Page 32 - Sphere No.22 (Aug 2008)

30 SPHERE
Surprisingly he also says that, contrary to what most chefs
believe, induction can offer more intense heat than flame, and
can, for some dishes, actually reduce cooking times. “After one
minute you have heat which is stronger than gas,” he explains.
“It’s not hard to re-train chefs to work with induction equip-
ment, but you do have to concentrate. Because you don’t see a
flame, you have to remember which pans are being heated. And
because heat can be very intense, it’s easy to overcook.”
Kitchen accidents, however, are rarer.
Because the induction heads themselves
remain relatively cool, the risk of kitchen
fires or of staff suffering burns is reduced.
Induction cooking technology has
been around for longer than most people
think. The technology is based on using
an electromagnetic field to transfer or
“induce” energy into a conductive cook-
ing vessel, such as a wok, pot or pan,
making the cooking utensil itself the
generator of the heat which cooks the food. The idea was pio-
neered in the United States in the early 1970s and has gradually
won acceptance in many private homes around the world, but
has taken longer to catch on in professional kitchens.
Recent years however have seen the development of induc-
tion appliances – wok stations are a good example – sufficiently
similar in appearance and operation to their gas-powered
counterparts to appeal to even fairly traditionally minded
chefs. The rising cost of energy and a growing awareness of in-
duction cooking’s environmental benefits have also helped put
a spotlight on the technology.
HK Electric’s General Manager (Group Commercial) Dr
W K Chu is encouraged by the level of adoption of electric and
induction cooking in Hong Kong’s professional kitchens, but
would still like to see more.
“The technology did not kindle much interest in Hong Kong
until 2001 when HK Electric involved it-
self in the development of suitable appli-
ances for the market,” recalls Dr Chu. “In-
duction became popular because the users
realised the advantages of the equipment.
This change indicates that electric cooking
has now been successfully launched in the
commercial sector, and is in use in around
30 per cent of the commercial kitchens in
HK Electric’s supply area.”
He points out that kitchens which dis-
pense with gas also dispose of the toxic by-products of combustion
and that because the heads of induction cookers are completely
sealed in ceramic glass, spillages are much easier to clean up.
The most persuasive arguments for induction cooking are
probably the improvements it offers to the kitchen environ-
ment, and the savings it offers in energy costs. HK Electric
stresses both advantages when talking to potential users of the
technology about making a switch.
Paella (serves 8)
Contrary to
what most chefs
believe, induction can
offer more intense
heat than flame
Instructions
1. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, paprika,
Worcestershire sauce and tabasco for 1 hour.
2. Fry the garlic with olive oil, add chicken, onion, capsicum
and rice. Stir for a while.
3. Add white wine, cook until the rice is partly done.Add
saffron, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Continue to cook
in pan for about 5 minutes.Transfer to the electric rice
cooker and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Place the mussels, prawns and squid on rice, cook for
another 8 minutes. Sprinkle in diced tomatoes and green
peas, keep covered for 5 more minutes and serve.
Ingredients
2 chicken thighs, cut into pieces
8 mussels
8 prawns, trim, keep the shell
1 squid, cut into rings
1Onion, diced 100g
1 capsicum, diced
3 tomatoes, peel, deseed and dice
Green peas, 100g
Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
Rice, wash and drain 400g
Paprika 1/2 teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce few drops
Tabasco few drops
Saffron 1 teaspoon
Chicken broth 450ml
White wine 50ml
Garlic Puree 1 tablespoon
Salt, pepper pinch