4.1 Name TWO techniques that you can use to cool down the strawberry jelly mixture quickly to set faster - NSC Hospitality Studies - Question 4 - 2023 - Paper 1

Adding extra sugar can prevent the jelly from setting properly. High sugar content can alter the gelling process, causing the jelly to become too soft or runny instead of firm.

1. Oiling the Mould: Lightly brush the inside of the mould with oil or non-stick spray to ensure easy removal of the jelly after setting.

2. Using Cold Water: Rinse the mould with cold water before pouring in the jelly mixture to help the jelly set faster.

1. Eggs or egg yolks
2. Milk or cream
3. Sugar
4. Cornstarch or flour (for thickening)

The addition of starch thickens the mixture, which creates a protective barrier around the eggs. This prevents the proteins from coagulating too quickly and curdling even when exposed to high heat.

Keeping everything ice cold ensures that the fats remain solid, preventing them from melting during mixing. This leads to a flakier pastry as there's less chance for the fats to incorporate fully into the flour.

Sugar aids in creating a tender product by inhibiting gluten formation and helping to retain moisture, which leads to a softer and sweeter pastry.

The technique shown in PICTURE A is 'Lining', which ensures that the pastry fits well into the baking tin.

1. Overmixing the Dough: The pastry dough may have been overworked, leading to excessive gluten formation which causes shrinkage during baking.

2. Insufficient Chilling: If the dough was not chilled adequately before baking, it may have caused the fats to melt too much, resulting in shrinkage.

The decoration for the fruit tartlet in PICTURE C consists of a lattice work design, typically made from pastry strips.

1. Neck
2. Shoulder
3. Breast
4. Thick rib
5. Loin
6. Flank
7. Leg
8. Shin/shank

The method used is 'Stewing', where the meat is browned in a little oil and then simmered slowly in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid at a low temperature (around 85-99°C).

1. Evenly distributed
2. Firm or hard texture

To prevent loss of sarcoplasm, avoid immersing meat in water or washing, as this removes flavor compounds. Instead, ensure proper seasoning immediately before cooking, and avoid high temperatures.

Labour Cost = Hourly Rate × Number of Hours × Number of Waiters.

= R100 per hour × 7 hours × 5 waiters = R3500.

1. Food
2. Wedding cake

Total Cost = Food Cost + Beverage Cost + Labour Cost + Hiring Costs.

= R4500 + R1200 + R3000 + R3500 + R1500 + R4500 + R600 + R500 = R19300.