The Gastronomic Implication of Chicken Burger - Essay Example

Heading: Hospitality Management Your name Course name Professors’ name Date: Outline 1) Introduction 2) Origin and History the Major ingredients of Chicken Burger 3) Recipe for preparing Chicken Burger 4) The Gastronomic Implication of Chicken Burger 5) Conclusion Introduction The term Gastronomy refers to the art and science of food preparation and its relationship with human culture. Chicken burger is a cuisine that is very popular as far as gastronomy is concerned. It is usually made up of a number of ingredients with the main ones being Chicken, Bread and Cheese. It is prepared in several countries Such as the U.S. and even Europe. The following is an explanation of the main ingredients that constitute together with their origin and history. Ingredient 1: Chicken. History and Origin Chicken probably found its place as one of the most favourite dishes in the world. Almost every society around the world knows what chicken tastes like and many of them have different ways of preparing it, for instance, the English people usually baked or boiled it whereas the Scottish traditionally fried chicken in fat (Rusk 2005). Deep frying was also practiced in parts of West Africa long before they came into contact with the Europeans which proves that the special bird has been man`s favorite meal for centuries. Fried chicken became popular when it was introduced in the Southern United States as Africans were brought to work on the plantation as slaves. The ones that were chosen to work as cooks introduced spices that were not predominantly present in the Scottish cuisine and made it more appetizing (Barham 2002). Chicken became the food of choice in most African American communities that resided in the south mainly because many could not afford to buy expensive meat. Fried chicken continues to be the most favourite choice of food both among blacks and whites. Despite its popularity, chicken became associated with bad stereotypes mostly among the African American society which was seen as a low cost food for the poor. The perception has however gradually changed and the chicken has been widely accepted as the major food not only in the United States but all over the world. The methods of chicken preparation have also faced major changes through history. Before the large scale of production of chicken, it was mostly prepared during the summer since they required more heat to fry them. At cool temperatures, chicken took quite a long time to be prepared and as a result new methods were gradually introduced that made it easy to cook (Gagnaire 2008). The methods included allowing the chicken to cool and afterwards dried and fried until the meat was tender to be edible. The simmering process is a method that was introduced to cook chicken. This involved cutting it into small pieces and then flouring and frying in gravy, a method that is still practiced presently. Today, chicken is prepared with supplement flavours with focus on the exterior part made to be extra crispy with added spices from pepper to aromatic. Different localities around the globe have come up with their own recipes that are popular to the locals, for instance Australian cuisine contains chicken meat chopped like chips and served with potato cramps and is commonly as known as Chicken( Chipees Gilliespie, C). In the United States, chicken is made into long strips which are buttered and fried. Ingredient 2: Cheese History and Origin Cheese is normally used as the subsidiary ingredient in making burgers, pizzas but is mostly common in pancakes. Cheese was introduced in the preparation of cakes in the 19th century by a man named William Laurence from the city of New York. He was a famous dairyman and came up with cheese that was more creamer and softer as compared with the French cheese. He became the sole distributor of Cheese and became a brand that was very recognized in States like Philadelphia. A new form of cheese was later introduced in the early 20th century by a person known as James Kraft. His cheese product was pasteurized unlike the cheese made by Laurence and has stood the taste of time because it is presently most preferred cheese used by bakers in making cakes. Cakes made from cheese are either baked or unbaked and is prepared differently depending on which region one comes from. In the United States cheesecakes are prepared using different recipes depending with the State and the culture of the locals. The New York cheesecake comes with egg york which is added to the heavy cream cheese to add nutrients to the flavor and is served in many restaurants in the city (Potter 2007). Other recipes include cream cheese mixed with chocolate, lemon or strawberry source that tastes quite differently from normal cheese cake. Country states make different cheese cakes with ingredients that include buttermilk that is designed to reduce the acidity so that it can be stored for longer days without getting contaminated, while other states make cheese cake that contain no milk but constitutes other ingredients that are lactose free. Italian cheese cakes dates back to the Roman Empire where it contained ingredients like honey and flour and it was shaped into bread with added preservatives like the cove leaves that ensured they were stored for longer days. The French on the other hand made cheese cakes that were lighter than their American counterparts. Preparation Process Cheese preparation is a long process that can take a period of up to eight to ten hours. One needs also to have the necessary tools and equipments together with the right ingredients. The equipments needed include; a wooden spoon wire, a mesh cheese cloth, long knife and long thin knife. A thermometer is very necessary in the making of cheese because accurate temperature regulation is of essence in the process. Other ingredients include a cup of buttered milk, fresh milk, a rennet tablet and food colouring. The procedure requires the butter to reach a room temperature until it gets thick and sour then frozen afterwards. In the next step, a