Production of microwaveable coated food products

A method of producing a microwaveable, frozen, coated food product which substantially prevents steam generated during microwave reheating from drying out a core of edible material and making the coated food product soggy, by producing a core of edible material having a water content of at least 15 weight percent and not more than 90 weight percent and a crispy coated food product exterior after microwaving having a water content of not more than 10 weight percent;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• providing an edible portion of a solid or solidified substrate as a core of edible material;
• coating the core of edible material with aqueous precoating liquid which is a hydrated gel or viscous solution that comprises water and dry matter dissolved in the water to form a precoated portion;
• applying a coating of bonding crumb to the precoated portion to form a crumb coated portion where the bonding crumb is bound to the substrate by the aqueous precoating liquid;
• wherein the bonding crumb contains dried and milled farinaceous dough extrudate containing from 0.05 to 5 weight percent of co-extruder guar gum;
• applying a batter on top of the bonding crumb;
• wherein forming a batter coated portion;
• applying a coating of coating crumb to the batter coated portion to form a breaded portion, wherein the coating crumb contains dried and milled farinaceous dough extrudate containing from 0.05 to 5 weight percent of co-extruded guar gum;
• frying the breaded portion in a fryer by contacting said breaded portion for at least 100 seconds with hot oil having a temperature of at least 150° C., thereby producing a fried coated portion having a core temperature in excess of 70° C.;
• directly transferring the fried coated portion from the fryer into a cryogenic freezer, and cryogenically freezing the fried coated portion;
• wherein the core temperature of the fried coated portion is not less than 60° C. when said fried coated portion is introduced into the cryogenic freezer and wherein said core temperature is reduced to less than −15° C. in the cryogenic freezer;
• wherein using the guar gum containing milled dough extrudate in both the bonding crumb and coating crumb, together with the batter coated portion, causes the crumb coated portion and breaded portion to form a shell which acts as a barrier to penetration of oil into the core of edible material, producing a fully cooked fried product, and wherein steam produced during microwave reheating substantially escapes from the product without causing the crumb coated portion to become soggy, and wherein the method yields a frozen, microwavable, core of edible material and a crispy and crunchy breaded portion.