years, some good do-it-yourself kits, and even some ways to accomplish “accurate enough” sous vide on the cheap. Time Cooking tenderizes food by breaking down its internal structure. This process happens faster at higher temperatures. Because sous vide is done at such low temperatures the cooking time needs to be increased to achieve the same tenderization as traditional techniques. Also, your window of time to perfectly cooked food is much longer than with traditional cooking methods because you are cooking the food at the temperature you want it to end up at, rather than a higher temperature. This also allows you to leave food in the water bath even after it is done since keeping it at this temperature does not dry out the food, up to several hours longer for 28 tougher cuts of meat. However, be careful not to take this concept too far as food can still become overcooked by sous vide, many times without showing it externally. Temperature and Time Together The power of sous vide cooking comes from precisely controlling both temperature and time. This is important because of the way meat reacts to different temperatures. At 120°F / 49ºC meat slowly begins to tenderize as the protein myosin begins to coagulate and the connective tissue in the meat begins to break down. As the temperature increases so does the speed of tenderization. However, meat also begins to lose its moisture above 140°F / 60ºC as the heat causes the collagen in the cells to shrink and wring out the moisture. This happens very quickly over 150°F / 65.5ºC and the meat becomes completely dried out above 160°F / 71ºC. Many tough cuts of meat are braised or roasted for a long period of time so the meat can fully tenderize, but because of the high temperatures they can easily become dried out. Using sous vide allows you to hold the meat below the 140°F / 60ºC barrier long enough for the slower tenderization process to be effective. This results in very tender meat that is still moist and not overcooked. Basic Sous Vide Technique Sous vide is actually a very easy and convenient method of cooking. First season the food and seal it in a plastic bag. Place it into a water bath preheated to the temperature you want the food to end up. Cook it from one hour up to several days, depending on the type of food. Remove it from the bag and briefly sear it for flavor and texture. While there are variations within each dish, almost every sous vide meal follows the same steps. Here is a more detailed look at those steps. Flavor the Food Just like many traditional methods, you often times flavor the food before cooking it. This can be as simple as a sprinkling of salt and pepper or as complicated as adding an elaborate sauce, spice rub, or even smoking the food. Depending on the type of seasoning it can either be rubbed directly onto the food itself or added into the pouch with the food. If you are using a normal home vacuum sealer and want to add more than a little liquid, freeze the liquid before adding it to the pouch. This way the process of vacuum sealing will not suck out the liquid. Otherwise, you can normally use food grade ziploc bags to seal food with liquids. When seasoning for sous vide most typical spices and flavorings can be used with a few exceptions: Fresh soft herbs like basil or parsley will not hold up well Fresh garlic or ginger can become bitter Vinegars can become more pronounced If you are cooking for more than 8 hours then you might not want to salt meat right away as it can draw out some moisture 29 You can also re-season the food when it comes out of the water bath. This is a good way to apply traditional rubs whose flavors you want on the surface of the food but not on the inside. Seal the Food Once the seasoning and food have been added to the pouch, remove the air and seal it closed. Removing the air results in closer contact between the food and the water in the water bath. This helps to facilitate quicker cooking since water transfers heat more efficiently than air. Sealing the food can be done with anything from ziplocs or food grade plastic wrap to a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer or even a chambered vacuum sealer. Some vacuum sealers have different strengths of vacuum to seal the bag and can be used to affect the texture of some types of food. Even though “sous vide” means “under vacuum” the vacuum sealing of foods is not critical to the sous vide process in any way. Any food-grade, sealable plastic bag works well. I often use Ziploc brand freezer bags and they work great. When using non-vacuum sealed plastic bags you should use the water displacement method, also known as the Archimedes principal, where you hold the bag underwater with just the top sticking out before sealing it. The pressure of the water forces out the air and creates a tight seal. When done properly this is almost as good as using a weak vacuum sealer and will work great for most low-temperature sous vide cooking. Heat the Water Simply bring the water bath up to the temperature you will cook at. This water bath will normally be the same temperature that you will want your food to end up at. Depending on the type of heat regulator, you may be able to have the food in the water while it heats. For others, it is best to preheat the water before placing the food in it due to early fluctuations in temperature. The most difficult part of sous vide cooking has traditionally been the temperature control. Maintaining a precise temperature is critical, both from a quality and a safety standpoint. For people wanting to experiment with sous vide, temperature control can be done with a large pot of water on a stove with a thermometer or by pouring heated water into a beer cooler. Cook the Food Put the food pouch in the water and let it cook for the amount of time specified in the recipe or on the Time and Temperature chart. For items that are cooked for longer amounts of time it can be good to rotate the food every 6 to 10 hours, especially if you are using less precise sous vide equipment. At some higher temperatures the sous vide pouches can float due to