Flambéing is often associated with the tableside presentation of certain liqueur-drenched dishes set aflame, such as Bananas Foster or Cherries Jubilee when the alcohol is ignited and results in a flare of blue-tinged flame. However, flambéing is also a step in the making coq au vin, and other dishes and sauces, using spirits before they are brought to the table. By partially burning off the volatile alcohol, flambéing reduces the alcoholic content of the dish while keeping the flavors of the liquor.
Modern flambéing became popular in the 19th century. The English Christmas pudding was served flaming in Charles Dickens' 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol: "the pudding... blazing in half of half-a-quarter of ignited brandy".[4] The most common flambé dish appears to have been sweet omelette with rum or kirsch; for example, Alexis Soyer's 1846 cookbook, The Gastronomic Regenerator, gives a recipe for Omelette au Rhum: "...the moment of going to table pour three glasses of rum round and set it on fire".[5] Ida Joscelyne's book, The Marvellous Little Housekeepers (1880), mentions both rum and kirsch;[6] another recipe appears in A.G. Payne's English cookbook, Choice Dishes at Small Cost, of 1882: "Make a sweet omelet, and heat a tablespoonful of kirsch, by holding a light under the spoon. As soon as the spirit catches fire pour it round the omelet, and serve flaming."[7] Perhaps the most famous flambé dish, Crêpe Suzette, was supposedly invented in 1895 as an accident.[8]
Cognac, rum, or other flavorful liquors that are about 40% alcohol (80 USA proof) are considered ideal for flambé.[9]Wines and beers have too little alcohol and will not flambé. High-alcohol liquors, such as Bacardi 151 or Everclear, are highly flammable and considered too dangerous by professional cooks. Cinnamon is sometimes added not only for flavor but for show, as the powder ignites when added.[10]
The alcoholic beverage must be heated before lighting it on fire. This is because the liquid is still below the flash point at room temperature, and there are not enough alcoholic vapors to ignite. The vapor pressure increases by heating it, releasing enough vapors to catch fire from the match.[11]
Effects on tasteedit
Flambéing reduces the alcohol content of the food modestly. In one experimental model, about 25% of the alcohol was boiled off. The effects of the flames are also modest: although the temperature within the flame may be quite high (over 500 °C), the temperature at the surface of the pan is lower than that required for a Maillard browning reaction or for caramelization.[12]
...we serve almost everything flambe in these rooms, occasionally even a waiter's thumb. The people seem to like it, and it doesn't harm the food much.
Whether or not there is a change in flavor as a result of flambéing is unclear. Some claim that because the flame is above the food, and since hot gases rise, it cannot significantly affect the flavor. Indeed, experimental work shows that most people cannot tell the difference.[12] That said, in an informal taste test conducted by the Los Angeles Times of two batches of caramelized apples (one flambéed and one simmered), one tester declared the "flambéed dish was for adults, the other for kids."[10] Others, however, dispute this and quote celebrated French chefs who claim that flambéing is strictly a show-biz aspect of the restaurant business that ruins food but is done to create an impressive visual presentation at a dramatic point in the preparation of a meal.[14]
Safetyedit
For safety, it is recommended that alcohol not be added to a pan on a burner and that the cook use a long fireplace match to ignite the pan.[9]
Flambé dishesedit
A bombe Alaska which has been flambéed with alcohol at a restaurant in Singapore
^Dickens, Charles (1843). A Christmas Carol, the Chimes, and the Cricket on the Hearth. p. 31. ISBN9781420936292.
^Soyer, Alexis (1847). The Gastronomic Regenerator (3rd ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 477. The 1st edition of 1846 has the same recipe.
^Joscelyne, Ida (1880). The Marvellous Little Housekeepers. p. 153.
^Payne, A.G. (1882). Choice Dishes at Small Cost. London: Cassell. p. 235.
^Charpentier, Henri; Sparkes, Boyden (2001-02-20) [1934]. Life à la Henri: being the memories of Henri Charpentier. Modern Library. p. 54. ISBN978-0-375-75692-4. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
^ ab"Flambé". What's Cooking America. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
^ abScattergood, Amy (December 28, 2005). "Let the Sparks Fly". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
^Karukstis, Kerry K.; Hecke, Gerald R. Van (2003-03-27). Chemistry Connections: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena. Academic Press. p. 7. ISBN9780124001510. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
^ abHansen, Christine E.; Misha T. Kwasniewski; Sacks, Gavin L. (2012). "Decoupling the effects of heating and flaming on chemical and sensory changes during flambé cooking". International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. Vol. 1, no. 2. pp. 90–95.
^Hess, John L.; Karen Hess (2000). The Taste of America. Champaign, Ill.: University of Illinois Press. p. 355. ISBN0-252-06875-0.
^. About.com Home Cooking. Archived from the original on 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2006-11-07.
External linksedit
Look up flambé in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flambé.
