40
Standing time
Dense foods e.g. meat, jacket potatoes and
cakes, require a STANDING TIME (inside or
outside of the oven) after cook ing, to allow
heat to
fi
nish con ducting to cook the centre
completely.
Jacket Potato
Stand 5 mins. wrapped in aluminium foil
after cooking by microwave only.
Fish
Stand 2-3 mins.
Egg Dishes
Stand 1-2 mins.
Precooked Convenience
Food
Stand for 1-2 mins.
Plated Meals
Stand for 2-3 mins.
Vegetables
Boiled potatoes bene
fi
t from standing
1-2 mins., however most other types of
vegetables can be served immediately. If
food is not cooked after STANDING TIME,
return to oven and cook for additional time.
Defrosting
It is essential to allow standing time to com
plete the process. This can vary from 5
mins. e.g. raspberries, to up to 1 hour for a
joint of meat. See pages 55.
Moisture content
Many fresh foods e
.g.
vegetables and fruit, vary
in their moisture content
throughout the season,
particularly jacket potatoes.
For this reason cooking times
may have to be adjusted. Dry
ingredients e.g. rice, pasta,
can dry out during storage so
cooking times may differ.
Cling
fi
lm
Cling
fi
lm helps keep the food
moist and the trapped steam
assists in speeding up cooking
times. Pierce before cooking
to allow excess steam to
escape. Always take care when
removing cling
fi
lm from a dish
as the build-up of steam will be
very hot. Always purchase cling
fi
lm that states on the packet
'suitable for microwave cooking'
and use as a covering only.
Piercing
The skin or membrane on
some foods will cause steam to
build up during cooking. These
foods must be pierced or a
strip of skin should be peeled
off before cooking to allow
the steam to es cape. Eggs,
potatoes, apples, sausages
etc, will all need to be pierced
before cooking. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO BOIL EGGS IN
THEIR SHELLS.
General guidelines
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