Protein Coagulation There are several general consequences of denaturation that follow for most food proteins Because the molecules have been extended in length, they’re more likely to bump into each other And because their side groups are now exposed and available for forming bonds, denatured proteins begin to bond with each other, or coagulate This happens throughout the food, and results in the development of a continuous network of proteins, with water held in the pockets between protein strands The food therefore develops a kind of thickness or density that can be delicate and delightful, as in a barely set custard or perfectly cooked piece of fish However, if cooking or other denaturing conditions continue, given the extreme physical or chemical environment that caused the proteins to denature in the first place, only the stronger bonds can form and survive, which means that the proteins bond together more and more tightly, densely, and irreversibly And as they so, they squeeze the pockets of water out from between them The custard gets dense and a watery fluid separates from the solid portion; the fish gets tough and dry The details of protein denaturation and coagulation in any given food are intricate and fascinating For example, acidity and salts can cause egg proteins to cluster together even before they begin to unfold, and thus affect the consistency of scrambled eggs and custards Such details are noted in the descriptions of particular foods Enzymes There’s a particular group of proteins that are important to the cook not so much for their direct contribution to food texture and consistency, but for the way they change the other components of the food they’re in These proteins are the enzymes Enzymes are ... important to the cook not so much for their direct contribution to food texture and consistency, but for the way they change the other components of the food they’re in These proteins are the enzymes...tightly, densely, and irreversibly And as they so, they squeeze the pockets of water out from between them The custard gets dense and a watery fluid separates from the solid portion; the fish gets tough and dry... before they begin to unfold, and thus affect the consistency of scrambled eggs and custards Such details are noted in the descriptions of particular foods Enzymes There’s a particular group of proteins that are