MICROWAVE OVEN
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circle and at least 1 inch apart. This will help the food cook more evenly.
STIRRING
Stirring blends flavors and redistributes the heat in foods. Always stir from the outside
toward the center of the dish. Food at the outside of the dish heats first.
TURNING
Large foods, such as roasts and whole poultry, should be turned so that the top and
bottom cook evenly. Also turn over chicken pieces and chops.
ARRANGEMENT
Do not stack food. Arrange in a single layer in the dish for more even cooking. Because
dense foods cook more slowly, place thicker portions of meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables
toward the outside of the dish.
TESTING FOR DONENESS
Because foods cook quickly in a microwave oven, you need to test frequently for
doneness.
STANDING TIME
Depending on density, food often needs to stand from 2 to 15 minutes after you remove it
from the oven. Usually, you need to cover food during standing time to retain heat.
Remove most foods when they are slightly undercooked and they will finish cooking
during standing time. The internal temperature of food will rise about 10
℉
during standing
time.
SHIELDING
To prevent some portions of rectangular or square dishes from overcooking, you may
need to shield them with small strips of aluminum foil to block the microwaves. You can
also cover poultry legs and wing tips with foil to keep them from overcooking.
Always keep foil at least 1 inch from oven walls to prevent arcing.
PIERCING
Pierce the shell, skin, or membrane of foods before cooking to prevent them from bursting.
Foods that require piercing include yolks and whites of eggs, hot dogs, clams, oysters,
and whole vegetables, such as potatoes and squash.
