PROCEDURE FOR PREPARING A READY-COOKED FOOD PORTION

Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure for preparing a ready-made food portion, a portion piece being frozen to a temperature at least -15 DEG C, and the gravy being frozen onto the surface of the portion piece. The gravy is frozen in at least two different layers on the portion piece so that a fat-free liquid layer counteracting oxidation comes to constitute the outermost layer.

Description: PROCEDURE FOR PREPARING A READY-COOKED FOOD PORTION The present invention concerns a procedure as defined in the preamble to Claim 1, for preparing a ready-made food portion. Various procedures for preparing deep-frozen ready-made foods are known in the art. For instance, the reference FI 76676 discloses a method for prepar- ing a deep-frozen fish product, wherein a deep-frozen piece of fish is first coated with dough, rolled in egg and bread crumbs a first time, submerged in liquid food fat, and rolled in egg and bread crumbs once more before being deep frozen. In GB 1,448,495 a procedure is disclosed for applying a seasoned gravy formulation on frozen food products. In said procedure, the foodstuff is frozen and upon the frozen foodstuff, the ready-made gravy is applied in the form of an aqueous suspension. Hydro- colloid gravy having a certain viscosity is used in this procedure. The reference US 5.266.340 describes the preparation of dough-enclosed frozen products. In this procedure the foodstuffs are portioned, coated with dough, and the dough is allowed to form a matrix of protein and starch, which protects the foodstuff. In reference SE 374 995 a method is disclosed for producing a frozen foodstuff, wherein a gravy con¬ taining fat is sprayed on the foodstuff, frozen or at room temperature, whereupon the product is frozen. The problem with procedures known in the art is that the fats and oils used to coat the foodstuff are in spite of deep freezing subject to oxidation and give the product an unsatisfactory flavour. A further problem with previously known pro¬ cedures is that in spite of the methods employed, liquid will evaporate from the deep-frozen foodstuff; so-called deep-freeze drying takes place. Moreover, fats and oils render the surface of the foodstuffs sticky and awkward to handle, whereby their packaging e.g. in bags becomes difficult. Fur- thermore, existing procedures are not usable on any and all types of foodstuff. Moreover, losses of liquid and of weight occur at deep freezing and in food pre¬ paring, and the flavour of the food will suffer. The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned. The object of the invention is specifically to disclose a foodstuff preparing pro¬ cedure in which the product is protected against deep¬ freeze drying and oxidation. The object of the inven¬ tion is furthermore to disclose a procedure by which tasty and healthy food is obtained. It is still another object of the invention to disclose a procedure enabling a product to be made which is neatly, simply and swiftly packageable and which can be made into food with ease and speed. As regards the features characterizing the invention, reference is made to the claims. In the procedure of the invention, in order to prepare ready-made food portions, the portion piece is frozen to a temperature at least -15°C, and the gravy is frozen upon the portion piece in at least two different layers so that the outer layer is an oxida¬ tion-inhibiting, fat-free liquid layer. The component layers can be applied on the portion piece by spraying, by atomizing or by dipping the frozen portion piece in the gravy or liquid. In the procedure of the invention the portion piece is advantageously either a whole piece of meat, fish, broiler meat or another foodstuff; or the por¬ tion piece is already cut into cubes or strips, or minced; in such case the comminuted particles may be precooked/roasted so that they might not stick to each other during the actual cooking/roasting. The portion piece to be used in the procedure of the invention may be thermally treated or raw, in which case the consumer himself will prepare the food portion, or the portion piece may be fully cooked/ roasted. The gravy which is formed by the procedure is applied to the ready-made food portion either in the form of components, whereby the liquid separating from the product may be utilized in forming the gravy, and thus there will be no losses of liquid, weight or fla¬ vour during the preparation of food. The invention affords the advantage that the layer containing fat-free liquid which gets to be top¬ most will protect the product against oxidation and will constitute part of the gravy accompanying the food. It is a further advantage of the invention that, thanks to the fat-free coating layer, the pro¬ duct can be easily and neatly packaged. Further, thanks to the invention, the food will be tasty and fresh because the food portion is not prepared and finished until in the consumer's oven or microwave oven. It is a further advantage of the invention that all particles of the gravy are not combined until at the food preparing stage, whereby all liquid, fla¬ vour and other constituents present can be fully util¬ ized without losses. In an embodiment of the procedure of the in- vention the gravy is formed of layers, upon the frozen portion piece being first applied vegetable oil, milk fat (butter), etc. congealing above 0°C, and which may be seasoned or unseasoned. Upon this is applied a liquid layer, which may contain wheat flour, starch or any other material thickening at a temperature higher than +70 β C, and gelatine, to inhibit the running of liquids between +0 and +30°C. Upon this is moreover applied a layerinhibitingoxidation