Tapak Pan: History, Description and Choice

In order to cook a favorite Georgian dish, namely tapa chicken, you need to use certain dishes. In this article we will talk about what kind of frying pan is required to prepare such a dish, what are its main differences from standard models, and also find out what role the press plays on the dishes.

There is nothing supernatural in Georgian chicken recipe: you will need fresh poultry, some spices, some garlic and butter. However, in order to properly prepare the dish, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of oriental cooking. History suggests that earlier cooking Tapak Chicken used an iron sheet with any kind of press, however, modern technologies have discarded such a need. To improve the taste of the dish, a special pan was created, which today is known as tapa.

Tapa is ideal for cooking Georgian national dishes for several reasons:

• during extinguishing the bird should easily fit into the dishes;
• thanks to the smooth cast-iron surface of the pan, including the lid, maximum contact with the meat is achieved, which ultimately allows the formation of a crisp crust;
• uniform heating occurs, which allows you to avoid cooking individual parts of the bird faster than the rest;
• the lid can be heavily loaded by placing any load on the surface;
• the frying pan does not allow to stick to meat.

Thanks to the rapid development of modern technologies, it was possible to introduce a number of changes into the previously familiar tapas frying pan. Today, a person has a choice of the basic material of manufacture, direct design and construction.

Dishes can be round or square. These species have their own characteristics. For example, in the square it is much easier to lay the chicken, while round dishes are warmed evenly on the stove, which provides the best roast.

As a rule, manufacturers include special covers in the package, some of them are prudently equipped with screw devices that eliminate the need for additional weighting during the cooking process, which is much more convenient for modern housewives. For the most part, in addition to the dishes, there is a standard glass lid, so that it is possible to use tapas for cooking other dishes.

The most popular material for the manufacture of dishes today is still cast iron. However, in recent years, a growing variety of pans made of various alloys, as well as with an additional non-stick coating, have been produced all over the world. We propose to consider two main materials with their advantages and disadvantages.

Benefits:

• material allows you to evenly heat up all the dishes;
• metal does not need artificial non-stick surface coating;
• for a long time will maintain the temperature of the dish;
• last a long time.

Disadvantages:

• may rust;
• in it it is impossible to store, as in a container, the prepared dishes;
• it is easy to prick;
• the weight of the pan along with the lid sometimes reaches 10 kilograms.

Pros:

• the dishes are not heavy;
• You can store the cooked dish.

Minuses:

• there is a need for non-stick surface coating;
• a high risk of damage to the pan, as a rule, non-stick coating suffers, which is why it is undesirable to use metal devices in the process of cooking;
• no uniform heating of the entire surface, including the cover.

If everything is clear with the material, it is worth figuring out which cover to choose. As mentioned earlier, there are two options that should be considered in turn.

• Cap with screw press. This is a kind of construction that is attached to the pan, then the meat is pressed down using a screw. If you are using not one cast-iron pan, but one of the alloys, you must have a non-stick cover.

The only disadvantage of this device is the need to purchase it together with the pan. This is due to the difficulty of installing on other dishes or, in general, the impossibility of mounting. However, the difficulties are more than compensated for by the possibility of a change in pressure in the process of cooking tapak chicken.

• Cover press. The material is preferably made of cast iron, with the presence of a cast iron or wooden cover for easy operation. Relatively heavy fixture, average weight ranges from 3 to 5 kilograms. One of the advantages is versatility. In other words, the press can be used on any large-diameter pan, however, a given weight, as a rule, does not allow to achieve the desired result, which in some cases can lead to flattening of the meat or to the complete absence of a crust.

We suggest to get acquainted with a number of simple tips from experienced chefs, which will allow you not to be mistaken when choosing one or another frying pan for cooking.

• The bottom thickness must be at least a centimeter.
• Preference should be given to dishes with high-quality non-stick coating on the surface.
• Ribbed bottom will not work if you are going to cook a standard Georgian dish. The pan should be smooth so that the chicken has the very same feature - the crisp.
• The diameter of the dishes should be at least 30 cm, otherwise there is a high probability that the bird simply does not fit completely.
• Preference should be given sets with the presence of a screw cap that will simplify cooking.
• If you prefer a press, do not take a product weighing more than 3 kilograms - this will make the meat too dry than ruin the taste.
• The diameter of the lid should be several centimeters smaller than that of the pan.
• The best chicken flavor is achieved in cast iron dishes.

Do not rush to cooking, using new dishes, First of all, take some time to study the pan, find out its features immediately before the first application.

Choosing a pan for cooking Georgian dishes is not as simple as it may seem. Paying a little attention to the study of all the nuances, you can choose the appropriate dishes for chicken tobacco.

How to cook chicken tapak in a special pan, see the following video.