Baking

Baking Vegetables, Legumes and Fruit

For the purposes of classification, we will define roast vegetables as those that are cooked whole or in large chunks, with the aid of fat. Vegetables that are processed and cooked as part of a larger item, e.g. diced and wrapped in filo pastry, will be referred to as baked vegetables.

Potato bake is a generic term that describes a number of menu items that have been baked in a dish. Boulangère, Savoyard and dauphinoise potatoes are sliced thinly, mixed with a liquid such as stock, milk or cream, seasoned, then covered with cheese and baked in the oven.

Moister vegetables such as zucchini can be baked but are often encased in pastry to prevent the vegetables drying out. For vegetable strudel, the vegetables are sliced, cooled and then rolled in strudel dough or filo pastry. The vegetables may be pre-cooked to avoid too much seepage. It is brushed with oil and baked until brown. Sauces are often served on the side to add colour, flavour and contrast.

Moussaka is a Greek dish made of eggplant and tomato, often combined with minced meat. Variations are common around the Mediterranean and in the Arab world. Ingredients can be layered or mixed together, then baked and allowed to settle before serving.

Fruit is often baked as part of a dessert or sweet snack. Fibrous and starchy fruit such as rhubarb and bananas are perfect for baking. Rhubarb can be peeled, cut into even pieces, covered with sugar and spices and then baked for ~30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Whole bananas can be baked and the flesh used for banana bread or ice cream.

Whole apples can be baked and for a nice surprise, the core can be removed and replaced by a mixture of breadcrumbs, raisins, sugar and cinnamon or other flavourings such as marzipan or nougat. Apples are often sliced and used in baked desserts such as pies, crumbles and turnovers. Mulberries and peaches are interesting alternatives. Apricots are often used as filling for Danishes and other pastries.

Baking Farinaceous Items

The most obvious use of baking is for breads, cakes and pastries – take a look at your local patisserie to see how many types are available! Most breads use yeast or baking powder to make them rise and are usually baked in an oven. Different types of bread require different temperatures and ratios so care needs to be taken when following a recipe.

Cakes are made by combining flour with a fat such as butter, as well as sugar and eggs. The types and ratios of the ingredients will affect the texture and taste of the final product. Yeast, self-raising flour and other leavening agents are used to aerate cakes. Menu examples are panettone, Madeira cake, gugelhupf and marble cake.

Cereals that are not turned into flours can also be used in baking. Granola is a North American version of muesli, which is baked and can be eaten warm at breakfast, as a snack, or sprinkled on desserts to add texture. Warm semolina and tapioca pudding are other baked cereal dishes. Cereals can also be used for savoury dishes, e.g. diced vegetables are mixed with cereals and stock, then sprinkled with cheese and baked.

Rice can be baked both as a dessert or savoury dish. To make sweet baked rice, short grain rice is cooked using the absorption method and once it is cooled it is mixed with egg yolk and whipped eggwhites. It is placed into a mould and then baked. Savoury rice dishes include curried rice bake and baked risotto in tomato sauce.

Pasta is baked extensively. Cannelloni, lasagne and other large pastas are often used for pasta bakes. The pasta can be blanched first, or placed in raw to help soak up any excess moisture from the other ingredients. Minced meat, spinach, ricotta and mushrooms are often used for pasta bakes and béchamel and cheese add a nice creamy taste. Macaroni cheese is not just an afternoon snack – a version was served at Rockpool for many years.

Baking Dairy Items

Baked dairy items are used in many menu applications and service periods. Baked yoghurt can be used for desserts or breakfast. It can also be used to cover other food items prior to baking, e.g. whole fish baked in a yoghurt crust. Baked creams and custards are used for simple lunch desserts or can be more elaborate, e.g. crème caramel. Cheese is often added on top of items to prevent them drying out and to create a crunchy topping and add extra flavour. The famous cheese soufflé is another popular menu application. Some cheeses, such as the Finnish juustoleipa, are actually baked as part of their production.

Baking Protein Items

Meat is usually baked encased in pastry. All first class cuts are suitable. First class meat is often sealed before baking to prevent the pastry from going soggy. It is then covered in a farce or duxelles, wrapped in caul or spinach, then enveloped in pastry and finished in the oven, such as for Beef Wellington.

Second class cuts can be used if they are minced or cooked prior to baking. Every cuisine features menu items that use this process, with pies, ragoûts and pasties being easily recognised examples. Spanish empanadas, Russian piroshky, Turkish börek, Middle Eastern sambusac and shish barak are other ethnic variants.

Poultry is also cut into pieces prior to baking it in pastry. Traditional chicken pie uses portion-cut poultry with mushrooms and sauce. The meat is sealed and then mixed with the other ingredients, placed into a pie dish, covered with pastry and then baked in the oven. Furred game can be used similarly to meat and feathered game can be used similarly to poultry.

Seafood may be wrapped in a variety of items from filo pasty to brioche or prosciutto, due to its short cooking time. It is also often processed into a farce prior to enveloping it in pastry. An interesting idea is the Cornish stargazy pie, where whole fish or shellfish are baked in a pie, with the animals’ heads poking through the crust. Other traditional applications include the Russian koulibiac.

Boiled eggs can be peeled, enveloped in pastry and baked. Meringue, soufflé and crêpes soufflé are examples of light and airy desserts made with eggs. Eggs can also be baked in ramekins in a water bath, although some people would regard this as poaching. The eggs are put into a buttered mould and then placed in the oven until cooked (referred to as eggs en cocotte).