which may be thickened, may contain gelatine or may oe just liquid. The oxidation-inhibiting protective liquid layer, which may consist of water, meat, fish, chicken, vege- table or fruit broth, etc., may contain material con¬ gealing under cold above +0 β C, such as gelatine or equivalent, to bind the liqu4d exuding from the por¬ tion piece in the range of +0 to +30°C. The an- tioxidant liquid may also contain material thickening at a temperature in excess of +70 β C, such as wheat flour, starch, etc., to bind the muscle fluid exuding from the portion piece and to aid the production of gravy. In an embodiment of the procedure of the in- vention, a broiler, meat or fish portion piece is sea¬ soned and refrigerated to a temperature at least about -15 β C (preferably below -25°C) with liquid nitrogen or by conventional deep-freezing methods. When the por¬ tion piece is seasoned at this stage, the spices will adhere better to the portion piece, and the piece will be better seasoned. On a conveyor belt, a lower gravy layer is sprayed upon the portion piece and it will immediately freeze fast to the surface of the portion piece. Next, a layer of fat-free chicken, meat, fish or other broth, to which has been added gelatine, maize meal or any other thickening substance, is sprayed upon the portion piece. The fat-free layer inhibits oxidation and protects the foodstuff. The fat-free liquid which is added may equally be just water. In an embodiment of the procedure of the in¬ vention, together with the portion piece are frozen the other solid materials belonging to the portion (vegetables, etc.), the food is seasoned, a lower gravy layer is frozen upon the portion piece by spray¬ ing or by dipping the portion piece in the gravy; this gravy may contain: Λ ) vegetauxe on cϋngeaxxiϊg above 0°C, or milk f L, seasoned e.g. with garlic (b) pre-cooked/fried onion 10 Lo 40%, paprika ιυ Lu -rtυ/o , tuIila LU x u LU U Λ , vege table ux x o to 20ό, salt, sugar or other sweetening agents, spices. The lower gravy layer may be thickened and it may con¬ tain gelatine. Upon the frozen lower gravy layer, a faL- ree liquid layer is applied either by spraying or υy i ing Llϊc* frozen porLion piece in the fat-free liquid. The frozen portion piece is hereafter pack¬ aged in a bag or in a shaped porLion box tolerating both deep- reezing and heating. In the procedure of the invention, the gravy may equally be applied on the ready-made food portion in such manner that the thickening material and part of the liquid going to make the gravy are frozen to¬ gether with the other constituents, if any, of the gravy (greens, vegetauxes, fruit, smoked bacon, cray¬ fish meat, mushrooms, etc.) and with the spices and the porLion piece, and the additional liquid of the gravy is separately applied upon the frozen compo¬ nents; hereby the gravy will not be completed until in connection with preparation of the food portion for serving. The frozen portion piece may prior to adding the various layers be even further rapidly refrigerat¬ ed with liquid niLrogen, e.g. by swifLly dipping iL in l iquid iii L rugen . I n Li lib way Lhe Sur face ύ f the p r- L xun μxe e can e tx u ctl Lu be very cold , and the gravy and the ux f fereiϊ L layers wi l l f reeze Oi Lo Lϊϊe surface of the portion piece as rapidly as possible. The frozen portion piece, and which is free of fat on its surface, can be packaged with ease in a bag or in a shaped portion box tolerating both deep¬ freezing an heating. One or several portion pieces can be packed in one portion bag or box. The ready-made food portion enclosed in a portion bag or box can be finally prepared in the oven or microwave oven, rapidly and hygienically. The invention is not exclusively delimited to concern the embodiment examples presented in the fore¬ going: numerous modifications are feasible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A procedure for preparing a ready-made food portion, a portion piece being frozen to a te - perature at least -15°C, and the gravy being frozen onto the surface of the portion piece, characterized in that the gravy is frozen in at least two different layers on the portion piece so that a fat-free liquid layer inhibiting oxidation will constitute the outermost layer. 2. Procedure according to claim 1, charac¬ terized in that the layers are sprayed upon the frozen portion piece. 3. Procedure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the layers are established by dipping the frozen portion piece. 4. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the portion piece is sea¬ soned prior to freezing. 5. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that for portion piece is used broiler, meat, fish, etc. 6. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that in the procedure a raw or thermally treated or a fully cooked/roasted portion piece is used. 7. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that in the procedure a thicken¬ ed or unthickened lower gravy layer containin fat/oil or liquid is used. 8. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that for fat-free liquid in ¬ hibiting oxidation is used chicken, meat, fish, vege¬ table or fruit broth, etc., or water. 9. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that to the fat-free liquid inhibiting oxidation is added gelatine, wheat flour, maize meal or any equivalent thickening materi¬ al. 10. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the frozen portion piece is packaged in a bag, portion box or equivalent tolerat¬ ing both freezing and heating.

Inventors: VIRTANEN PEKKA, VIRTANEN, PEKKA
Applicants: VIRTANEN PEKKA, VIRTANEN, PEKKA
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A23B4
IPC codes: A23B4, A23L3