29
Moisture Content
Many fresh foods e.g. vegetables
and fruit, vary in their moisture
content throughout the season.
Jacket potatoes are a particular
example of this. For this reason
cooking times may have to be
adjusted throughout the year. Dry
ingredients e.g. rice, pasta, can dry
out during storage so cooking times
may differ from ingredients freshly
purchased.
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.
General Guidelines
Standing Time
Dense foods e.g. meat, jacket
potatoes and cakes, require a
standing time
(inside or outside
of the oven) after cooking, to allow
heat to finish conducting through
the food.
Meat Joints
Stand for 15 minutes
wrapped in aluminium foil.
Plated Meals
Stand for 2-3 minutes.
Vegetables
Boiled potatoes benefit from
standing for 1-2 minutes,
however most other types
of vegetables can be served
immediately.
Defrosting
It is essential to allow
standing time to complete the
process. This can vary from
5 minutes e.g. raspberries,
to up to 1 hour for a joint of
meat. See pages 45-46.
If food is not cooked after
standing time
, return to oven
and cook for additional time.
Jacket Potatoes
Wrapped in aluminium foil
when cooked by microwave
only. Stand for 15 minutes.
It is not necessary to stand
jacket potatoes cooked in
combination
mode.
Fish
Stand for 2-3 minutes.
Egg Dishes
Stand for 1-2 minutes.
Precooked Convenience
Food
Stand for 1-2 minutes.