Helpful Hints, Cookware And Utensil Guide, Advice

HELPFUL HINTS

1.THE ARRANGEMENT

Arrange foods carefully. Place thickest areas toward outside of dish.

2.TURNING

Foods such as poultry and joints of meat should be turned over after half the cooking time.

3.COVERING

Cover foods in the microwave if you would normally cover the food in your ordinary oven, or to retain moisture. Cover foods such as vegetables, casseroles, or when Reheating.

4.PIERCING

Pierce potatoes, eggs, tomatoes or any foods with a skin or membrane to allow steam to escape.

5.SHIELDING

Shield using small pieces of aluminium foil to shield thin areas of meat, ﬁsh and poultry or edges of cakes to prevent overcooking.

6.STANDING TIME

Standing time is important. After cooking or defrosting ensure adequate standing time. This allows the food to continue cooking or heating.

7.STIRRING

Stir foods from the outside to the centre of the dish, once or twice during cooking if possible. Eg. casseroles and sauces.

8.SIZE

Small pieces cook faster than large ones. To speed cooking, cut pieces smaller than 5 cm so microwaves can penetrate to the centre from all sides. For even cooking, make all the pieces the same size.

9.DENSITY

The depth to which microwaves penetrate food varies depending on the food’s density. Porous foods like minced beef or mashed potatoes microwave faster than dense ones like steak or whole potatoes

10.FAT AND BONE

Marbling within meat, or a thin, even layer of fat on a roast, speeds cooking. Large fatty areas or excess drippings in dish attract energy away from meat, and slows cooking. Centre bones do not affect cooking, but bone on the side of meat conducts heat to the areas next to it.

11.STARTING TEMPERATURE

Frozen or refrigerated foods take longer to heat than food at room temperature. Cooking times in this book are based on normal storage temperatures. Since rooms, refrigerators and freezers differ in temperature, check cooking result at the minimum time.

12.QUANTITY

Microwave cooking times are directly related to the amount of food in the oven. Because energy is absorbed by the food itself, one potato or a single piece of chicken cooks rapidly. When the energy is divided among several items, cooking takes more time.

13.CONDENSATION

Condensation is a normal part of microwave cooking. The humidity and moisture in food will inﬂuence the amount of condensation in the oven. Generally, covered foods will not cause as much condensation as uncovered foods. Ensure that the ventilation openings are not blocked.

COOKWARE AND UTENSIL GUIDE

Utensil	Use	Advice

GLASSWARE/	YES	GLASSWARE
CERAMIC		• Ordinary glass is not suitable for cooking but may be used for short periods for heating
(HEAT RESISTANT)		foods.
		CERAMIC
		• Most ovenproof china, and ceramics, are suited.
		• Avoid dishes that are decorated with gold or silver leaf.
		• Avoid using antique pottery.
		• If unsure, check with the manufacturer.

METAL COOKWARE	NO	• Metal cookware should be avoided when cooking in the microwave oven.
		• Microwave energy is reﬂected by metal.

PLASTIC WRAP	YES	• Plastic wrap can be used to cover food.
OVEN BAGS		• Some shrinkage of the wrap may occur, over an extended cooking time.
		• When removing wrap, lift it in such a way to avoid steam burns.
		• Do not tie oven bags with metal twist ties, substitute with string.

ALUMINIUM FOIL	FOR	• Small amounts may be used to shield certain parts of meat and ﬁsh when cooking or
	SHIELDING	defrosting.
		• Remove food in foil trays, if possible, and place in a microwave safe dish.
		• If not possible, place the foil tray onto a heat proof plate allowing 2.5 cm room between
		the walls of the oven.

STRAW AND WOOD	NO	• Excessive over heating of these materials may cause a ﬁre in the microwave oven.

PAPER	YES	• Paper towels and waxed paper are suitable to use to prevent splatters.
		• Ideal for low heat cooking, such as reheating or very short cooking times and for foods
		with low fat, sugar or water content.
		Pay special attention as over-heating may cause a ﬁre in your oven.

PLASTIC COOKWARE	YES	• Ideal for cooking, reheating and defrosting.
MICROWAVE SAFE

THERMOMETERS
•MICROWAVE SAFE	YES
•CONVENTIONAL	NO

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