Microwaveable coated food product, and method and apparatus for the manufacture thereof
AssigneeCrisp Sensation Holding S.A.
InventorKeith Graham Pickford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A frozen, microwaveable, coated food product comprising: a core of cooked edible material having a weight equal to 15-95 wt. % of the food product; a fried coating that envelops the core of edible material and has a weight equal to 5-85 wt. % of the total weight of the food product, said coating comprising at least three coating layers, including an inner crumb layer, an outer crumb layer and a batter layer that separates the inner crumb layer from the outer crumb layer; wherein both the inner crumb layer and the outer crumb layer comprise a milled farinaceous dough extrudate containing 0.05-5 wt. % of added hydrocolloid.
Claims20
A microwaveable, frozen, fried, coated food product which substantially prevents steam generated during microwave heating of a core of edible material from drying out the core of edible material and making the coated food product soggy the microwaveable frozen, fried, coated food product comprising:
- the core of cooked edible material having a weight equal to from 15 to 95 weight percent of the food product and having a water content of at least 15 weight percent and not more than 90 weight percent;
- a fried coating that envelopes the core of edible material and has a weight equal to from about 5 to 85 weight percent of the total weight of the food product and a water content of not more than 10 weight percent after microwave reheating, said fried coating comprising at least three coating layers, including:
- an inner crumb layer dispersed on the core of cooked edible material wherein the inner crumb layer comprises dried and milled farinaceous dough extrudate containing from 0.05 to 5 weight percent of guar gum;
- a batter layer dispersed on the inner crumb layer wherein the batter layer comprises flour;
- and
- a crispy outer crumb layer dispersed on the batter layer wherein the crispy outer crumb layer comprised dried and milled farinaceous dough extrudate containing from 0.05 to 5 weight percent of co-extruded guar gum;
- and
- wherein use of the guar gum containing milled farinaceous dough extrudate in both the inner crumb layer and the crispy outer crumb layer, together with the batter layer causes the crumb coatings 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 microwaving escapes from the product without causing the outer crumb layer to become soggy.
A method of producing a frozen, microwaveable, fried, coated food product which substantially prevents steam generated during microwave reheating from drying out a core of edible material and making the fried, 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 exterior with a water content of not more than 10 weight percent after microwave reheating;
- the frozen, microwavable, coated food product being produced by a method comprising the steps of:
- providing a portion of a solid or solidified substrate;
- coating the portion with an aqueous precoating liquid to form a precoated portion, the aqueous precoating liquid comprising:
- a thickener;
- xantham gum;
- and egg albumen;
- wherein the aqueous precoating liquid comprises from 0.1 to 5 weight percent dry matter;
- applying and adhering a coating of bonding crumb to the precoated portion to form a crumb coated portion wherein the bonding crumb contains dried and milled farinaceous dough extrudate containing 0.05 to 5 weight percent of co-extruded guar gum;
- applying a batter comprising flour and water to the crumb coated portion to form 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 0.05 to 5 weight percent of co-extruded guar gum;
- frying the breaded portion by contacting said breaded portion for at least 100 seconds with hot oil having a temperature of at least 150° C.;
- and
- rapidly freezing the fried coated portion after frying, while a core temperature of the fried coated portion is still high in order to enhance the structural integrity of the coated food product;
- and
- wherein using the hydrocolloid-containing milled dough extrudate in both the bonding crumb and the and the coating crumb layer, together with the batter coated portion causes the bonding and coated crumb coatings to form a shell, which acts as a barrier to penetration of oil into the substrate, and wherein steam produced during microwave heating escapes from the product without causing the coating crumb to become soggy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.