December 14, 2023
flambé, ɑː, ɑː, french, flɑ, also, spelled, flambe, cooking, procedure, which, alcohol, added, create, burst, flames, word, means, flamed, french, bananas, foster, includes, flambé, roasted, quails, flambéed, with, cognac, also, type, ceramic, glaze, often, as. Flambe UK ˈ f l ɑː m b eɪ ˈ f l ɒ US f l ɑː m ˈ b eɪ 1 2 French flɑ be also spelled flambe is a cooking procedure in which alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames The word means flamed in French 3 Bananas Foster includes a flambe Roasted quails flambeed with CognacFlambe is also a type of ceramic glaze Flambeing is often associated with the tableside presentation of certain liqueur drenched dishes set aflame such as Bananas Foster or Cherries Jubilee when the alcohol is ignited and results in a flare of blue tinged flame However flambeing is also a step in the making coq au vin and other dishes and sauces using spirits before they are brought to the table By partially burning off the volatile alcohol flambeing reduces the alcoholic content of the dish while keeping the flavors of the liquor Contents 1 History 2 Procedure 3 Effects on taste 4 Safety 5 Flambe dishes 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory editModern flambeing became popular in the 19th century The English Christmas pudding was served flaming in Charles Dickens 1843 novel A Christmas Carol the pudding blazing in half of half a quarter of ignited brandy 4 The most common flambe dish appears to have been sweet omelette with rum or kirsch for example Alexis Soyer s 1846 cookbook The Gastronomic Regenerator gives a recipe for Omelette au Rhum the moment of going to table pour three glasses of rum round and set it on fire 5 Ida Joscelyne s book The Marvellous Little Housekeepers 1880 mentions both rum and kirsch 6 another recipe appears in A G Payne s English cookbook Choice Dishes at Small Cost of 1882 Make a sweet omelet and heat a tablespoonful of kirsch by holding a light under the spoon As soon as the spirit catches fire pour it round the omelet and serve flaming 7 Perhaps the most famous flambe dish Crepe Suzette was supposedly invented in 1895 as an accident 8 Procedure edit nbsp Flambeing in a skilletCognac rum or other flavorful liquors that are about 40 alcohol 80 USA proof are considered ideal for flambe 9 Wines and beers have too little alcohol and will not flambe High alcohol liquors such as Bacardi 151 or Everclear are highly flammable and considered too dangerous by professional cooks Cinnamon is sometimes added not only for flavor but for show as the powder ignites when added 10 The alcoholic beverage must be heated before lighting it on fire This is because the liquid is still below the flash point at room temperature and there are not enough alcoholic vapors to ignite The vapor pressure increases by heating it releasing enough vapors to catch fire from the match 11 Effects on taste editFlambeing reduces the alcohol content of the food modestly In one experimental model about 25 of the alcohol was boiled off The effects of the flames are also modest although the temperature within the flame may be quite high over 500 C the temperature at the surface of the pan is lower than that required for a Maillard browning reaction or for caramelization 12 we serve almost everything flambe in these rooms occasionally even a waiter s thumb The people seem to like it and it doesn t harm the food much Ernest ByfieldThe Pump Room Chicago1950 13 Whether or not there is a change in flavor as a result of flambeing is unclear Some claim that because the flame is above the food and since hot gases rise it cannot significantly affect the flavor Indeed experimental work shows that most people cannot tell the difference 12 That said in an informal taste test conducted by the Los Angeles Times of two batches of caramelized apples one flambeed and one simmered one tester declared the flambeed dish was for adults the other for kids 10 Others however dispute this and quote celebrated French chefs who claim that flambeing is strictly a show biz aspect of the restaurant business that ruins food but is done to create an impressive visual presentation at a dramatic point in the preparation of a meal 14 Safety editFor safety it is recommended that alcohol not be added to a pan on a burner and that the cook use a long fireplace match to ignite the pan 9 Flambe dishes edit nbsp A bombe Alaska which has been flambeed with alcohol at a restaurant in SingaporeExamples of popular flambe dishes include 15 Bananas Foster Bombe Alaska Cherries jubilee Christmas pudding Crepes Suzette Feuerzangenbowle Flaming beverages Gundel Palacsinta Steak DianeSee also edit nbsp Food portalList of cooking techniquesReferences edit flambe The Chambers Dictionary 9th ed Chambers 2003 ISBN 0 550 10105 5 Jones Daniel 2011 Roach Peter Setter Jane Esling John eds flambe Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary 18th ed Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 15255 6 flambe is the past passive participle of the verb flamber to flame Dickens Charles 1843 A Christmas Carol the Chimes and the Cricket on the Hearth p 31 ISBN 9781420936292 Soyer Alexis 1847 The Gastronomic Regenerator 3rd ed Simpkin Marshall amp Company p 477 The 1st edition of 1846 has the same recipe Joscelyne Ida 1880 The Marvellous Little Housekeepers p 153 Payne A G 1882 Choice Dishes at Small Cost London Cassell p 235 Charpentier Henri Sparkes Boyden 2001 02 20 1934 Life a la Henri being the memories of Henri Charpentier Modern Library p 54 ISBN 978 0 375 75692 4 Retrieved 9 December 2011 a b Flambe What s Cooking America Retrieved 9 December 2011 a b Scattergood Amy December 28 2005 Let the Sparks Fly Los Angeles Times Retrieved September 1 2013 Karukstis Kerry K Hecke Gerald R Van 2003 03 27 Chemistry Connections The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena Academic Press p 7 ISBN 9780124001510 Retrieved 18 September 2012 a b Hansen Christine E Misha T Kwasniewski Sacks Gavin L 2012 Decoupling the effects of heating and flaming on chemical and sensory changes during flambe cooking International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science Vol 1 no 2 pp 90 95 quoted in Jimmy Savage February 13 1950 Tower Ticker column Chicago Tribune Part 1 p 19 Hess John L Karen Hess 2000 The Taste of America Champaign Ill University of Illinois Press p 355 ISBN 0 252 06875 0 List of Flambe recipes About com Home Cooking Archived from the original on 2011 12 02 Retrieved 2006 11 07 External links edit nbsp Look up flambe in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flambe Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Flambe amp oldid 1182228364, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
