Chapter 6: Understanding Fish and shellfish

This is what i have learn for this chapter;

Composition and structure
- The edible flesh of fish is like meat and poultry that consist water,protein,fats and small amount of minerals and vitamins.
- Fish have a very little connective tissue and that makes the difference between fish and meat.
- Fish cooks quickly,naturally tender,moist-heat used to provide moistness and fish tends to fall apart easily when it is cooked.

Special problems in cooking fish
Doneness and flaking:
 >when the fish is cooked, it breaks apart into natural separations called "flaking".
 >fish often served overcooked because of residual cooking.

Observe these tests for doneness:
 >if the fish just separates into flakes
 >if there is a bone, the flesh separates from the bone and its not pink
 >the flesh has turned opaque or white ( depending on the fish)

Cooking fat and lean fish
→Lean fish are low in fat (flounder) :
 - Moist-heat methods - suited to poaching
 - Dry-heat methods - lean fish be basted if its broiled or baked
 - Dry-heat methods with fat - may be fried or sauteed.The fish gains added palatability from the added fat.

→Fat fish high in fat (salmon,tuna)
 - Moist-heat methods - poached like lean fish
 - Dry-heat methods - fat fish are well suited to broiling and baking.Removes excess oiliness.
 - Dry-heat methods with fat - can be cooked in fat.

Fish-market forms
-whole or round
-drawn
-dressed
-steaks
-fillet
-butterflied fillets
-sticks or tranches

Cutting fish-market forms
> Buying processed fish versus cutting it yourself:
- doing your own fish butchering based on:
  -freshness
  -cost
  -availability
  -usage of fins,bones heads and fat
  
 Saltwater fish- round fish
-FLAT : flounder,english sole,petrale sole,domestic dover sole, and turbot
-Example; 

• Bluefish 
• Jack
• Salmon
• Sardine
• Tuna
• John Dory
• Tilefish
• Shark
• Mahi-mahi

Freshwater fish

• Catfish 
  
• Eel
• Tilapia 
  
• Trout 
  
• Whitefish

Handling and storage

- Temperature is the most important concern with storage 

- Fish-stored at freezing temperature) to avoid bacteria from multiplying,retain moisture of the flesh,prevent fish odors,prolong the shelflife of the fish

-Storage time not exceed 1 to 2 days,if fresh.

Determining freshness:

• Smell
• Eyes
• Gills
• Texture
• Fins and scales
• Appearance
• Movement

Frozen,Canned and other processed fish

>Federal inspection

  -fish and shellfish grading is voluntary

  -performed on fee-for-service program

>Frozen - accounts for more daily consumption than fresh

>Checking quality; -should be frozen

                               -fresh,sweet odor

                               -wrapped well

>Storage; -be stored at -17 degree Celcius, 

                 -well wrapped to prevent freezer burn

                 -maximum time of storage : Fat Fish(2 months), Fat fish(6 months)

Thawing and Handling

Frozen raw fish

 -Thaw in refrigerator, allowing 18 to 36 hours

 -Small pieces can be cooked from frozen state, up to 8 ounces

Canned fish

- Check for signs of damaged cans

- Store in a cool dry place

- Opened fish should be put in a wrapped container, labeled, and can be kept for 2 to 3 days

Shellfish
➝Mollusks - soft sea animals.Commonly eaten; Bivalves,Univalves,Cephalopods
➞Crustaceans - animals with segmented shells and jointed legs

Miscellaneous Seafood
-Snails or escargot

-Frogs legs

-Surimi

Nutrition
- Fish & shellfish (low in calories,fat,sodium,high in vitamins A,B and D and protein)
- Fish high in group of polyunsaturated (Omega-3)

General Rule for:
Baking Fish- Bake at 350 degree F to 400 degree F ( 175 C to 200 C) for 10 minutes.

