Is flambéing just for show?
>>7079213
A bit of show, but also brings out great flavour
>>7079213
in the kitchen
>no
tableside?
<yes
>>7079219
Agreed. It does have its uses: it adds flavor and it also accelerates burning off the excess alcohol & reducing the sauce being made.
However there's no reason to do it at the table unless you're going for some fancy show.
>>7079216
No it doesn't.
It's simply a by product of the evaporating alcohol. You flip the pan so that more are evaporated in the short time.
It's just a technique to get rid of unwanted alcohol content quickly. That's it. No more, no less.
>>7079281
Yes it does.
>>7079281
The open flame in contact with the food will produce the maillard reaction
>>7079281
Sure, getting rid of the alcohol is the main point, but the burning alcohol creates heat, which intensely cooks the upper layer of whatever you are flambeing. It's a bit like putting the pan under the broiler.
>>7079313
That's not how chemistry works. The flame's base has the lowest temperature. And due to rapid expanding gas of evaporated alcohol the temperature near the base (aka the pan) is abysmally low.
All flavor if there are any are gone with that big explosive expansion out into the air.
Keep telling yourself it adds flavor. It does not. It's simply a by product of a technique that's used to get rid of alcohol.
>>7079333
Go stick your hand in a flame and tell me it's not hot.
>>7079333
The base of the flame may have the lowest temp but it still heats the food in the pan.
You can easily see the results with your eyes. Put some chicken in a pan, splash it with booze and let it evaporate without a flame. Then repeat the experiment with a flame. You will see a little browning on the chicken in the latter case.
You can also overdo it if you are not careful. I have accidentally given dishes a "burnt" taste by having things that burn easily in the pan while flambeing, such as herbs.
>>7079333
this guy is absolutely correct
>>7079334
i did do this, when i was 2 and fell into an open fire. the flames were touching my back, the coals were touching my hands. guess what got burned more significantly? nobody is saying "flame isn't hot," we're saying "you want maillard, you want pan. move away from the pan, move away from the heat.
>>7079338
>this guy is absolutely correct
Correct at being a pseudo-intellectual
>>7079338
Yeah, lets all listen to the retard who jumped into a fire. I hope your balls were cooked through.
>>7079338
>when i was 2 and fell into an open fire
LOL
>>7079338
>nobody is saying "flame isn't hot," we're saying "you want maillard, you want pan.
Sure the pan itself is going to give the strongest heat to the food, but that doesn't mean that there isn't some heat coming from the flames in the pan.
>>7079365
but do you really think that the heat from what is essentially an explosion is focused enough to produce this reaction? maillard takes time, and the heat dissipates very quickly.
>>7079373
So, if I hold the lighter up to my smoke for just a second, it doesn't light it?
Pretty sure it does.
>>7079379
that's not maillard. that's not even really relevant.
>>7079373
Awful logic
>>7079373
>but do you really think that the heat from what is essentially an explosion is focused enough to produce this reaction?
Of course I do. You can clearly see the browning effect on the food and you can taste the difference between cooking off the alcohol both with and without the flame.
>>7079383
What's not relevant is anyone saying flames aren't hot enough to react with food.
>>7079388
you can't just derail a conversation and then call someone illogical when they refuse to engage what is clearly diversionary. oh wait, we're on 4chan, bye!
>>7079383
Hot enough to ignite paper/plant matter = hot enough to create both caramelization as well as malliard.
>>7079396
Are you legitimately retarded?
No it is very dangerous
What is the minimal clearance between the pan and the exhaust hood when flambéing?
>>7079581
A fire hazard
No, it introduces delicate flavors from the spirits. It is also fo-pa to not be impressed by a tableside flambay. Even if it kills you, try to act impressed
>>7080059
>fo-pa
>flambay
