Page 14 - gfs0118_Magazine

FOOD FOCUS: POULTRY

Rotisserie

Chickens

JB Myer-Henderson Take Wing

Hall Adds A Popular,

Healthy Option

hen the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Consolidated
Dining Facility began thinking about introducing new
Wmenu options, the suggestions heard in discussions with
soldiers during council meetings helped establish a healthy,
appetizing favorite.
DFAC staff seized on an opportunity to acquire a Hobart
electric rotisserie oven, and has offered rotisserie chicken at
lunch every Friday since Sept. 8. “They wanted healthier op-
tions, but flavorful healthier options, and this fits that bill
perfectly,” Staff Sgt. Kenyuan Knox, the dining facility’s as-
sistant manager.
The decision is an innovative solution that supports active
military lifestyles while helping the dining facility to better
compete with alternatives. DFAC Manager Sgt. 1st Class Ga-
briel Aquilano considers the rotisserie machine a rare feature Army Spc. Nathanael Johnson, a
in Army kitchens, giving the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall food service specialist at the Joint
Consolidated Dining Facility an advantage among comparable knew it was a pretty big hit there for Base Myer-Henderson Hall Con-
facilities. the solders,” he said. “So, when I had solidated Dining Facility, seasons
a batch of rotisserie chicken. (Photo
“Not a lot of DFACs have rotisseries, so we feel very fortu- the opportunity to acquire one, we by Francis Chung.)
nate to have it here,” he said. pretty much jumped right on it and
said, ‘hey, we’ll come get it.’ It’s been a success ever since.”
HEALTHY OPTIONS
Adding rotisserie chicken is part of a broader effort to re- ROTISSERIE COOKING
vamp the dining facility’s menu and provide more wholesome Knox and Aquilano explained that the rotisserie method,
food options, according to Senior Regimental Food Service in which a whole chicken continuously bastes in its own juices
Advisor Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Cordon. while rotating on a skewer, allows for a lower-fat entrée that
“Our initiative is healthy cooking, just to provide another retains a savory flavor and moist texture.
healthy choice for the soldiers here who maintain a high- “What helps keep the chicken really moist is that it’s still
tempo work pace and things of that nature.” Cordon said. surrounded in its natural fat,” Aquilano said. “The fat will ren-
By involving soldiers, the dining facility staff was able to der off of the chicken while still keeping all of the moisture.”
identify clues that helped them toward successful solutions “It’s an awesome method,” Knox added. “It’s a way to do a
rather than test by trial and error. Knox and other dining facility healthy, but flavorful option that I believe will go over well.”
leaders attended council meetings during which they solicited Knox described preparing rotisserie chicken as a two-day
input from JBM-HH soldiers about potential menu changes. process. The chickens will be trussed, seasoned and marinated
Coincidentally, Cordon had experience with rotisserie according to an in-house recipe on Thursday evenings, and
ovens as a dining facility manger in Korea and seized on an will be placed in the rotisserie oven in multiple batches on
opportunity to acquire one from a Fort Belvoir dining facil- Friday mornings. The low-heat roasting process takes approxi-
ity that was closing down. “I realized what a success it was, I mately four hours.
14 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • JANUARY 2018