Broiling fish: - do not overcook
                     - use small slices
                     - broil thick cuts 
                     
For sauteing and pan-frying fish
- lean fish is best
- coat fish with breading or flour
- cook in butter/oil
- cook small items(over high heat), larger items(over lower heat)
- brown the most attractive side first

En Papillote - in paper ( cooked tightly wrapped with its flavoring ingredients and sauce)

Chapter 5: Understanding Poultry and Game Birds

Topic outlines:
1. Composition and structure
2. Inspection and grading
3. Classification and market forms
4. Handling and storage
5. Doneness
6. Trussing method

Composition and Structure
→The muscle tissue contains:
 - Water (75%)
 - Protein (20%)
 - Fat (up to 5%)
 - Small amounts of elements and carbohydrates
 - Muscles consist of muscle fibers and connective tissue
→Young birds more tender than older birds
Birds that do fly have only dark meat 

Maturity and Tenderness
-Tenderness of a piece of meat is related to connective-tissue and its increase with the exercise of the muscle and maturity and age.
-Young,tender birds (cooked by dry heat)

"Light Meat" and "Dark Meat"
Light meat - Breast and wings
                   - less fat,less connective tissue, cooks fatster














Dark meat - Drumsticks and thighs
                  - more fat,more connective tissue,longer cooking time

1. Cooking whole birds
2. Cooking poultry parts

Free range chickens
-allowed to go outdoors,move and eat in natural environment
-organic

Major problems with roasting
-cooking the legs to doneness without overcooking the breasts
  -barding
  -basting
  -roasting separate
  -roasting birds breast down

Grading of poultry and inspection
-all poultry consumed in the U.S. is subject to USDA inspection.

Grading

- universal
-graded according to their overall quality
-from the highest to the lowest
  -USDA grade A
  -USDA grade B
  -USDA grade C
  -no bearing on tenderness or flavor
  -grade based on: (shape of carcass,amount of flesh & fat,pinfeathers,skin tears,blemishes)

Classifications and market forms
Kind - species(chicken,turkey)
Class - the subdivision of kind
Style - amount of cleaning and processing (live,dressed)
State of refrigeration - chilled or frozen

Poultry
- the collective term for domesticated birds bred for eating. ( Chickens, Ducks,Geese,Turkey )

Chicken
→most popular and widely eaten
→contain white and dark meat
→any method of cooking
→available fresh and frozen
→poussin - special bird

Turkey
→the second most popular poultry in united states
→white and dark meat
→small amount of fat
→young turkey lends itself
→breasts can be cut into cutlets or scaloppine

Duck and Geese
→have dark meat only
→mostly in food operations
→high percentage of bone to fat to meat ratio
→large percentage of fat

Squab (Pigeon)
→dark meat and well suited for broiling,sauteing
→a little fat

Guineas
→flavorful chicken
→descendent of the pheasant
→domestically raised

Game Birds and Specialty Products
-Partridges
-Pheasant
-Wild duck
-Ostrich
-Emu

Ratites
-a family of flightless birds with small wings and flat breastbones.
-example; ostrich (native to africa)

Handling and Storing
-can be purchased in many forms; fresh,portioned controlled(PC),cut-up,frozen,individually quick frozen(IQF)
-perishable
-often bring salmonella bacteria
-hazardous food
-fresh chickens and small birds (stored on ice)
-do not refreeze poultry

Doneness
- cooked well done (except for squab and sauteed duck breast)
- there is difference between well done and overcooked

Dry-Heat cooking methods
 Broiling→Grilling→Roasting→Determining the doneness of poultry (touch,temperature,looseness of joints,color of the juices)

Chapter 4: Understanding Meat and Game

On 2 November 2017,we were teach by Chef Naim about understanding meat and game.

What i have learn from this chapter is:
1. Understanding meat
2. Composition,structure and basic quality factors
3. Inspection and grading
4. Aging
5. Characteristics of game meats
6.Primal cuts of beef,lamb,veal and pork

What is meat?
> Muscle tissue,flesh of domestic animals and wild game animals and the largest expense item of a food service operation.

