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What is the "heat chain"?

aperture

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aperture

aperture

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I've been reading through Andoni Luis Aduriz's Mugaritz (a really wonderful, if impractical, cookbook) and noticed in the recipe for
"Grilled Squid Smoked Over Grapevines, White Beans and its Concentrated Juice" the following paragraph (emphasis mine):

"Just before plating up, put the squid in a smoker and expose them to smoke for a few minutes. Next, put them in a salamander grill (broiler) and heat the surface of the squid for 2-3 minutes. It is very important not to break the heat chain."

I can't remember ever seeing the phrase "heat chain" before and am wondering what it is. Is it any more complicated than "keep it warm"?

Thanks.

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Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

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My guess is that it means there should be no pause between the smoker and the salamander.

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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slkinsey

slkinsey

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I think this is builds on the idea of a "cold chain," which refers to the practice of maintaining a foodstuff from producer through storage and distribution to user under an unbroken chain of cold storage. In this case, "heat chain" would appear to mean that once the foodstuff is brought to temperature it is not allowed to cool down until it is served -- which is to say that it is maintained in an unbroken chain of hot "storage" from initial cooking to the plate. The term "hot chain" would be more apropos than "heat chain" IMO.

--

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Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

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Mugaritz – back from the brink.....

"The new design and setting of the kitchen allows us now to work from the beginning to the end [of service] without interrupting the 'heat chain' that begins on the stove and finishes on the plate. It sounds obvious, but it is a very complex issue in a kitchen producing 600 dishes each day for lunch and dinner."

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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aperture

aperture

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Mugaritz – back from the brink.....

"The new design and setting of the kitchen allows us now to work from the beginning to the end [of service] without interrupting the 'heat chain' that begins on the stove and finishes on the plate. It sounds obvious, but it is a very complex issue in a kitchen producing 600 dishes each day for lunch and dinner."

OK, this is roughly what I imagined. Thanks!

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