FISH COOKERY
Fish is an
aquatic vertebrate animal with fins for swimming and gills for breathing. It
has scales and a set of paired & unpaired fins. It is available in lakes,
sea, oceans, pond, river etc. Fresh water fishes are more tastier than the sea
water fish. Fish and shell fish are commonly known as seafood. It gives attractive and colourful dishes. Fish is classified
as a white soft meat which provide variety of dishes. It is very delicate to
handle and needs to apply delicate cooking method with different flavours. It
is highly perishable and so its cooking time is also so less. In France, it is also
called as a Fruit de mer, means
fruit of the sea. It can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled. Fishes are easily
digestible which contains 5gm protein per ounce. It may be cooked by following
cooking methods as- boiling, poaching, grilling, baking, frying etc. It contain
high protein and some of them are rich in oils than magnesium, calcium, iron,
phosphorus etc. The fat content in fish, helps to determine the method of
preparation. High content of fat in fish is good for baking, grilling etc. Lean
fish are best preferably for poaching, boiling or steaming. In French classical
menu, it forms a separate menu named as
Poisson. It plays a very important role in its taste and texture.
Fishes are classified in 3
broad categories as –
1.
Round fish(White) – Found in Sea , ocean
water.
These fishes are white, round and oily in nature and popular because
of their nutritious value. They contain protein, vitamin A, B & D and
omega3, fatty acid which helps to reduce the risk of clogged arteries, blood
clots, strokes and even cancer.
- Round fish swims in a vertical position and have eyes on both the
sides of their heads.
-Sea water fish are salty in taste.
-Both the sides of the fish are of same colour.
-It yields two fillet.
-Round fish has oil in liver.
-These fishes are vary in size, from very small to very large as
anchovy to shark fish.
e.g – Herrings, mackerel, sardines, salmon, cod, haddock, turai, red
snapper etc.
2.
Flat fish – Found in fresh water as
river, lake, ponds.
These fishes are flat in nature .
- Its both the eyes are on one side.
- Belly of this fish is white in colour.
-It yields four fillet.
-It swims in horizontal position e.g – Pomfret, Sole, halibut, turbot,
Malabar sole etc.
3.
Shell fish – The fish which has shell on
body called as shellfish.
Shellfish may be divided into 3 categories , as –
a). Crustacean – Crab, crawfish, crayfish, lobster, prawns, shrimp
etc.
b). Molluscs – Cockles, mussels, oysters, clam, scallops etc.
c). Cephalopods – Octopus, squids etc
COMPOSITION
& STRUCTURE
The edible flesh of fish, like that of meat and poultry, consists of water, protein, fats, small amounts of vitamins and minerals. The differences are however more important than the similarities. Fish has very little connective tissue. Therefore:
1. Fish cooks very quickly.
2. Fish is naturally tender.
The edible flesh of fish, like that of meat and poultry, consists of water, protein, fats, small amounts of vitamins and minerals. The differences are however more important than the similarities. Fish has very little connective tissue. Therefore:
1. Fish cooks very quickly.
2. Fish is naturally tender.
Purchase specification of a fish/Shellfish or How to choose a
good quality fish :- Few
points should be consider while purchasing a good fish, these are as follows :-
1.
The quality of a fish should be
fresh. Flesh should be firm, and translucent.
2.
The smell should be fresh not
pungent.
3.
Eyes should be bright not
sunken.
4.
Gill should be dark red.
5.
No thumb impression should be
left on the flesh, if pressed.
6.
The tail should be firm and
flexible.
7.
Skin of fish should be shining
and of good colour.
8.
In white fish, the flesh should
be really white not yellow.
9.
Fish should be stored at 1degree
Celsius or kept on a bed of crushed ice.
Pre-preparation of fish
for cooking –
A) Descaling and cleaning – Firstly, soak the fish in cold water for few minutes before
descaling, it helps in removing scales more easily.
-: Removing the skin from the fish fillets – Use a fillet knife in
separating the fish skin from the flesh. Hold the tail end of the fillet firmly
with the tip of your finger than firmly hold the knife still and at a fixed
angle and make a deep cut. Wriggle the skin from side to side while pulling
backwards on the exposed bit of fish skin. Continue this motion through the
fillet.
B). Filleting – It is a neat removable of
the flesh of the fish from its body to yield flesh. Cut the flesh along the line of backbone.