Composition,Structure and basic quality factors:

• Water - 75% upwards
• Protein - 20% (important nutrient)
• Fat - 5% (muscle tissue) and 30% (carcass)
• Carbohydrate

Meat cuts are based on:
- Muscle and bones structure of the meat.
- Uses and appropriate cooking methods for various parts of the animal.

Structure:

• Muscle fiber - long and thin bound in bundles.
• Connective tissue - come from muscles that are more exercised.
• Collagen - the most important protein in connective tissue,skin and bones .
• Elastin - yellow connective tissue.

Muscle composition:
→ Gives the meat characteristic appearance
→ Muscle tissue is approximately:
     - 72% water
     - 20% protein
     - 7% fat
     - 1% minerals
→ Marbling(fat) adds tenderness and flavor to meat - principal factor in meat quality
    -refers to white flecks and streaks of fat within the lean sections of meat.
    -so named because the streaks of fat resemble a marble pattern.

Marbling

Inspection of Meats

- All meat produced for public consumption must be inspected by the USDA.

- Inspections ensure products are processed under strict sanitary guidelines and are wholesome and fit for human consumption.

Grading meat

- Beef: USDA Prime,USDA Choice,USDA Select,USDA Standard,USDA Commercial

- Veal: USDA Utility,USDA Cull,USDA Choice,USDA Standard,USDA Good

- Lamb: USDA Prime,USDA Cull,USDA Utility,USDA Choice,USDA Good

- Pork (Yield Grade): USDA No. 1,USDA No. 2,USDA No. 3,USDA No. 4

Yield and Grading

- Yield is the amount of edible meat to bone and fat ratio.

- Grading is voluntary,some purveyors and retailers develop their own labeling systems to ensure quality.

Green meat
- freshly slaughtered meat (their muscles are soft and flabby)
- within 6 to 24 hours,rigor mortis sets in to contract and siften
- rigor mortis dissipates in 48 - 72 hours while under refrigeration

Aging Methods
- to bring out the texture and flavor of the meat
- Wet Aging ; smaller cuts enclosed in cryovac (plastic vacuum packs)

- Dry Aging ; larger cuts of meat exposed to air

Understanding Basic Cut
→Carcasses - the whole animal except head,feet,entrails,and hide(except pork)
→Partial Carcasses;sides,quarters,foresaddles,hindsaddles
→Primal or wholesale cuts
→Fabricated cuts - Primal cuts of meat
→Portion-controlled cuts - Cuts ready-to-cook,processed to customer specifications


Basic Cuts- Beef
Forequater - chuck,brisket,shank,rib,short plate
Hindquater - full loin,short loin,sirloin,flank,round

Offal
Organ Meats - known as the offal (heart,kidney,tongue,tripe,oxtail)

Bone structure
-Identifying meat cuts
-Boning and cutting meats
-Carving cooked meats

Beef cuts
- chuck
- rib
- brisket
- tenderloin

Lamb cuts
- leg
- breast
- chump 
- saddle

Pork cuts
- loin
- spare rib
- leg
- side

Specifications
- important to a food service operation:
  1. Item name
  2. Grade
  3. Weight range
  4. State of refrigeration
  5. Fat limitations

Principles of Low-Heat Cooking
- High heat toughens and shrinks proteins and results in high moisture loss.

- Roasts cooked at lower temperatures have better yields.
- Liquid and steam the best conductors than air,moist heat penetrates quickly.

Breaking down connective tissue

-connective tissue is the highest in muscles
-long,slow cooking tenderizes collagen

How cuts are used
Rib and loin cuts : - very tender (roasts,steaks and chop)
Leg or round : - less tender (braising)
Chuck or shoulder : - tougher (braised)
Shanks,Breast,Brisket and Flank : - less tender (moist-heat)
Ground meat,Cubed,Steaks and Stew meat : - from any primal cut (dry or moist heat)

Preparing Meats
Barding→Larding→Marinating→Degree of doneness→Carryover cooking and resting

Searing and "sealing" meat
-Searing at high heat is used to create desirable flavor and color by browning all sides.

Cooking frozen meats
-cook from frozen to avoid "drip loss".
-most meats are thawed then prepared.

