Coatings, such as starches and breadings, provide the desired product appearance and texture while locking in food flavor and moisture. Here are some insights into the most common types of food coatings to get the best results from your ingredients and coating equipment.
Pre-Coating
Most products are pre-coated to improve sizing adhesion and total coating adhesion: Smooth or hard surface substrates often require pre-coating. Sizing requires a certain amount of roughness and dryness on which it will adhere, and pre-dusting the substrate can create an excellent surface. Frozen substrates are particularly difficult to coat and require faster line speeds to coat before thawing. Pre-coating equipment includes drum breaders, triple-turn linear breaders, and standard single-pass linear breaders. Drum or triple-turn breaders are particularly effective for breading products with hard-to-reach cavities. Drum breaders are extremely useful when running whole muscle products and can also achieve a home-style artisan bread surface texture.
Standard Slurry
Standard slurry is applied by either a dip, top curtain, or underflow device. Dip equipment is the most commonly used battering machine due to its versatility and simple operation. Top curtain equipment is used for products that tend to have orientation issues or for deep packs, such as chicken wings. Successful slurry coating depends on two machines feeding the battering machine: the precoater must coat the product evenly to achieve good adhesion, and the slurry mixing system must provide a homogenous mixture of hydrated batter at a consistent viscosity and temperature.
Tempura Slurry
The application of tempura slurry requires gentle handling; otherwise, the gas contained in the slurry will be released through some normal mechanical processes (such as stirring) and cause the slurry to flatten and produce an undesirable texture. Strict control of viscosity and temperature regulates the expansion of the slurry and the gas, so the mixing system must generate as little heat as possible to prevent gas release. Generally speaking, tempura slurry needs to be fried at a temperature of about 383°F/195°C to ensure a quick seal on the surface of the product; lower temperatures can make the coating like a glue layer and can increase oil absorption. Frying temperature also affects the speed of the trapped gas expansion, thereby affecting the coating texture.
Bread crumbs are classified into two main categories: free-flowing and non-free-flowing. Japanese bread crumbs are a very famous free-flowing bread crumb. Most other bread crumbs are non-free-flowing because they contain very small particles or flour that forms lumps once slightly hydrated.
Japanese breadcrumbs are typically a higher-cost breading used in premium products that provide a unique highlight and crisp bite. This delicate coating requires processing equipment to incorporate special features to keep the breading intact. Special powders are often formulated to ensure adequate pickup of lightweight crumbs. Too much pressure can damage the breading: too little pressure and the crumbs don't adhere properly throughout. Side covering is more difficult than other breads because the product typically sits on top of a bottom bed. The breader must handle the bread gently to maintain particle size and must coat the bottom and sides evenly.
Post time: Jul-15-2024