C). Skinning – Hold the tail end of the fish
in the left hand than skin the flesh from tail to head with quick short sawing
strokes of a sharp knife. Point the knife towards the skin so that no flesh
should be wasted.
@ Cuts of
fish :- Fish is generally separated into 2
categories as lean & fatty.
1.
Fillet – Long flat cuts of fish, free from
bone and skin or boneless cuts of fish of entire length from the whole fish. It
is used for making several dishes as – barbecuing, grilling, poaching, boiling,
baking etc.
2.
Paupiette – Fillet stuffed, rolled and
tied with string and cooked. It is used for stuffing and making roulades. It is
usually poached.
3.
Goujon – Stripes cut from fish fillet of
1cm*8cm. It is used as a deep fried dish or as a starter.
4.
Goujonettes – Smaller than the Goujon is
called as Goujonettes. It can be used as a garnish.
5.
Steaks – Steak of round fish called as Darne and of flat fish called as Troncon.
6.
Troncon – It is a thick piece of fish
about 4-5cm thick, cuts from bone from a flat fish. It is used as a cutlet or
in steak preparation.
7.
Darne – A cuts of fish from a round fish
with the bone, thickness about 2-3cm. This cut is usually used in Indian curry
preparation. It resembles as a steak.
Darne
8.
Mignon – Fillet of fish folded as a
cornet.
9.
Plie – Fillet flattened and folded into
two.
10.
Supreme – This cut is often referred as
fillet.
11.
Fish farce – Puree of fish.
@ Cooking of fish – Most of the
fish are edible and it consists of enormous source of nutrition and good food.
The most nourishing fishes come from river eg – eels, salmon, trout etc. Fishes
are aquatic animal. It has phosphorated compound and leaner fishes are more
easily digestible and are excellent food for sedentary workers. It is cooked
very easily and quickly even at low heat. These are naturally tender. It
provides many attractive and satisfying dishes. It consists of high protein.
While cooking, the scale should be properly removed. In sweet water, fishes, as
lake, river the percentage of fat and oil
is varying from depth to depth. Few fishes as eel, mangur, singhi etc have a
good percentage of iron and other mineral salt.
-The method of cooking depends upon the
characteristics of the fish, its texture, size, form and percentage of fat and
its strength of flavour. Overcooking of fish should be avoided. Oily fish are
best for baking and grilling and lean fish are good for steaming, poaching etc.
Few popular fish dishes are – Fish cutlet, macher jhol, amritsari fish, fish finger, sole Colbert, fish goujon, fish
mornay, fish meunier etc.
CUTS OF MEAT
Meat is muscle tissue. It is the flesh of domestic animals (cattle, hogs, lamb) and of wild game animals. Meat is a main food of our diet. It is important to understand meats thoroughly in order to cook them well and profitably.
BEEF CUT
Five main stages before cutting :
1)Antemortem Inspection :- Brought to slaughter house 24 hours in advance.
b. Resting.
c. Inspection for disease, injury, etc.
2) Stunning : Three methods:
a) Captive bolt: large animals, attack by long metal rod.
b) Electrical Stunning: Small animals, pass current through animal for at least 7 seconds, leaves animal unconscious for 1 ½ minutes.
c) CO2 stunning: Pigs, pass through tunnel of CO2.
3) Bleeding : Make a small incision at the neck to cut the main blood vessel to remove as much blood as possible as it is ideal medium for bacterial growth.
4) Dressing : Remove hair from animals.
Offal and viscera are removed and carcass is cleaned.
Large animals cut into two parts from the spine
5) Slaughtering :
Hanging of whole body carcass and offal should be
done in cooling room under 7C for resting period.
COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND BASIC QUALITY FACTORS
Muscle tissue consists of these major components :
@ WATER (75% of muscle tissue)
With such a high percentage of water in meat, we can see why shrinkage can be
a big problem in its cooking. Too much moisture loss means dry meat, loss of
weight and loss of profit.
@ PROTEIN (20% of muscle tissue)
Protein is an important nutrient and the most abundant solid material in meat.
Protein coagulates when it is heated. This means it becomes firmer and looses
moisture. Coagulation is related to doneness. When protein has coagulated to
the desired degree, the meat is said to be done. Too high heat toughens
protein.
@ CARBOHYDRATE
Meat contains a very small amount of carbohydrate.