Carry-over cooking

Doneness
- Using dry or moist heat
- Dry heat - the meat is done when the proteins have reached the desired degree of coagulation.
     -Red meat (beef and lamb)
        -Rare: Brown surface, thin layer of gray, red interior
        -Medium: thick layer of gray, pink interior
        -Well done: Gray throughout
     -White meat (veal and pork)
        -From pink to gray-pink to off-white

- Moist heat - meat is done when tissues are broken down enough for the meat to be palatable.

Juiciness- internal flat,gelatin,protein coagulation

Cooking variety of meats

-Glandular meats (liver)

-Muscle meat (brain,oxtail)

-Other variety organ meats (caul,feet,intestines)

Game and specialty meats

-Game refer to poultry and meat (venison,boar,rabbit,hare) 

harevenison 

Storage of meat

Temperature control is essential→fresh meats (32 degree to 36 degree F)→frozen meats (0 degree to 20 degree F)(well wrapped)→quickly used it 

Chapter 3: Fundamental Of Soup

 Also on 26 October 2017-Thursday, we learn about soups in chapter 3. Actually there are a lot of things that we does not know about soup and there are three types of soups which is clear soup,thick soup and specialty and national soup.

I have learn about ;
1. 3 categories of soup
2. Standard portion size for soups
3. 3 groups of soup garnishes
4. Preparing soups

The definition and serving soup portions
What is soup?
▶Flavorful liquid that derived from meat,poultry,fish or vegetables

~Standard portion sizes:
 - table D'hote
    - 200 ml to 250 ml
 - Ala Carte
    - 300ml to 350ml

~Temperature:
 - serve hot soup-hot:
    ▶In hot cup or bowls
 - serve cold soup-cold:
    ▶In chilled bowls or in larger bowl of crushed ice

Soup classification
1. Clear - unthickened broth or stock
   (Broth,Bouillon,Vegetables,Consommé)

Stocks required for clear soup
- Consommé (very strong,rich,flavorful stock)
- Vegetable soup (from clear vegetable stock)
- Broth (from a stock of simmering meat)

2. Thick
▶Cream soups (thickened with roux or thickening agent - milk/cream)
▶Purees (a food that has been mashed or strained)
▶Bisques (cream soup made from shellfish)
▶Chowders (soup made from fish,shellfish,vegetables - milk or potatoes)
▶Potage (thick and hearty soup, thick soup from vegetables)

*Cream Soup judged on:
   -thickness
   -texture
   -taste

3. Specialty & national
     -soups that don't fit well into two main categories
     -national soups (native to particular countries and regions)
     -specialty soup (distinguish by unusual ingredients or method)

Preparing consommé:

Garnishes of soup

• In soup - meat,poultry,seafood,pasta,rice
• Toppings - herbs,grated cheese,egg yolks,sour cream
• Accompaniments - crackers,cheese straws,wafers

Chapter 2: Stock and Sauces

Thursday 26 October 2017, we were teach by our lecturer Chef Naim about "Stock and Sauces" in chapter 2. This chapter have a lot of information about the stock and the sauces that we all never know.

What i have learn is:
1. Stock definition
2. Ingredients that used to prepare brown and white stock
3. Understanding the procedure of stocks preparation
4. Types of sauces
5. The sauces family
6. Thickening agents

What is mise-en-place?
→Mise en place is to put everything in its place or preparing all the ingredients.

Planning & organizing production
Selecting tools & equipment
 -all equipment should be clean and sanitary
 -knives should be sharpened
 -measuring devices checked for safety

The skill of the knife
 -the knife should be sharp so that the product can be prepared in a safe and efficient manner with proper knife skills.

Using knives
Basic cutting techniques

• Concassé 
• Chop
• Mince 
• Slice
• Shred 

Basic cuts & shapes

• Chiffonade
• Rondelles
• Batonnet
• Fine Brunoise
• Brunoise
• Small Dice
• Medium Dice
• Large Dice
• Paysanne

Preliminary cooking and flavoring

Blanching & Par Cooking

  - increase holding qualities

  - to save time

  - remove undesired flavors

  - to enable the product to be processed further

Marinating

→The soaking of food in a flavoured liquid for the purpose of flavouring and tenderizing foods before cooking.

