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
C O O K I N G I N S T R U C T I O N S
27
