Special applications
52
Defrost
It is much quicker to defrost food in the
steam oven than at room temperature.
Risk of infection from bacteria.
Bacteria such as salmonella can
cause life-threatening food poison-
ing.
It is particularly important to observe
food hygiene rules when defrosting
fish and meat, and in particular when
defrosting poultry.
Do not use the liquid produced dur-
ing defrosting.
Process the food as required as soon
as it has been defrosted.
Temperature
60 °C is the best temperature for de-
frosting.
Exception:
50 °C for minced meat and
game
Before and after defrosting
Remove all packaging before defrost-
ing.
Exceptions
: Leave bread, biscuits and
cakes in their packaging as otherwise
they will absorb moisture and become
soft.
Allow defrosted food to stand at room
temperature after removing it from the
oven. The standing time is necessary to
allow the even distribution of heat.
Cooking containers
Use a perforated container with a solid
container or universal tray underneath it
when defrosting food which will drip,
such as poultry. This way food will not
be lying in defrosted liquid.
Food which does not drip can be de-
frosted in a solid container.
Tips
– Fish does not need to be fully defros-
ted before cooking. Defrost so that
the surface is sufficiently thawed to
take herbs and seasoning. Depending
on the thickness of the fish, 2 -
5 minutes should be enough.
– When defrosting food which has
frozen together, e.g. berries, chops,
fish fillets etc. separate it about half-
way through the defrosting time.
– Do not refreeze food once it has
thawed.
– Defrost frozen pre-cooked meals ac-
cording to the manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
Settings
Temperature: see chart
Defrosting duration: see chart
