Frogleg > wrote in message >. ..
> On Wed, 8 Oct 2003 19:10:23 GMT, Default User
> > wrote:
>
> >Frogleg wrote:
> >
> >> Braising (cooking previously browned meat in a covered container with
> >> a small amount of liquid) and roasting (exposing meat to dry oven
> >> heat) are rather different processes. The puzzle is why this is a
> >> *new* problem for you. Water baths are used for oven-cooked dishes
> >> like custards to both even out the heat and expose the pan to
> >> temperatures lower than 212F.
> >
> >Reread the original message:
> >
> >"A friend thinks it's because I use a bit of water at the bottom of the
> >roasting pan. But the meat is always on a rack inside the pan so
> >doesn't sit in the water."
> >
> >No braising at all.
>
> Sorry. Didn't see original. In that case I have nothing to add other
> than agreeing with an earlier poster who suggested the water was
> creating a cool zone in the oven. It still is puzzling (to me) that
> the OP only had this problem with a new oven. Could it be because oven
> heat was/is generated in different places? My gas oven's heat comes
> from beneath the oven floor; I believe many electric ones have coils
> both above and below the cooking area, inside the oven.


My old oven was also gas, but it was one of those ancient small
apartment-size ones. I'm wondering if the smaller size and/or age of
the oven made the difference.

So....am I to understand that when roasting chicken you shouldn't put
1/4 - 1/2 cup of chicken broth on the bottom of the pan (again, with
the bird sitting on a rack above the water)? I always thought that
ensured that there was sufficient juices for basting.