GB2416984A

GB2416984A - Roasting tin

Info

Publication number: GB2416984A
Application number: GB0504298A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pauline Eirlys Adams; Douglas Charles Harkin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-14
Filing date: 2005-03-02
Publication date: 2006-02-15
Also published as: AU2004100764A4; GB0504298D0; GB0418238D0

Abstract

A roasting tin (1, 14) comprises a tray with a flat floor (2) and continuous upstanding walls (3). One or more cylindrical vessels (5) extend upwardly from the floor (2). These may hold a volatile marinade (8) or alternatively an opened can (12) of beverage. A chicken (9) or other fowl is placed in an upright position over the vessel (5) and optionally the can (12). The tin (1, 14) may be placed in an oven or on a barbecue, open fire or hob. A cover (11) may be provided to enclose the chicken (9). An outside of the chicken (9) is roasted as normal. The marinade (8) is volatilised so that it steam-cooks the flesh from within, keeping it moist, infusing flavours from the marinade (8) into the meat, and protecting it from the effects of overcooking. Fat and juices from the chicken (9) collect in the tray away from the meat. The cooked chicken (9) may be displayed and carved while supported on the vessel (5).

Description

1 241 6984

ROASTING TIN . -

The present application relates to a cooking vessel for roasting meat, particularly poultry. . .

More particularly but not exclusively, it relates to a cooking vessel that permits poultry to be roasted on a barbecue or the like without drying out. . . : Barbecue-style cooking is extremely popular, and many sauces and marinades have been. .-

developed to produce a tasty and crispy skin on barbecued chicken and the like. However, a problem with roasting a whole chicken or the like, particularly on a barbecue, is that if the bird is overcooked, even only slightly so as to crisp the skin, its flesh can easily dry out, losing both its texture and flavour.

Traditional stuffings help to overcome this problem for oven-roasted birds, but they do not contain much moisture, and it is still all too easy to dry out the flesh by overcooking. In any case, conventional stuffings are not really appropriate for barbecue-style cooking, and they are frequently higher in fat than one might prefer.

Another potential problem is that sauces, seasonings and the like applied to the skin of the bird may not penetrate deeply into the flesh, producing an intensely flavoured surface layer and a relatively bland interior.

It is hence an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for cooking poultry or other meat that obviates the above problems and makes it easier to produce well- cooked, well- flavoured, moist and non-greasy meat.

According to the present invention, there is provided cooking apparatus comprising tray means having continuous upstanding peripheral wall means and at least one substantially cylindrical open-topped reservoir means mounted to and extending upwardly from a floor of .

the tray means, the or each said reservoir means being adapted to be insertable into a cavity. :.

within a fowl or other item to be cooked. ...: . Advantageously, the cooking apparatus comprises metal, optionally stainless steel. .. . Alternatively, the cooking apparatus may comprise a material, such as a heat resistant plastics material, substantially transparent to microwaves.

The cooking apparatus may be provided with a coating of a non-stick material, for example comprising polytetrafluoroethylene.

In a preferred embodiment, the or each reservoir means is adapted to accommodate a beverage can of standard dimensions, such that the fowl or other item may be placed over both the reservoir means and the can.

Advantageously, the reservoir means comprises a hollow cylindrical body with a diameter of at least six centimetres, optionally around seven centimetres.

Said cylindrical body may be between six and twelve centimetres tall, optionally around nine centimetres.

The reservoir means may be provided with apertured cap means detachably mountable to its open upper end.

Said cap means may be so profiled as to ease insertion of the reservoir means into the cavity. . ..

Preferably, the tray means has a length and a breadth each at least twice a diameter of the or. A. each reservoir means. .

Advantageously, the tray means has a length and/or a breadth at least three times the diameter of the or each reservoir means.

Optionally, at least one of the length and the breadth of the tray means is at least four times the diameter of the or each reservoir means.

