Whenever the holidays roll around, you may hear desperate cries from the kitchen to "tent it." This usually means that the outside of the turkey is getting done faster that the rest of the bird. Instead of simply turning the oven down, lengthening the cooking time of the meal, the cook will simply tent the main course of your feast. Here are some more facts about tenting. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Significance
Tenting refers to a method of stopping food from browning too quickly in the oven. This approach is typically used in the making of a turkey, but can also be employed with almost any dish that is cooked in the oven. It's sort of like putting a makeshift lid on a meal that doesn't otherwise have one.
Function
For the sake of example, let's use a turkey to explain the actual technique of tenting. When your bird is browning too quickly, remove the turkey from the oven. Tear a large sheet of aluminum foil that can easily fit over the bird and then loosely--"loose" being the operative word--adhere foil over the turkey. You should then pinch down the edges onto either side of the pan (the lengthwise edges) to ensure that the foil will not fall off when you place the bird back in the oven, while still leaving openings at the other ends (the width-wise edges) to keep the turkey from getting soggy, for lack of a better word.
Considerations
Another method of tenting is actually employed at the start of the cooking process, usually for larger meats that take a longer time to cook. This is sort of the opposite of using an aluminum tent when the bird is browning too quickly. With this method, the turkey is tented (in the same fashion as already described) for around an hour to an hour and a half at the start of the cooking. The tent is then removed and the skin is allowed to brown. This technique will usually gives you a crisper skin than the above approach which will have the skin a little damp at the end of preparation.
Effects
Tenting is also used after a meal is done and taken out of the oven. This method is used to keep the meat warm and allow it to rest while the juices sort of distribute throughout. If we were to use the same example of a turkey, you would again loosely situate a sheet of aluminum foil over the bird for anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes before carving. If you were to carve the bird directly out of the oven, you've not given enough time for the juices that were created during the cooking process to find their way to every inch of the bird.
Features
For all intents and purposes, the process of tenting is basically used to keep food moist while allowing the outer layer to avoid overly browning or burning. Of course, you needn't use this method at all, but it truly is an easy and cost-effective way to properly cook you larger meats and dishes. A little trial and error will help you decide your ideal way to make a meal.
Tags: browning quickly, aluminum foil, bird browning, bird browning quickly, cooking process