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Microwave Cooking Techniques
Dish Size
Follow the dish sizes given in
the recipes, as these affect the
cooking times. A quantity of food
spread in a bigger dish cooks
more quickly.
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.
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Stand 15 mins. wrapped in tin foil.
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Stand 10 mins. wrapped in tin foil.
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Stand 5 mins. before removing
from dish.
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Stand 15-20 mins.
Cling Film
Cling film helps keep the food
moist and the trapped steam
assists in speeding up cooking
times. However, it should be
pierced 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.
Always purchase cling film that
states on the packet “suitable
for microwave cooking” and use
as a covering only. Do not line
dishes with cling film.
Quantity
Small quantities cook faster than
large quantities, also small meals
will reheat quicker than large
portions.
If food is not cooked after
STANDING TIME, return to oven
and cook for additional time.
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 further during storage and
cooking times may differ from
ingredients freshly purchased.
Density
Porous airy foods heat quicker
than dense heavy foods.
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Stand 2-5 mins.
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Stand 2-3 mins.
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Stand for 5 mins.
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Stand for 2-5 mins.
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Boiled potatoes benefit from
standing 1-2 mins., however
most other types can be served
immediately.
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 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.