The wall means preferably extends at least four centimetres above the floor of the tray means, optionally six centimetres or more.

The wall means may be provided with continuous lip means extending around an upper margin thereof The cooking apparatus may be provided with cover means, so detachably mountable to the tray means, optionally to the lip means thereof, as to enclose the fowl or other item to be cooked Said cowr means may be wholly or partially transparent Where the cooking apparatus comprises a plurality of said reservoir means, each reservoir... .

means is preferably spaced at least fifteen ccntimetres from any adjacent reservoir means,. ...

optionally at least twenty centimetres therefrom A. . Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of.. .. .

example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which ..: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first roasting tin embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section of the roasting tin shown in Figure I, in use; Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section of the roasting tin shown in Figure I, with an opened beverage can in place; and Figure 4 is a schematic cross-section of a second roasting tin embodying the present invention Referring now to the Figures and to Figure 1 in particular, a first roasting tin I comprises a flat rectangular base 2 surrounded by four upstanding walls 3 A continuous generally horizontal lip 4 extends outwardly around an upper, in use, margin of the walls 3. A cylindrical, open-topped vessel 5 extends upwardly from the base 2 of the roasting tin 1, and is provided with a removable lid 6 having a mesh upper surface 7. The vessel 5 is integral with or permanently mounted to the base 2, and has continuous walls so that it may retain liquids therein.

For use with an oven or a barbecue, the roasting tin I is made of metal, such as steel, stainless steel or cast iron, although an alternative embodiment for use in microwave cookery comprises heat resistant plastics materials. Metal tins 1 may optionally be provided with a non-stick coating, such as PTFE. .

The roasting tin I is used as shown in Figure 2. A liquid marinade 8, wine, beer, cider or the. . like is poured into the vessel 5, along with herbs, spices, garlic and/or other seasonings if...

desired. A chicken 9 or other fowl is then positioned over the vessel 5, such that the vessel 5. . Opens into a body cavity 10 of the chicken 9. A rim of the lid 6 is here radiused to ease its . insertion into the body cavity 10. The chicken 9 may be basted, seasoned, etc. on its outer surface, as desired. the roasting tin 1 is then placed on a barbecue, in an oven, on a stove top, or on a camp ilre, and the chicken 9 is cooked. When the roasting tin I is to be used on an open barbecue, a stove top or a camp fire, an optional cover 11 is provided to retain vapours; this is not necessary when the tin I is used in an oven or a barbecue with a cover.

The outer surface of the chicken 9 is roasted as normal, for example until the skin reaches a desired texture or colour. Meanwhile, the marinade 8 evaporates from the vessel 5 and the resulting flavourful vapours fill the body cavity 10 then permeate outwardly through the flesh of the chicken 9. Not only does this keep the flesh of the chicken 9 moist and succulent, but the flavours of the marinade 8 become infused into the flesh. In effect, the meat of the chicken 9 is gently steamed, and even if the chicken 9 is overcooked, it will not dry out.

A further advantage is that melted fat from the chicken 9 will drip off it and collect in the base 2 of the tin 1, whereas in a conventional roasting tin, the chicken 9 would be cooked on its back, lying in a pool of its own grease. Cooking the chicken 9 in the roasting tin 1 shown thus produces significantly healthier results. A portion of the fat and other juices collected in the base 2 of the tin 1 may be reserved for making sauces or gravies as required, but one is not obliged to eat greasy meat. This is particularly advantageous when cooking fowl with fattier meat, such as duck or goose. (NB: the partial steaming effect produced by the roasting tin I of the present invention means that it is equally suitable for birds with drier flesh, such as pheasant, which are all too easy to dry out on roasting).

The chicken 9 may be carved in situ, supported upright on the vessel 5, with all parts of the carcass being easily accessible. The relative breadth of the base 2 of the tin I ensures that the chicken 9 will remain stably upright, both during cooking and during carving. If on the other hand, one wishes to separate the cooked chicken 9 from the vessel 5, the broad base 2 makes it easier to remove the chicken 9 without spillage.

