8
TIPS & ADVICE
TIME SETTINGS
In general the thawing, heating and cooking times
are significantly shorter than when using a
conventional cooker or oven. For this reason you
should adhere to the recommended times given in
this book. It is better to set the times too short,
rather than too long. Test the food after it has been
cooked. It is better to have to cook something for a
little longer than to overcook it.
INITIAL TEMPERATURES
Thawing, heating and cooking times are dependent
upon the initial temperature of the food. Deep-frozen
food and food stored in arefrigerator, for example,
requires longer than food which has been stored at
room temperature. For heating and cooking, normal
storage temperatures are assumed (refrigerator
temperature approx. 5° C, room temperature
approx. 20° C). For thawing the temperature of the
deep freeze is assumed to be - 18° C.
COOKING TIMES
All the times given in this book are guidelines,
which can be varied according to the initial
temperature, weight and condition of the food
(water or fat content etc.).
SALT, SPICES AND HERBS
Food cooked in your microwave retains its
individual flavour better than it does when
conventional preparation methods are used. For
this reason you should use salt very sparingly and
normally add it only after cooking. Salt absorbs
liquid and dries out the outer layer of the food.
Herbs and spices can be used as normal.
ADDITION OF WATER
Vegetables and other foods with a high water
content can be cooked in their own juice or with
the addition of a little water. This ensures that many
vitamins and minerals are preserved.
FATTY FOODS
Food ‘marbled’ with fat or with layers of fat cook
faster than lean meat. You should therefore cover
these parts with some aluminium foil, and place the
food fatty side downward.
FOOD IN SKINS OR SHELLS
Food such as sausages, chickens, chicken legs,
baked potatoes, tomatoes, apples, egg yolks or such
like should be pricked or pierced with a fork or small
wooden skewer. This will enable the steam which
forms to dissipate without splitting the skin or shell.
LARGE AND SMALL QUANTITIES
Microwave times are directly dependent upon the
amount of food which you would like to thaw, heat
or cook. This means that small portions cook more
quickly than larger ones. As a rule of thumb:
TWICE THE AMOUNT = ALMOST TWICE THE TIME
HALF THE AMOUNT = HALF THE TIME
DEEP AND SHALLOW CONTAINERS
Both containers have the same capacity, but the
cooking time is longer for the deeper one. You
should therefore choose as flat a container as
possible with a large surface area. Only use deep
containers for dishes where there is a danger
ofovercooking, e.g. for noodles, rice, milk etc.
ROUND AND OVAL CONTAINERS
Food cooks more evenly in round or oval containers
than in containers with corners, since the
microwave energy concentrates in the corners and
the food in these areas could become overcooked.
COVERING
Covering the food retains the moisture within it and
shortens the cooking time. Use a lid, microwave
cling film or a cover. Foods which are to be crispy,
e.g. roasts or chickens, should not be covered. As
a general rule, whatever would be covered in a
conventional oven should also be covered in a
microwave oven. Whatever would be uncovered
in a conventional oven can also be left uncovered
in a microwave oven.
IRREGULAR SHAPED FOOD
Place the thicker, more compacted end of the food
pointing towards the outside. Place vegetables
(such as broccoli) with the stalks pointing outward.
STIRRING
You need to stir the food because the microwaves
heat the outer areas first. Stirring the food
balances the temperature and the food heats
evenly.
ARRANGING
Arrange individual portions (pudding moulds, cups
or baked potatoes) in a circle on the turntable.
Leave space between the por tions for the
microwave energy to penetrate from all sides.
TURNING
Medium-sized items, such as hamburgers and
steaks, should be turned over once during cooking,
in order to shorten the cooking process. Large
items, such as roasts and chickens, must be turned,
since the upper side receives more microwave
energy and could dry out if not turned.
1. ZD-21+22D-EU English 01/06/2004 08:42 Page 8
