18
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 center 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