The roasting tin I is particularly suitable for a variation on the above cooking method, using beer or cider as marinade (see Figure 3). The vessel 5 is dimensioned to accommodate a can 12 of beer, lager, cider or the like of standard dimensions (a vessel diameter of seven centimetres has been found to be convenient). The can 12 is opened, a portion of the beer 13, etc. may be removed, and the can 12 is dropped into the vessel 5 (the lid 6 being omitted in this method). The chicken 9 or other bird is then impaled over the can 12 and the vessel 5 so that the can 12 opens into the body cavity 10 of the bird The chicken 9 is then roasted/steamed as described above Beer or cider makes an excellent impromptu marinade, and is particularly appropriate for barbecue cooking While it is known to insert a beer can 12 directly into a cavity 10 of a chicken 9 before cooking, the arrangement shown is far more stable and resistant to being knocked over Also, little or none of an outer surface of the can l 2 will be in direct contact with the flesh of the chicken 9; adhesion of a can 12 to cooked flesh and possible contamination by ink and varnish from the can 12 have been matters of concern in the previous approach The vessel 5 also may permit the use of more fragile beverage containers, such as bottles of appropriate, . size . :.

A second roasting tin 14, shown in Figure 4, has a conventional base 2 and walls 3, with a. A..

plurality of vessels 5 extending upwardly from the base 2, spaced apart so that a chicken 9 or.. .

the like may be impaled and cooked on each vessel 5 simultaneously In this tin 14, which is particularly suitable for larger barbecues or for catering, a different marinade may be used in each vessel 5 if desired The roasting tins 1, 14 described may also be used for cooking other meats In most cases, there would be no natural cavity into which to insert the vessel 5 The lid 6 would then be replaced by a conical apertured cap, optionally with retaining prongs, over which a joint of meat could be forced before cooking A further advantage of the roasting tins 1, 14 described is that they can be used to display the cooked chicken 9, etc. during or after cooking For example, when the tins 1, 14 are used in an oven with a clear door, or are used with a clear cover 11, a potential consumer of the chicken 9 can watch it cook. In a catering application, using the tin 14 for cooking multiple birds, the consumer may choose the particular one to be served. .e- *-*. * .. e. e e . -. . a.. * ë

Claims

1. Cooking apparatus comprising tray means having continuous upstanding peripheral wall means and at least one substantially cylindrical opentopped reservoir means mounted to and extending upwardly from a floor of the tray means, the or each said reservoir means being adapted to be insertable into a cavity within a fowl or other item to be cooked.

2. Cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the or each reservoir means is adapted to accommodate a beverage can of standard dimensions, such that the fowl or . Other item may be placed over both the reservoir means and the can. ... -

3. Cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2, wherein the reservoir means. .: comprises a hollow cylindrical body with a diameter of at least six centimetres, .. ë-

optionally around seven centimetres.

4. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cylindrical body is between six and twelve centimetres tall, optionally around nine centimetres.

5. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reservoir means is provided with apertured cap means detachably mountable to its open upper end, optionally so profiled as to ease insertion of the reservoir means into the cavity.

6. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tray means has a length and a breadth each at least twice a diameter of the or each reservoir means.

7. Cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the tray means has a length and/or a breadth at least three times the diameter of the or each reservoir means.

8. Cooking apparatus as claimed in either Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein at least one of the length and the breadth of the tray means is at least four times the diameter of the or each reservoir means. .-, : .e

9. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, provided with.,.

cover means, so detachably mountable to the tray means as to enclose the fowl or as., other item to be cooked. , , A.

10. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of said reservoir means.

Cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 O. wherein each reservoir means is spaced at least fifteen centimetres from any other reservoir means, optionally at least twenty centimetres therefrom.

12. Cooking apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings.