The science of cooking - Beer Batter
Posted in The Science of Cooking on May 17th, 2009
batter 衣
the Doppler Effect ドップラー効果
in the real world 現実で
geeky おタクっぽい、マニアック
texture 歯ごたえ
various さまざまな、色々な
try one’s hand at ~ ～を試す、～をやってみる
I was always interested in physics at school. I liked learning something (like the Doppler Effect) and then seeing it in the real world.
Even now, I am quite geeky about cooking. I like the science behind cooking and my motto is “cooking is science”.
This new section is about the science behind a few of my recipes. Some of the science is (I think) accurate, but some I have guessed.
Beer Batter
Batter has two main uses in cooking:
- To protect whatever is being cooked from the hot oil.
- To give a different texture to the dish.
I prefer a very light and crispy batter. To make a light and crispy batter you need to make sure it is full of air. After watching various TV cooking programs, I decided to try my hand at making a beer batter. The recipes has beer and baking powder which help to create bubbles. These bubbles make a very light and crispy batter. The next time you want to make tempura, try adding cold beer and baking powder instead of water.
Also, if you want a good example of how air makes things “taste” crispy, buy a packet of O’Zack potato chips. They “taste” really crispy and if you look at them closely, you will see that they are full of bubbles. Remember, cooking is science!
