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STANDING TIME
Dense foods e.g. meat, jacket potatoes and cakes, require
standing time(inside or outside of the oven) after cooking, to
allow heat to finish conducting to cook the centre completely.
Wrap meat joints and jacket potatoes in aluminium foil while
standing. Meat joints need approx. 10-15 minutes, jacket
potatoes 5 minutes. Other foods such as plated meal,
vegetables, fish etc require 2-5 minutes standing. After
defrosting food, standing time should also be allowed. If food
is not cooked after standing time, return to the oven and cook
for additional time.
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.
DENSITY
Porous airy foods heat more quickly than dense heavy foods.
CLING FILM
Cling film 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 film from a dish as the build-up of steam will
be very hot.
SHAPE
Even shapes cook evenly. Food cooks better by microwave
when in a round container rather than square.
SPACING
Foods cook more quickly and evenly if spaced apart. NEVER
pile foods on top of each other.
STARTING TEMPERATURE
The colder the food, the longer it takes to heat up. Food from
a fridge takes longer to reheat than food at room
temperature.
LIQUIDS
All liquids must be stirred before and during heating. Water
especially must be stirred before and during heating, to avoid
eruption. Do not heat liquids that have previously been
boiled. DO NOT OVERHEAT.
TURNING & STIRRING
Some foods require stirring during cooking. Meat and poultry
should be turned after half the cooking time.
ARRANGING
Individual foods e.g. chicken portions or chops, should be
placed on a dish so that the thicker parts are towards the
outside.
QUANTITY
Small quantities cook faster than large quantities, also small
meals will reheat more quickly than large portions.
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 escape. Eggs, potatoes, apples, sausages etc, will all
need to be pierced before cooking. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
BOIL EGGS IN THEIR SHELLS.
COVERING
Cover foods with microwave cling film or a lid. Cover fish,
vegetables, casseroles, soups. Do not cover cakes, sauces,
jacket potatoes or pastry items.
COOKING TECHNIQUES
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