15
MICROWAVE COOKING
1. ARRANGEMENT
Arrange foods carefully. Place thickest areas towards the
outside of the dish.
Eg. Arrange vegetables in a shallow dish
in the following way:
Hard Vegetables (e.g. carrots) around
the outside,
Soft Vegetables (e.g. broccoli) in the centre.
2. TURNING
Foods such as poultry and joints of meat should be
turned over after half the cooking time.
3. COVERING
Cover foods in the microwave to retain moisture or if you
would normally cover the food in your ordinary oven, e.g
vegetables and casseroles.
Use to cover foods:
4. PIERCING
Pierce potatoes, eggs, oysters, tomatoes or any foods
with a skin or membrane to allow steam to escape.
5. SHIELDING
Shield using small pieces of aluminium foil to shield thin
areas of meat, fish and poultry or edges of cakes to
prevent overcooking.
Watch for sparking. Sparking can damage the cavity. To
prevent sparking, reduce aluminium foil or keep clear of
cavity walls.
6. STANDING TIME
Standing time is important. After cooking or defrosting
ensure adequate standing time. This allows the food to
continue cooking or heating. Refer to cooking guides for
each menu or according to manufacturer’s instructions.
7. STIRRING
Stir foods from the outside to the centre of the dish, once
or twice during cooking if possible.
E.g. Casseroles and Sauces.
8. SIZE
Small pieces cook faster than large ones. To speed
cooking, cut pieces smaller than 5 cm so microwaves
can penetrate to the centre from all sides. For even
cooking, make all the pieces the same size.
9. DENSITY
The depth to which microwaves penetrate food varies
depending on the food's density. Porous foods like
minced beef or mashed potatoes microwave faster than
dense ones like steak or whole potatoes.
10. FAT AND BONE
Marbling within meat, or a thin, even layer of fat on
a roast, speeds cooking. Large fatty areas or excess
drippings in dish attract energy away from meat, and
slows cooking. Centre bones do not affect cooking, but
bone on the side of meat conducts heat to the areas
next to it.
11. STARTING TEMPERATURE
Frozen or refrigerated food takes longer to heat than
food at room temperature. Cooking times in this book are
based on normal storage temperatures. Since rooms,
refrigerators and freezers differ in temperature, check for
doneness at the minimum time.
12. QUANTITY
Microwave cooking times are directly related to the
amount of food in the oven. Because energy is absorbed
by the food itself, one potato or a single piece of chicken
cooks rapidly. When the energy is divided among several
items, cooking takes more time.
13. CONDENSATION
Condensation is a normal part of microwave cooking.
The humidity and moisture in food will influence
the amount of condensation in the oven. Generally,
covered foods will not cause as much condensation as
uncovered foods. Ensure that the ventilation openings
are not blocked.
14. GENERAL
Your microwave oven is capable of heating food and
beverages very quickly therefore, it is very important that
you select the appropriate cooking time and power level
for the type and quantity of food to be heated. If you are
unsure of the cooking time and power level required,
begin with low cooking times and power levels until the
food is sufficiently heated evenly throughout.
PAPER TOWEL
LID
PLASTIC WRAP
TOMATO
EGG
STIR
FISH CHICKEN
HELPFUL HINTS
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