@ FAT (upto 5% of muscle tissue)
A beef carcass can
have as much as 30% fat. A certain amount of fat is desirable for 3 reasons. As they are :-
1) Juiciness
Marbling is fat that is deposited within the muscle tissue. The juiciness we
enjoy in well-marbled beef is due more to fat than to moisture. Surface fat
protects the meat (especially roasts) from drying out during cooking as well as
in storage. Adding surface fats where they are lacking is called barding.
2 ) Tenderness
Marbling separates muscle fibers, making them easier to chew.
3) Flavour
Fat is perhaps the main source of flavour in meat. A well-marbled steak tastes ‘beefier’ than the same cut of a lower grade.
@ COLOURING PIGMENTS
Colour of meat is mainly due to 2 pigments ie.. HAEMOGLOBIN AND MYOGLOBIN.
Both contains iron.
HAEMOGLOBIN : Present in blood and gives red colour to meat.
MYOGLOBIN : Present in freshly cut meat , and on exposure to air gets oxidized into oxymyoglobin
STRUCTURE
@ Muscle fibers
Lean meat is composed of long, thin muscle fibers bound together in bundles. These
determine the texture or grain of a piece of meat. Fine-grained meat is
composed of small fibers bound in small bundles. Coarse textured meat has
larger fibers. Feel the cut surface of a tenderloin steak, and compare its
smooth texture to the rough surface of brisket or bottom round.
@ Connective tissue
Muscle fibers are bound together in a network of proteins called connective
tissues. Each muscle fiber is also covered in a sheath of connective tissue. It
is very important for the cook to understand connective tissue for one basic
reason. Connective tissue is tough. To cook meats successfully you should know
which meats are high in connective tissue and which are low, and, what are the
best ways to make meats tender.
Meats are highest in connective tissue if;
a. They come from muscles that are more exercised. Muscles in the leg, for
example, have more connective tissue than muscles in the back.
b. They come from older animals. Veal is tenderer than meat from a young steer,
which in turn is tenderer than meat from an old bull or cow. Young animals have
connective tissue but it becomes harder to break down as the animal ages. eats high in connective tissue can be made more tender by using proper cooking
techniques. There are two kinds of connective tissue; Collagen, which is white
in colour, and Elastin which is yellow.
Collagen
Moist heat turns collagen into gelatin and water. Moist heat at low
temperatures for a longer time is most effective in creating a tender, juicy
finished product. Meat in an acid mixture or adding an acid such as tomato or
wine to the cooking liquid helps tenderize the collagen.
Enzymes are naturally present in meats. They break down the connective tissue
and some other proteins as the meat ages. These enzymes are inactive at freezing
temperatures, slow acting under refrigeration, active at room temperature and
destroyed by heat above 140°F (60°C).
Tenderizers are enzymes such as papain (extracted from papaya) that are added
to meats for fast cooking
Elastin
Older animals have a higher proportion of elastin than younger animals. Cooking
does not break down elastin. Tenderizing can only be accomplished by removing
the elastin (cutting away the tendons) and by mechanically breaking up the
fibers as in pounding or cubing the meat, grinding (hamburgers) or slicing the
cooked meat thinly against the grain.
MEAT AGEING
Green meat
Soon after slaughter, an animal’s muscles stiffen due to chemical changes in
the flesh. This stiffness called rigor mortis gradually disappears. Softening
takes place three to four days for beef, less time for smaller carcass like
veal, lamb and pork. Enzymes in the flesh cause this softening.Green meat is tough and
relatively flavourless. Since it takes several days for meats to reach the kitchen
from the slaughterhouse.
Aged meat
Enzyme action continues in muscle tissue even after meat is no longer green.
This tenderizes the meat even more and develops more flavour. Holding meats in
coolers under controlled conditions to provide time for this natural
tenderizing is called ageing.
Beef and lamb can be aged because high quality carcasses have enough fat cover
to protect them from bacteria and from drying. Veal had no fat cover so it is
not aged. Pork does not require ageing.
The three major types of ageing are described as follows;
1 Dry ageing: - Ageing does not mean just storing meat in the refrigerator.
There is a difference between aged meat and old meat. Temperature must be
carefully monitored. Airflow and humidity must be controlled because bacteria
will grow on cut surfaces if there is too much moisture. Ultraviolet lights are
sometimes used in ageing coolers to kill bacteria and mold
2 Fast ageing: To speed ageing meat can be held at a higher temperature and
humidity for a shorter time. Ultraviolet lights to control bacteria are
especially important in fast ageing. Most fast aged meat is sold in the retail
market rather than to food service establishments.