→Functions: - flavor the product

                        - tenderize the product

                        - control bacteria growth

→Types : - Cooked

                  - Raw

                  - Instant

                  - Dry

→Major ingredients :

    - Oil

    - Acid: vinegar,lemon juice,wine

    - Flavoring: spices,herbs,vegetables

Preparation for frying 

Breading - standard breading procedure (flour,egg wash,bread crumbs)

What is stocks? →a very flavorful liquid which use bones and mirepoix.

Ingredients in stock
- Bones (beef, chicken,fish,swine)
- Mirepoix ( mixture of 50% onions,25% carrots,25% celery
- Flavorings ( peppercorns,bay leaves,thyme,parsley,stems,onion) (do not add salt)

Mirepoix 
- most important contributors to flavor in a stock
- white stock : no carrot
- vegetable stock: variety of vegetables used

Principles of stock making: 
Start the stock in cold water→simmer(3 hours)→skim the scum frequently→strain (carefully)→cool the stock quickly→store stock properly→degrease the stock

White stock

• Neutral stock (beef,veal or chicken bones)
• Blanching bones

Brown stock

• Made from chicken,veal,beef or game bones
• Caramelizing (deglazing the pan, caramelizing mirepoix,adding water)

Fish stocks and fumet

• Bones and heads of fish and crustacean shells
• Oily fish are not generally used
• Bones are not blanched
• Fumets differ from stock because very strong flavor and contain acidic ingredients
• Less time than other stock (35 to 40 minutes)

Vegetables stock

• Clear and light colored
• No gelatin and has little body
• Used as a substitute for meat stocks in vegetarian dishes
• Strongly flavored vegetables from the cruciferous family or those that are bitter should be avoided
• Potatoes and other starchy vegetables will cloud the stock and should be avoided

Commercial or convenience bases

- powder or paste flavoring added to water,used to replace stock

- even the best base is a poor substitute for a well-made stock

- bases vary greatly in quality and price

- sodium (salt) main ingredients in many bases

Court bouillon

▶Commonly used to poach fish and shellfish

▶Not a stock but prepared in the same manner

▶A flavored liquid, usually water and wine or vinegar in which vegetables and the seasonings have been simmered to impart their flavors and aromas

Glaze

▶ a dramatically reduced stock

▶ 1 gallon of stock produces 1 to 2 cups of glaze

     ➡Glace de viande (brown stock)

     ➡Glace de volaille (white stock)

Sauces

▶ a very flavorful liquid plus thickening agents

▶ procedures for fine sauce making: 

   →Make good stocks

   →Use thickening agents properly to achieve the desired texture,flavor and appearance

   →Use seasonings properly to achieve the desired flavors

Thickening agents

- Roux is a cooked mixture of butter

- Equal amount fat and flour

- White roux (white sauces) , Blond roux (ivory-colored sauces) , Brown roux (brown sauces)

Incorporating roux into a liquid

Two ways to incorporate roux:

1. Whisking method

2. Tempering method

Other thickening agents

• Cornstarch (slurry)
• Arrowroot
• Beurre manié
• Liaison
• Bread crumbs

Sauces families

The five mother sauces:

▶Béchamel-(cream,cheese,mornay,nantua,soubise)

▶Veloute - [white stock + white roux]

▶Espagnole(brown) - [brown stock + brown roux]

▶Tomato - (creole,spanish,milanaise)

▶Hollandaise - (béarnaise,choron,maltaise) - use egg yolk + fat

Butter sauces 
-compound butter
-monter au beurre
-beurre rouge
-beurre blanc

Other sauces and modern sauces:

• Pan gravy
• Essence
• Pesto
• Pan sauces
• Broth
• Purees
• Coulis
• Flavored oils
• Cream reductions
• Contemporary sauces
• Mole
• Asian sauces