Ovenable Food Container with Salt Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food preparation methods require handling and cooking with utensils, leading to dirtying and inefficiencies, especially when cooking fish or frozen meat, and traditional salt crust cooking is limited to whole pieces and not suitable for pre-packed or frozen foods.
Innovation Solution
A food preparation housed in a closed, ovenable container with a food product embedded in salt and an ovenable sheet that prevents excessive salt penetration, allowing cooking in an oven without removing the food, using a mixture of coarse and fine salt to retain steam and prevent salting, and a container design for easy salt collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If food product is embedded directly in salt for cooking, then the salt absorbs fats and retains steam effectively, but the food becomes excessively salty and the salt adheres to the food surface
Solution Approach 1:
An ovenable sheet acts as an intermediary layer between the food product and the salt. This sheet prevents direct contact between the salt and food surface, blocking excessive salt penetration while still allowing the salt to perform its functions of absorbing fats and retaining steam in the cooking cavity. The sheet mediates the interaction between salt and food, eliminating the harmful effect of oversalting while preserving the beneficial cooking effects.
2Reliability
If traditional salt crust cooking is used for whole pieces of food, then the cooking process is effective, but the method is not suitable for pre-packed or frozen individual portions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the cooking system into separate functional components: the food product in its original packaging, the ovenable sheet, and the salt layer. This segmentation allows pre-packed or frozen individual portions to be cooked effectively without requiring whole pieces of food. Each component performs its specific function independently, making the method adaptable to various food formats including pre-packaged items.
Solution Approach 2:
The ovenable sheet serves as a mediator that enables the salt crust cooking method to work with pre-packed and frozen foods. It prevents the salt from directly contacting packaged or skinned foods that would otherwise be unsuitable for traditional salt crust cooking, thereby extending the method's versatility to include individual portions and pre-prepared foods.
3Shape
If wet salt is used for cooking, then the salt forms a crust effectively, but the salt adheres to the food skin and cooking time increases due to drying requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The ovenable sheet acts as a protective intermediary between the wet salt and the food product. It allows the salt to form an effective crust on the sheet surface while preventing the salt from adhering to the food skin. This eliminates the need for extended drying time, as the sheet barrier prevents salt-food adhesion from the outset.
4Ease of operation
If food is removed from container for cooking, then cooking can be performed conventionally, but kitchen utensils must be cleaned after use
Solution Approach 1:
The container with the ovenable sheet and salt setup enables the food to cook in its own packaging without requiring removal to separate cooking utensils. The container serves itself as the cooking vessel, eliminating the need for additional pots or pans that would subsequently require cleaning. This self-service approach maintains cooking flexibility while avoiding utensil contamination.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy, healthy cooking of fish and other foods in individual portions without utensils, preventing excessive salting and maintaining juiciness, while being compatible with the frozen food industry and reducing post-cooking cleanup.
Implementation Method 1
As the temperature in the oven increases, the salt will harden forming a crust, which causes the food to cook inside the cavity formed by the salt, the steams released during cooking being retained inside the cavity.
Implementation Method 2
The ovenable sheet keeps the food product from direct and excessive contact with the salt, preventing the salt melted due to the effect of the heat or of the steams released from the food product during cooking from being able to penetrate into said food product
Implementation Method 3
the salt which is in contact with the food absorbs the fats that the food may contain and release during cooking
Data Source
Figure 1~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a food preparation comprising a food product housed in a closed and ovenable container, intended for being sold fresh, frozen or refrigerated, in which the food product is embedded in salt, an ovenable sheet being arranged between the food product and the salt or at least partially covering said food product, the container being suitable for revealing or uncovering its content in the upper portion. Advantageously, the preparation is compatible with the conventional frozen food industry such that individual pieces of skinned fish such as those which are available on the market can be used.