Cling film for cooking

katydid

I often see them using cling film on cookery programmes to do things like ballotines (I think that's how it spelled?), where you wrap something up and boil it in water.

I'm not looking for food safety advice, just curious if the cling film they use is the ordinary bog standard stuff you buy in the supermarket.

duploelabs

Yes it is

katydid

duploelabs wrote: »

Yes it is

Ah great. I've been looking on the packaging, and it doesn't make it clear.

duploelabs

katydid wrote: »

Ah great. I've been looking on the packaging, and it doesn't make it clear.

Just don't buy the cheapo stuff, no one likes a soggy ballontine

the beer revolu

I can always taste the cling film.
Despite chefs doing this all the time, I feel it's not a good idea but I have nothing to back that up other than not liking the taste of cling film.
I keep heat and cling film apart.

Greenmachine

Had to to google what a ballontine was there OP. I assume your will just be boiling this. I had no idea people cooked with cling film wrap. Can't imagine it working in the oven what ever about in boiling water. :P

Clareman

the beer revolu wrote: »

I can always taste the cling film.
Despite chefs doing this all the time, I feel it's not a good idea but I have nothing to back that up other than not liking the taste of cling film.
I keep heat and cling film apart.

I'd be the same and a friend of mind gave me the tip of putting the food on the "outside" of the cling film, also, avoid cheap stuff like the plague. I got a massive industrial roll of it before and can't say I've noticed a problem since I got it, I tend to make herb butters a lot with cling film.

the beer revolu

Herb butters are cold.

duploelabs

the beer revolu wrote: »

I can always taste the cling film.
Despite chefs doing this all the time, I feel it's not a good idea but I have nothing to back that up other than not liking the taste of cling film.
I keep heat and cling film apart.

I'd happily do the pepsi challenge on this

CJhaughey

I used it in boiling water and the clingfilm went stiff and crispy like cellophane.
Not for me thanks.

katydid

CJhaughey wrote: »

I used it in boiling water and the clingfilm went stiff and crispy like cellophane.
Not for me thanks.

Yuch

The Hill Billy

I've used cling film successfully when reverse-searing steaks. I.e., very gently poaching the cling filmed steak & then searing on a hot, hot pan.

Mind you, flash-frying the seasoned steak afterwards probably overpowered any residual taste from the cling film.

duploelabs

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I've used cling film successfully when reverse-searing steaks. I.e., very gently poaching the cling filmed steak & then searing on a hot, hot pan.

Mind you, flash-frying the seasoned steak afterwards probably overpowered any residual taste from the cling film.

This!
Every time you get a round fillet steak in a restaurant, how do you think this shape is preserved during cooking?

Dial Hard

duploelabs wrote: »

This!
Every time you get a round fillet steak in a restaurant, how do you think this shape is preserved during cooking?

Was in Il Segreto one night and they forgot to snip the clingfilm off the steak before they served it. Hangable offence!

duploelabs

Dial Hard wrote: »

Was in Il Segreto one night and they forgot to snip the clingfilm off the steak before they served it. Hangable offence!

Surprised it got past the pass, let alone the server

rubadub

I have seen microwave safe cling film before and expect it would stand up to boiling water, but the standard ones might not. Many would be doing sous vide on TV so the temp would be around 55C or so and stuff which might go bad at 100C might be OK.

Some plastic bags are OK at boiling, some shrink up, some shrink and go brittle.

duploelabs

rubadub wrote: »

I have seen microwave safe cling film before and expect it would stand up to boiling water, but the standard ones might not. Many would be doing sous vide on TV so the temp would be around 55C or so and stuff which might go bad at 100C might be OK.

Some plastic bags are OK at boiling, some shrink up, some shrink and go brittle.

It would go a lot higher than 100 when searing in a pan and it hasn't melted on me yet

katydid

duploelabs wrote: »

It would go a lot higher than 100 when searing in a pan and it hasn't melted on me yet

SEARING in a pan with clingfilm?????????

duploelabs

katydid wrote: »

SEARING in a pan with clingfilm?????????

I'm referencing the fillet steak wrapped in cling to hold it's shape

katydid

duploelabs wrote: »

I'm referencing the fillet steak wrapped in cling to hold it's shape

Yeah, I know. But you surely wouldn't sear something wrapped in cling film? Would it not just burn?

the beer revolu

katydid wrote: »

Yeah, I know. But you surely wouldn't sear something wrapped in cling film? Would it not just burn?

The whole fillet is wrapped tightly, then sliced into rounds. It's the exposed ends that are seared.

The Hill Billy

duploelabs wrote: »

This!
Every time you get a round fillet steak in a restaurant, how do you think this shape is preserved during cooking?

I'd never go for a fillet myself - not tasty enough.

I always remove the cling film before I sear my steaks.
How would you get a decent char on the meat?

katydid

the beer revolu wrote: »

The whole fillet is wrapped tightly, then sliced into rounds. It's the exposed ends that are seared.

Ahhhh. Now I understand! I take the cling film off before cooking them, I wouldn't trust that it wouldn't affect the meat. Of course, that ruins the rolled up effect, but I just never thought of leaving it on.

the beer revolu

katydid wrote: »

Ahhhh. Now I understand! I take the cling film off before cooking them, I wouldn't trust that it wouldn't affect the meat. Of course, that ruins the rolled up effect, but I just never thought of leaving it on.

Nope.
The film is still around the sides of the cylinder of meat but not on the top or bottom where it has been sliced off the whole fillet.

Maybe someone else can explain it better.

katydid

the beer revolu wrote: »

Nope.
The film is still around the sided of the cylinder of meat but not on the top or bottom where it has been sliced off the whole fillet.

Maybe someone else can explain it better.

No, I do understand that. I just wouldn't feel comfortable frying with it.

the beer revolu

katydid wrote: »

No, I do understand that. I just wouldn't feel comfortable frying with it.

Ohh right.
Me neither.

the beer revolu

I'll always remember getting a hot chicken roll some years ago and the "deli assistant" wrapped it in cling film rather than foil. The taste of cling film from it was awful.

duploelabs

the beer revolu wrote: »

Ohh right.
Me neither.

I know, it's like medium rare pork, everything goes against your common understanding and I'd the same reaction when my head chef at the time was showing me how to do a particular dish but it works

L1011

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'll always remember getting a hot chicken roll some years ago and the "deli assistant" wrapped it in cling film rather than foil. The taste of cling film from it was awful.

Local Maxol practically drove their deli out of business wrapping breakfast rolls in clingfilm when the shop behind them used tinfoil. After a refit, they're on greaseproof now. Builders seem quite picky!

dibkins

I did a Nigella cake once where she said to line the tin with cling film, with the reassurance that it wouldn't melt in the oven. It did. No cake:(

Tarzana2

dibkins wrote: »

I did a Nigella cake once where she said to line the tin with cling film, with the reassurance that it wouldn't melt in the oven. It did. No cake:(

Well, Nigella also once said that salted butter is salted because it's lower quality. I do like Nigella but some things she comes out with be just plain wrong. :pac: