[Sca-cooks] [Fwd: Salamander - History?]

[Mark.S Harris]

Adamantius said:
> Gorgeous Muiredach wrote:
> > Interesting.  In the professional kitchens we only called those the "creme
> > brulee iron". :-)
> >
> > A salamander in the kitchen is basically a stand alone broiller.  Used a
> > lot to flash heat a plate before serving, to brown cheese or other
> > elements, to cook really thin slices of fish/meat, to make toasts, etc...

I'm not sure about the flash heating of plates, but the rest of this
sounds
pretty much like what I understand the period "salamander" to be used
for. The
only changes seem to be for convenience.

> In the States there is (or was) an exceptionally inane dog food commercial
>on television which featured the image of a hot branding iron being lowered
>onto the surface of an open can of dog food. That's what I always think of
>when I think of the old-style salamanders.

But I thought the idea with the salamander was only to bring the hot
plate
next to the food to be browned, not actually to touch it. Also, isn't
the
salamander just a flat plate, with no decorations? This use of the
branding
iron sounds closer to putting a hot fire poker into a beverage or other
food item to warm it. Any evidence of a fire iron being used for this in
period? (excluding its use on certain English Royalty)

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net