Food Pre-preparation: Part 13

The best way to eliminate problems with peeled products is to schedule production carefully. Do not peel items far in advance of further processing or use. Refrigerate until used.

Fully prepared foods to be served hot must be held either below or above danger-zone temperatures-that is, either in the refrigerator if serving time is hours away or in special hot-food holding equipment if serving time is approaching.

Several types of equipment keep foods hot for service. The steam table is probably the most familiar. It forms the hot-food part of a cafeteria serving line. In the kitchen it is typically the heart of the serving area. Some operations use a dry service counter that heats electrically.

Another holding device is the bain-marie (ban-ma-ree). This hot-water bath is kept at a thermostatically controlled 1 80°F (82°C) to keep pots of sauce, soup, or stew above the bacterial growth range but not hot enough to cook them further and cause evaporation.

Today's kitchens also have all types of enclosed holding containers for hot foods. They are like ovens set at low heat (180-200°F or 90-100°C). As you will remember from Sanitation and Safety, hot-food holding equipment must maintain a temperature of 180°F (82°C) to sustain an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C) and keep foods in the upper safe zone.

There are many types of hot-food cabinets, designed for special needs. Other devices such as the chafing dish and the overhead heat lamp keep hot foods hot on the buffet and on the kitchen serving line. Special kitchen equipment heats dishes so that hot foods will stay hot all the way to the table. Using the right equipment keeps foods both safe and appetizing.

Most hot foods hold well on the steam table and in chafing dishes if treated properly. This means that moist foods must be kept moist and crisp foods crisp. To hold rice on a steam table, for example, put a thin layer of butter in the bottom of the pan before you put the rice in. This keeps the rice from drying out. Any moist food should have a source of continuing moisture or fat during its stay in a chafing dish.

Crisp foods, on the other hand, must be protected from moisture. Never cover a pan of fried chicken or any deep-fried food; it will quickly lose its crunch and become soggy.

Storage

Storage is keeping foods for future use for unspecified periods of time may apply to products of any kind, raw, processed, or fully cooked.

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