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Turkey Day Chemistry in the Kitchen
instupor writes "Just in time for the holiday, PopSci runs through the food science behind moist turkey, perfect potatoes and flaky pie crust. Besides the actual "why," the article explains how to apply the scientific principals in your own kitchen."
My mother's banned me from doing science experiments ever since the last "incident". :(
Do the recipes actually include smearing headmasters over the turkey, or was 'principles' meant?
What's the number of the poison control center again?
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Doesn't matter if people want to call it art, it is applied chemistry and physics. The only thing is that there are many variables and humans have really good sensors to appraise the results. So that instead of calculating the Na+ ions, you can just taste it and get a better reading. Instead of using high precission lab instruments, we use the built in tools we have.
In the end, art is just applied science, but with wildly varying parameters, so it takes a very complex measuring instrument to appreciate the results.
Tis women makes us love, Tis Love that makes us sad, Tis sadness makes us drink, And drinking makes us mad.
It's some sort of festival they have in the US. I think the Turkey is the national bird over there and by eating it they hope to assume some of it's qualities. Backwards and primitive though it may seem to European eyes it does seem to work.
but if you're after perfect potatoes, I've got a couple of hints that *always* work.
:)
Roast potatoes:
Pre-heat the oven (200C?) and put oil in a big oven-proof pan in the oven to heat. Meat-based fat is better than vegetable, but a mixture is good too.
Boil the potatoes until you can scrape them a bit with a fork (20-25 minutes). Drain the water (keep for gravy if you like), put a lid on the pan, and shake it *hard* several times. Some potatoes will disintegrate but mostly they will just get really rough surfaces - this makes them crunchy.
Remove pan from oven, pour the fat into a receptacle, leaving a tiny bit behind. Put the potatoes into this pan. Pour a spoonful of the fat on top of each potato. Put back in the oven, cook for 45-50 minutes. They will be soft in the middle, crunchy on the outside.
Mashed potatoes:
Don't boil the potatoes, steam them. 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
Remove water from steamer, put potatoes in (because it's warm). Add salt, creme fraiche (or butter if you have to), about 2 heaped heaspoons for 800g potatoes.
Use an electric whisk, whisk the hell out of them. Keep speeding up as you go, and keep going for a minute after it looks fine.
The steaming means they won't be watery, and the whisking means no lumpy bits. Fluffy, rich and smooth mashed potatoes!
Happy thanksgiving to all our North American cousins
Ever try chasing down a bald eagle with a fork and knife?
I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
My dear boy,
I'm British, we've caused tremendous amounts of harm all over the world and probably several genocides. I just find it rather delightful that every year American families gather together in a festival to give thanks and celebrate friendship, family and a spirit of kindness and sharing, brought about by an incident involving people their ancestors more-or-less wiped out and stole the land from.
It's especially piquant that American children put on theatrical productions about how kind the indians were and how everyone was great friends.
the whole thing's hilarious!
Turkey for nerds. Stuffing that matters. :)
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