Cooking and food preparation
What's covered
Key facts
Coeliac-safe baking uses gluten-free flour and certified gluten-free ingredients to avoid cross-contamination.
Different cooking methods destroy different proportions of nutrients (e.g. boiling leaches water-soluble vitamins, steaming retains them).
Mincing spreads surface bacteria into the centre of a burger, so burgers must be cooked through; steaks can be rarer because the centre stays sterile.
Hot food should be cooled within 90 minutes (FSA guidance) before being refrigerated.
A balloon whisk is best for incorporating air into liquids such as cream and egg whites.
Using colour contrast on a plate makes the dish look more appealing.
Tasters should avoid strong flavours (coffee, chewing gum) before a tasting session so the palate is neutral.
Cooked food above raw meat in the fridge risks raw juices dripping onto the cooked food.
Coeliac disease requires strict gluten avoidance; naturally gluten-free flours include rice flour, cornflour, and buckwheat.
Grilling places food on a rack so fat drips away, making it lower in fat than frying.
Sample questions
A taste of the 101 questions in this topic — answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
A student with coeliac disease is making a cake. Which flour should they use?
- ✓rice flour
- •self-raising flour
- •strong bread flour
- •wholemeal flour
Which cooking method uses dry heat with hot oil?
- •egg poaching
- •pasta boiling
- ✓shallow frying
- •vegetable steaming
How do you check that a whole chicken is thoroughly cooked?
- ✓juices run clear and no pink flesh
- •steam rises from the cavity
- •the legs move freely in the joint
- •the skin is golden and crispy
What does the '4 Cs' of food safety stand for?
- •chilling, covering, cooking, checking
- •cleaning, chopping, chilling, cooking
- ✓cleaning, cooking, chilling, cross-contamination
- •cooking, cooling, covering, cleaning
What's a balloon whisk best for?
- •blending vegetable purees smooth
- •chopping firm root vegetables
- ✓incorporating air into liquids
- •stirring thick simmering sauces
Why does plating with contrasting colours improve a dish?
- •it adds extra vitamins to the food
- •it cools the dish down faster
- •it kills bacteria on the plate
- ✓it makes the food more visually appealing
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