gallon of milk is poured into a large pot and stirred by use of a wire whisk to ensure that it gets a perfect mix. It is then left at room temperature covered for not less than two hours and away from direct sunlight because direct sunlight rays that can easily raise the temperature (Bivan 2004). The mixture is placed at a moderate temperature before food colouring is added, either yellow or white are most common colours for cheese. At the same time, two table spoons of rennet tablet is placed in cold water and then stirred. The mixture is then poured into the milk after the temperature rises to slightly above 80 degrees and stirred for about five minutes. The pan is removed from the heat until the coagulation process is completed. When the curd is ready, it is cut diagonally in both directions and cooked for about 20 to 30 minutes. The mixture is stirred using a spoon made of wood for an hour. The curd is removed from the heat and placed on a cheese cloth left for an hour to cool. This process allows the curd to drain into the cheesecloth for up to three hours. When this is done, the cheese is left to dry at room temperature and the cheese will be ready when the surface is dried for almost a whole day. When all this is done, the cheese is fresh and ready to for eating. The best was of storing Cheese is in a refrigerator wrapped in a plastic bag in order to prevent it from catching mould. Ingredient 3: Bread History and Origin Bread is probably the most staple food in many developing and developed nations of the world. It`s origin and preparation dates back to the ancient Egypt where wheat was cultivated in large scale and used to be chewed raw. Later on, it was discovered that it could be moulded into paste placed on fire and flat bread was made out of this. As time went by, the Egyptians became the first people to make white bread which was later copied by the Greeks who adopted the technology and introduced it to the rest of Europe. In the Roman Empire, bread became more popular than other foods like meat. During the middle ages, bread was prepared in ovens and sold at prices that the poor could afford. The French revolution became a landmark in European history, one of the reason for the revolution was the rise in the cost of bread. Maria Antoinette the wife King Louise XVI of France made a ridicule of the protests telling them to buy cake if bread is expensive (This 2009). This was seen as a direct insult to the poor who were mostly depending on bread for a living and shows how bread became the food of choice in many societies. Bread is still one of the favourite foods in many societies despite a growing variety of foods in societies. Modern technology has made the preparation of bread easier with bakeries producing them on a large scale. Recipe for Chicken Burger Chicken burger requires a number of ingredients to be prepared include the following: two onions, two pounds of ground chicken, 2 carrots, Garlic Powder, half Tea Spoon of Salt, Hamburger Buns, an egg, black pepper, ½ tea spoon of onion powder, ½ nutmeg, a cup of bread crumbs, chopped tomato and macaroni and cheese. The Directions The directions for making chicken burger are simple and easy to follow; initially the fat around the chicken is trimmed and then cut into pieces of 1-2 inch. The chicken is placed in a large bowl where bread crumbs and spices are added. The ingredients are mixed thoroughly until it holds well together using bare hands before being placed in a fridge for about an hour. The mixture is split to about twelve portions then flattened to half an inch thick patty and then placed in a pan, cooked for about six minutes on each side until the colour at the centre turns to brown. The twelve burgers are then gathered and served with green salad and sandwich in bread. Theme and Gastronomic Implication The theme for the preparation of chicken burger is Healthy food for Healthy living. The ingredients in chicken burger are designed to benefit the consumer with all the nutrients as well as reducing the amount of calories that are associated with ordinary burger (Hjalager 2007). In many developed countries, obesity has become a source of concern with most of them spending billions of dollars providing treatment to many patients. Such patients usually have diseases associated with obesity and the number of people with obesity related diseases like low blood pressure and diabetes among others. The main explanation for this rise is because people continue consuming foods with high calorie levels and hence harming their health (Harrinton 2002). The ingredients in chicken burger such as bread, vegetables, onions and tomatoes contain nutrients which compensate for the little that is found in cheese and chicken that that the body needs, this is why Chicken Burger is more healthy and safe for human consumption. Conclusion In conclusion, Chicken Burger is a delicious cuisine that is interesting to prepare. Its ingredients contain many nutrients necessary for health improvement and growth. It is popular in most countries around the world and its contribution to Gastronomy is very significant. References Barham, P 2002, The science of cooking, Springer, London. Bivan, D 2004, Literary Gastronomy: perspective on modern literature vol 1, Rodopi, Amsterdam. Gagnaire, P, This, H 2008, Cooking: the quintessential art, Volume 23 of California studies in food and culture, University of California Press, California. Gilliespie, C & Cousin J,A 2003, European gastronomy into the 21st century, Butterworth-Heinemann, Prague. Harrinton, R,J 2007, Food and Wine Pairing: A Sensory Experience, John Wiley and Sons, Canberra. Hjalager, A,M & Richards, G 2002, Tourism and gastronomy: Routledge advances in Tourism, Routledge, Melborne. Potter, J 2010, Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food, O'Reilly Media, Inc, Sydney. Rusk, J,J Rusk, A,L, Rusk, S,M 2005, Astrological Gastronomy: Temperamental Cooking Explained, iuniverse, Melbourne. This, H 2009, Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism, Columbia University Press, Paris. Read More