3 Vacuum-pack ageing: The modern trend is to break down carcasses into smaller
cuts and wrap them in are and moisture proof plastic bags. This is called
Cryovac ageing. The wrapping protects the meat from bacteria and mold, and
prevents weight loss due to drying. However Cryovac aged meats often lose more
weight in cooking than dry aged meats. Cryovac meats must be refrigerated.
Ageing increases tenderness and flavour. An off taste is not characteristic of
aged meat. If meats smell or tastes spoilt. Sometimes meats in
Cryovac have a musty aroma when first opened but this disappears soon.
CURING OF MEAT
Major objective is preservation. It also affects the colour and flavour of the meat.
Curing salt = 96% common salt + 4% nitrite or nitrate of sodium or potassium NaNO3 or KNO3
Helps to preserve the colour of the meat.
The prime object of ageing or ripening and use of tenderizers is to increase
the tenderness of meat. The curing of meat has additional objectives. Curing
brings about the modification of meat that effects preservation, flavour,
colour and tenderness due to added curing agents.
Originally curing was practiced as a means of preservation before the days of
refrigeration. The prime purpose of curing is to produce the unique flavoured
meat products and a special purpose is to preserve the red colour of meat.
Thus, cured beef (corned beef) and cured pork (ham) remain red on cooking while
in the uncured condition they become brown.
The ingredients used for curing are common salt, sodium nitrate or nitrite,
sugar and spices. (Curing salt is 96% common salt and 4% sodium nitrate or
nitrite). Salt retards microbial growth and gives flavour to the meat. Nitrite
fixes the red colour of myoglobin. Nitrite has also a beneficial effect on the
flavour of cured meats and an inhibitory effect on clostridium botulism. Sugar
helps to stabilize colour, counteract saltiness and also adds flavour. Spices
are added mainly for flavour.
Curing has also some detrimental effects during storage. The pink colour of
nitrite cured meat changes to brown, in the presence of oxygen. Thus cured meat
should preferentially be packed in containers from which oxygen has been
excluded (Curing salts enhance oxidation of lipid components and thus reduce
shelf life; also there is some concern about the carcinogenic effect of nitrite,
particularly when cured meat is heated to a high temperature).
THE BASIC CUTS
Meat cuts are based upon two factors;
1 The muscle and bone structure of the meat.
2 Uses and appropriate cooking methods of various parts of the animal.
Available forms: Carcasses, Partial Carcasses, Primal and Fabricated Cuts.
Beef, lamb, veal and pork may be purchased in some or all of these forms.
Carcasses
The carcass is the whole animal, minus entrails, head, feet and hide (except
pork, which has only the entrails and head removed). Whole carcasses are rarely
purchased by food service operators because of the skill and labour required in
cutting, and because of the problem of total utilization.
Sides, quarters, foresaddles, hindsaddles
These represent the first step in breaking down the carcass. Again these larger
cuts are no longer frequently used in food service. Fewer establishments are
cutting their own meats.
1 Beef is first split through the backbone into sides. Sides are divided
between ribs 12 and 13 into forequarter and hindquarter.
2 Veal and lamb are not split into sides but are divided between ribs12 and 13
into foresaddle and hindsaddle.
3 Pork carcasses are not divided in this way. They are cut directly into primal
cuts.
Primal or wholesale cuts
These are the primary divisions of quarters, foresaddles, hindssaddles and
carcasses. These cuts are still used to some extent in food service, because
they are
a. Small enough to be manageable in many food service kitchens.
b. Still large enough to allow a variety of different cuts for different uses
or needs.
c. Easier to utilize completely than quarters or halves.
COOKING OF MEATS
The heat of cooking affects tenderness in two ways.
1 It tenderizes connective tissue if moisture is present and cooking is slow.
2 It toughens proteins even meats low in connective tissue can become tough if
cooked at excessively high heat for too long.
The principle of low-heat cooking.
1 High heat toughens and shrinks protein and results in excessive moisture
loss. Therefore low heat cooking should be the general practice for most meat
cooking methods.