air released from the food. If that happens you might have to use a plate or bowl to weight them down. 30 Finish the Dish To get a good finish and texture to your food, especially meats, it is usually advisable to quickly sear the meat. This is usually done in hot pan, on a grill, or with a culinary blow torch. Some meals also call for other methods of finishing the food, such as breading and deep-frying for chicken. You can also quickly chill the food in an ice bath which is ½ ice and ½ water and then refrigerate or freeze the food for later re-heating. Choose Your Finishing Method One of the key things in most sous vide dishes is the finishing method used. The different methods add their flavors and textures to the meat. Depending on what the dish is and what you are trying to accomplish you will want to choose one of the following methods. Pan Frying Pan frying or pan searing is the most common method of finishing sous vide meats. It can usually be used instead of grilling with only a slight loss of the grilling flavor. It’s usually done in oil in a hot pan on the stove. The meat is left on just long enough to brown before being removed. Grilling Grilling is a great way to finish meat since it adds the smoky flavor and the grill marks so common in grilled foods. For most foods it and pan frying are interchangeable. Torching Many people that use sous vide often will invest in a good butane food torch for searing their food. A common torch is the Iwatani torch. Roasting Roasting or broiling are not as common as the other methods but they can be a great way to finish crusts or sear the top and sides of sous vide meat. It is normally done at 450ºF / 232ºC or under the broiler. You can also do this on your grill by using very high, indirect heat. Smoking Some recipes call for food to be smoked either before or after you cook them. You can still accomplish this by smoking it after you remove the food from the sous vide bath. For longer times or cold smoking it can be better to smoke the meat beforehand to minimize the time the food is in the danger zone. 4. Resources: Modernist Cooking Made Easy; Jason Logson 31  1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for 3 cooking videos using sous vide technique. Describe the procedure of each video. 1.2 Task Produce the following recipes using low temperature cooking. Bourbon glazed pork tenderloin Chicken Parmigiana Points 100% earned 32  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Sous vide, or low temperature cooking, is the process of cooking food at a very tightly controlled temperature, normally the temperature the food will be served at. 2. The basic concept of sous vide cooking is that food should be cooked at the temperature it will be served at. 33  CHAPTER 6: SPHERIFICATION 1. Course Description: This chapter will discuss on the science and how to produce products using the spherification technique. 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Prepare spheres using the spherification technique 1.2. Explain the methods needed to produce products using the spherification technique 1.3. Present products made by spherification 3.Discussion : Spherification Spherification is one of the hallmarks of modernist cooking. It is used to refer to spheres 6 mm to 30 mm / ¼” to 1” wide with a still liquid center. The smaller spheres burst like caviar when bitten and the larger ones release their liquid similar to an over easy egg yolk. When done right, if you serve these to guests who have never had them before, they will be the most talked about part of the meal. How Spherification Works At its most basic, spherification is controlled gelling. Some ingredients gel in any liquid, such as agar, so if it is hydrated it will set right away. However, some ingredients only gel in the presence of certain ions, such as calcium or potassium. These gelling agents are used in spherification. You can mix the gelling agent in a flavored, neutral liquid, one lacking the ions required to gel, called a “base”. If you drip this base into a “setting bath” that contains the ions, the outside of the base will begin to gel as the gelling agent interacts with the ions. If you remove it before it solidifies you will have a gel sphere, called a membrane, with a liquid center. 34 So using these specific ingredients in various ways allows you to control the gelling so it only occurs on the outside of the base, and only to a thickness that you prefer. Gelling Agents, Ions, and Sequestrants There are a few things needed to achieve spherification. Gelling Agents There are many gelling agents that can be used for spherification. In general, any gelling agent that requires specific ions to gel can be used. In this book we focus on using sodium alginate because it is very effective at both direct and reverse spherification. Once set, it also can be heated above the boiling point without melting, making it very versatile. However, you can also use carrageenan, gellan, or even pectin depending on what you are gelling and the properties you want the spheres to have. Ions In order for the gelling agents to gel they need to be in the presence of calcium or potassium. In order to supply this you add calcium salts. There are several different ones but the most common are calcium chloride, which has a bitter taste, and calcium lactate, which we prefer to use. Sequestrants Some liquids you want to use in spherification might already contain calcium or potassium ions. These liquids will not work as they are because the gelling agent will gel instantly. In these cases you need to use sequestrants. Sequestrants basically tie up all the calcium and potassium ions in a liquid so they can’t react with the gelling agent. You can then use the liquid for spherification like you normally would. Some common sequestrants are sodium citrate and sodium hexametaphosphate. The full use of sequestrants is outside the scope of this book but they are usually used in a 0.1% to 0.2% ratio. Direct vs Reverse Spherification There are two main types of spherification, direct and reverse. At the most basic level, in direct