7
Shape and placement of the food :
•
The thinner parts of irregularly-shaped food cook quicker, therefore it is prefer-
able to place these parts towards the centre of the dish.
•
Separate portions of food cook more regularly if placed in a ring on the
turntable.
•
It is preferable to divide large amounts of food into portions and cook them
separately.
•
Adapt the size of your dish to the volume of food to be cooked.
•
You may cook food directly in a plate or serving platter designed for
microwave cooking.
Cover in the majority of cases in order to :
•
Steam food
•
Retain the full flavour of the food
•
Obtain even cooking results
•
Reduce cooktime
•
Prevent splattering
•
Avoid drying out the food
Cooktime :
•
This varies according to individual preference, initial temperature, consis-
tency, shape, and amount of the food.
•
The shape and material of the cooking dish will also have an effect on the
cooktime.
• For certain foods such as fruit, carrots and potatoes the cooktime can vary
from simple to double according to the season and the degree of ripeness.
•
One must remember that the cooktime increases with quantity, but not nec-
essarily proportionally. Cooking for too long a period of time can dry out
food. Make a conservative estimate of the cooktime, check your dish at the
end of the programme and extend if necessary by 30 s to 1 minute periods.
Standing time :
•
At the end of the cook programme allow for approximately 2-5 minutes of stand-
ing time before serving in order to allow even distribution of the heat.
Introduction