2 Roasts cooked at low temperature have better yields than those roasted at
high heat. That is they shrink less and lose less moisture.
3 Moist heat penetrates more quickly than dry heat. Meat should be simmered,
never boiled.
The meaning of the term “doneness” depends on whether the cooking method uses
dry or moist heat.
@ Dry heat: Meat is done when the proteins have reached the desired degree of
coagulation as indicated by internal temperature.
@ Moist heat: Meat is done when connective tissue have broken down enough for the
meat to be palatable. Meat cooked by moist heat is always well done.
As meat cooks its pigments changes colour. These colour changes indicate degree
of doneness.
Red meat changes from red to pink to grey or grey-brown.
Rare: browned surface
thin layer of cooked (grey) meat
red interior
Medium: thicker layer of grey
pink interior
Well done: gray throughout
Testing of doneness of the product
Determining doneness is one of the most difficult and critical aspects of meat
cooking. Anyone can put a steak on the grill or a roast in the oven, but it
takes experience and skill to take it off the fire at the right time. Colour change cannot be used by the cook to test doneness, as it would be
necessary to cut the meat. Piercing the meat and examining the colour of the
juices is no a reliable method.
Testing the interior of the meat with a thermometer is the most accurate method
of testing of doneness. The tip of the thermometer should be inserted into the center of the thickest
part, not touching fat or bone.
STORAGE
The quality of the finished product depends not only on proper selection of
meats but on proper storage as well. Fresh meat is highly perishable.
1 Store at 32-36ºF (0-2ºC). Meat does freeze until 28ºF (-2ºC).
2 Fresh meats keep well for only 2-4 days. Ground meat
keeps even less well because so much surface is exposed to bacteria. Cured and
smoked products may keep upto a week.
3 Keep meats separate in walk-in and on working table to avoid cross contamination.
@ Barding: Adding pieces of thin slices of fat, over meats with no natural fat cover, to protect them from drying while roasting.
@. Larding: Inserting strips of fat with a larding needle into meats low in marbling.
@ Searing and sealing
The purpose of searing meats at high temperatures is to create desirable flavour and colour by browning the meat’s surface. It was long believed that searing the surface of meat seals the pores keeping in the juices. This does not actually happen. Meat does not have pores, but is an open network of fibers. Roasts cooked from the start at low temperature retain more juices than roasts that are seared at high heat first.
Steaks, chops and cutlets cooked very quickly at high heat drives the juices away from the hot surface into the meat. This permits browning, because moisture would create steam and inhibit browning.
@ Blanching and sealing
Dropping the meat into boiling water doesn’t seal it either. Many proteins dissolve in cold water. When heated these proteins coagulate and become scum or froth on the surface of the water. When meat is placed in boiling water some of the protein coagulates inside the meat and not as much is carried out with the lost moisture. Prolonged cooking will shrink meat as much as if started with boiling water than if started in cold water.
RIGOR MORTIS
Rigor Mortis is a condition that occurs in the body soon after death. This is characterized by muscle spasm and the stiffening of muscles and occurs not only in Human beings but also in animals.
We know that all living beings respire and there are two types of respiration, aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic respiration takes place in the presence of Oxygen and the end product is Carbon Dioxide. This would take place normally and produces ATP (Adenosine Try Phosphate), which is a high chemical bond energy compound derived from Amino Acids and provide energy for body functions.
Anaerobic respiration takes place in the absence of oxygen and its end product is Ethyl Alcohol. In animals, the end product of anaerobic respiration is Lactic Acid which when accumulated in the carcass decreased the pH and stiffens the muscles.
In living animals, the myoglobin stores oxygen in the muscles. When the animal is slaughtered, the external source of oxygen is cut off and the tissues use the stored oxygen to continue aerobic respiration and subsequent ATP and Carbon Dioxide production. Within a few minutes, the store of oxygen is depleted and the tissues now opt for anaerobic respiration, which then results in the accumulation of Lactic Acid in the muscles. Hence the acidity of the cells increases and the pH decreases. This in turn causes the muscles to stiffen. This condition is known as Rigor Mortis. This condition is aided by the fact that the supply of ATP is cut off and hence there is no energy for the tissue to work. The Lactic Acid gradually breaks up into lactate and water and indicates the end of Rigor Mortis and the production of water. This is characterized by bloating of the carcass.