spherification the gelling agent is in the base and in reverse spherification it is in the setting bath. While it seems like a minor difference it causes a few changes in how they work. This is because in both methods it is always the gelling agent that gels, never the liquid containing the ions. Gel Location The location of the membrane is affected by the type of spherification used. In direct spherification the gelling agent is in the flavored base so the membrane grows inward as the ions reach the gelling agent. For reverse spherification the membrane grows outward, into the setting bath. 35 Gelling Cutoff What happens when the spheres are removed from the setting bath is also affected by the type of spherification used. Spheres made with direct spherification will continue to gel until eventually becoming solid. This is because not only is there gelling agent in the flavored base, there is now also some ions. These ions continue to gel the liquid so the spheres must be served in a timely manner. In reverse spherification the gelling agent is in the setting bath so once the spheres are removed there is nothing else to gel. This means these spheres can be stored for several hours before serving. Membrane Flavor The flavor of the membrane will depend on the type of spherification used. In direct spherification the membrane will be made of the flavored base so it will have a more pure flavor. In reverse spherification the membrane is made up of the setting bath. Often times sugar is adding to the setting bath to make it sweeter. Spherification Variables There are several things to keep in mind when using spherification. Thickness of Flavored Base If you are not freezing the base before using it then you may want to thicken it slightly with xanthan gum. A thicker base will hold together better and keep its shape in the setting bath. Usually 0.1% to 0.4% xanthan gum will be enough to do the job. Thickness of Setting Bath Another variable is the thickness of the setting bath. If the flavored base is denser than the setting bath the spheres may sink to the bottom and form in non-round shapes. Thickening the setting bath to the same thickness of the flavored base will cause them to float, suspended, in the setting bath. Acidity Some gelling agents, like sodium alginate, do not work as well with acidic ingredients. This is more of an issue in direct spherification and is something to be aware of if you are trying to make acidic spheres. Hot or Cold Many gelling agents can be heated before they melt, and this means that spheres made from them can be heated as well. If you are planning on serving the spheres in a soup or on a hot dish be sure to pick a gelling agent that works well with it. Please be careful serving spheres that are at high temperatures because they can cause severe burns since many people expect them to be cooler. 36 Reverse Spherification Process In reverse spherification you combine a calcium salt, typically calcium lactate with the flavored base you want to turn into a sphere. You then freeze this liquid in hemispherical or spherical molds, about 25 mm / 1” in diameter. Technically, you don’t have to freeze the liquid to make the spheres, it just makes the process much easier. When frozen, the spheres have no chance to break apart. It also allows you to create spheres of a uniform size more easily. Once the base is frozen you make the setting bath. This is done by combining water with the gelling agent and sometimes some sugar. In reverse spherification use sodium alginate. The frozen spheres of base are then placed into the bath for 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the membrane you want. Make sure the spheres are not touching or they will fuse together. It is recommended to start with one sphere at a time to test out some different setting times. That way you can see which one works best for your specific purpose. Below are some good guide on time needed for spheres stay into the bath: Small Spheres - 2 minutes Medium Spheres - 4 minutes Large Spheres - 5 minutes Thin membrane - 1 minute Medium Membrane - 3 minutes Thick Membrane - 5 minutes Once the membranes have set the spheres are removed and rinsed in a water bath. This bath can be warm or cold, depending on the temperature you would like to serve the spheres. At this point the spheres are ready to be served. Storing the Spheres The spheres can be stored for several hours or even overnight in liquid. However, the liquid can leech out some of the flavor so they shouldn’t be left in plain water for more than 15 to 30 minutes. If you know you will be storing them for an extended period of time I recommend setting aside some of the liquid used in the base, before the calcium is added, and storing the spheres in it. Carbonated Spheres You can also place the finished spheres into a whipping siphon, with some reserved calcium-free liquid, charge it, and let it sit for several hours to carbonate the spheres. 37 Reverse Spherification Ratios For the flavored base a ratio of 1.0% to 3.0% calcium lactate is typically used with a setting bath of 0.4-0.5% sodium alginate. 4. Resources: Modernist Cooking Made Easy; Jason Logson 1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. Explain the spherefication method. Differentiate direct and reverse spherification. What are the steps in the plain sponge method? What are the steps in the angel food method? What are the steps in the chiffon method? 1.2 Task Option 1: Look for the 10 spherification recipes. Option 2: Produce a dish with a sphere. Points 100% earned 38  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Spherification is one of the hallmarks of modernist cooking. It is used to refer to spheres 6 mm to 30 mm / ¼” to 1” wide with a still liquid center. The smaller spheres burst like caviar when bitten and the larger ones release their liquid similar to an over easy egg yolk. 2. There are two main types of spherification, direct and reverse. At the most basic level, in direct spherification the gelling agent is in the base and in reverse spherification it is in the setting bath. 39