METHOD AND A COOKING POT FOR COOKING ENDIVES WITH BOILING WATER

METHODE DE CUISSON DES ENDIVES A L'EAU BOUILLANTE, ET CUISEUR CONNEXE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
"A method and a cooking-pot for cooking endives with boiling water"
The invention relates to a method and a cocking-pot for cooking with boiling
water,chicory, also known as "witlof" or "Belgian endives" and called
hereinafter endives, in which method the endives are arranged, in
upright position, their feet being directed towards the bottom, in
a pot containing water up to the level corresponding to the base
of the endives, i.e. approximately up to the lower third of the endives,
and in that the water is brought to its boiling point during a sufficient
period so that the base or the immersed part of the endives is cooked
with boiling water whereas the upper part of the endives which pro-
jects above the boiling water being cooked by the vapour, and the
cooking-pot comprising means for keeping the endives in upright
position.
Figure 1.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed, are
defined as follows:
1. A method for cooking,with boiling water, chicory,
also known as "witlof" or "Belgian endives" and called hereinafter
endives, wherein said endives are arranged, in upright position their
feet being directed downwards in a pot containing water
up to a level corresponding to a base of said endives, i.e. approxi-
mately up to a lower third of said endives, and wherein said water
is brought to its boiling point during a sufficient period so that said
base or a immersed part of said endives is cooked with boiling water
whereas an upper part of said endives which projects above said
boiling water being cooked by vapour.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a
cooking-pot is used which is provided for receiving an inner receptacle
having a perforated bottom, each opening of which being dimensioned
for receiving said base of an endive so that the latter can be intro-
duced into said opening.
3. A cooking-pot for cooking endives according
to a method as claimed in claim 1, according to which said endives
are cooked in upright position, said cooking water reaching a level
corresponding substantially to said lower third of said endives, which
cooking-pot comprises means for keeping said endives in upright
position, their feet being directed downwards.
4. A cooking-pot as claimed in claim 3, wherein
said means comprise an inner receptable showing openings dimensioned
for receiving said feet of said endives so that the latter are able
to traverse said openings.
5. A cooking-pot as claimed in claim 3, wherein
said means comprise a bottom provided for being fixed at a distance
of a bottom of said cooking-pot and showing openings dimensioned
for receiving said feet of said endives.

Description

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A method and a cookinR-pot for cookin~ endives with boilin~ water
The present invention relates to a method for
cooking, with boiling water, chicory, also known as "witlof" or "Bel-
gian endives" and called hereinafter endives.
In the following text, the wording "endives" indicates ~;
5 of course the vegetable grown from chicory roots.
It is well known that the endive comprises a foot
which is much more firm than the remaining part composed of leafs
grown in the darkness but forming a less firm part of the vegetable. -
The endive has thus a quite specific structure
10and due to its particular shape, many consumers attach, not without
any reason, much importance to its presentation.
The applicants have developed a method and have
worked out a cooking-pot which allows to realize this object so that,
whatever the desired presentation might be, the endive keeps a per-
15fect shape and being moreover uniformly cooked over its whole length.
In order to realize this object according to the
invention, the endives are arranged in upright position, their feet
being directed towards the bottom, in a pot containing water up
to the level corresponding to the base of the endives, i.e. approxi-
20mately up to the lower third of the endives, and the water is brought
to its boiling point during a sufficient period so that the base or ;
the immersed part of the endives is cooked with boiling water whereas
the upper part of the endives which projects above the boiling water
being cooked by the vapour.
25Still according to the invention, a cooking-pot
is used provided for receiving an inner receptacle having a perforated
bottom, each opening of which being dimensioned for receiving the
base of an endive.
The invention relates also to the cooking-pot for
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executing the method according to the invention, characterized in
that it comprises means for keeping the endives in upright position, `
their feet being directed towards the bottom.
The means in question preferably comprise an
inner receptacle showing openings dimensioned for receiving the `;
feet of the endives.
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In another embodiment, said means comprise a
bottom provided for being fixed at a distance of the bottom of the
cooking-pot and showing openings dimensioned for receiving the
10 feet of the endives.
A detail of the invention consists in the fact that
it comprises, in addition to the means for keeping the endives in
upright position, an additional utensil allowing to divide the endives
in two, three or four portions.
Other cletails and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the following description of a method for
cooking chicory with boiling water.
The accompanying figure is an elevational view
of the cooking-pot according to the invention, showing also, in dashed
lines, the inner receptacle.
The method illustrated by this figure consists in
cooking the endives in upright position, the expression "in upright
position" meaning of course that the endives are arranged with their
feet directed towards the bottom of the cooking-pot I in which
they are cooked.
According to a preferred embodiment, an inner
receptacle 2 is arranged in this cooking-pot 1, the bottom 3 of which
receptacle presents openings 4 the diameter of which being selected
in such a manner that the endives 5 can be arranged in upright posi-
tion. The openings 4 in question being of course dimensioned in such
a manner that medium and common sized endives and also endives
falling outside the average norms can be arranged in said openings
4, dimensioned for allowing to introduce the foot of the endive in
them.
Under no circumstances, the inner receptacle 2
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may be confused or compared with known drainers of which there ~ ~
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exists actually many types and which are destined for cooking all
kinds of vegetables having however not the particular endive struc-
ture. Such a receptable is described in Suisse patent n 2868.18.
It is important and this being essential to the me-
thod according to the invention, that the level of the cooking water
does fairly not exceed the lower third of the endives. The expression
"lower third of the endives" indicates only the part of the endive
which can be considered as the foot and which part has a more firm
structure and requires cooking in boiling water. It will thus be clear
that this expression "lower third" is not absolutely limitatif and
that this level can vary to a little extent as a function of the nature
and the structure of the endives. The applicants express formally
their purpose to propose a method wherein the feet of the endives
are cooked in boiling water whereas the part of the endive which
can be considered as having a more loose structure, is not cooked
in boiling water but is cooked by the vapour produced by the cooking
water.
In the figure, the level of the water which has
to be brought to its boiling point is indicated by reference 6.
It will thus be clear that, in order to braise the
endive parts which are not immersed in the boiling water, the cook-
ing-pot according to the invention is provided with a cover 7. This
cover can be designed for letting the totality of the generated vapour
through or not.
By applying the method according to the invention
and by using the cooking-pot derived from the method, endives are
obtained which have surprisingly kept their internal structure and
their external shape. They can thus be served as such, be braised
or also be served in any other presentation form. The part of the
endives which has not been cooked by the boiling water keeps its
shape surprisingly well and since the inner receptacle 2 can be re-
moved from the cooking-pot 1, the endives can be strained without
having to manipulate the latter at all.
Although the embodiments of the cooking-pot,
mentioned here by way of example, are cylindrical, it will be clear
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that this particular embodiment does not limit at all the scope of
the invention and that, rectangular embodiments can also be applied. :
Many modifications can thus be brought to the described embodiments ;;
without leaving the scope of the present patent application, the ~
invention essentially aiming at the new and original method for ;
cooking which allows to cook in two different but appropriate ways
the more firm parts forming the feet of the endives and the parts
of a less firm structure formed by the rest of the endives. Conse-
quently, the object concerning a homogeneous cooking of the endive
as a whole while keeping its shape perfectly intact, which is in many ; ~
cases desirable, is achieved. ~ ;
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Representative Drawing