THE ‘E’ SETTING
The ‘E’ setting on the oven thermostat is used for slow cooking, keeping food warm and warming plates for short periods.
USING THE ‘E’ SETTING FOR SLOW COOKING
1.All dishes cooked by the ‘E’ setting should be cooked for a minimum 6 hours. They will ‘hold’ at this setting for a further hour but marked deterioration in appearance will be noticed in some cases.
2.Joints of meat and poultry should be cooked at Mk. 6 for 30 minutes before turning to the ‘E’ setting and never be cooked lower than the middle shelf position.
3.Joints of meat over 6 lbs (2.7kg) and poultry over 4 lbs 8oz (2 kg) should not be cooked using the ‘E’ setting.
4.Always stand covered joints on a rack over the meat tin to allow good air circulation.
5.A meat thermometer should be used when cooking pork joints and poultry. The internal temperature of the food should reach at least 88oC.
6.This method is unsuitable for stuffed meat and stuffed poultry.
7.Always bring soups, casseroles and liquids to the boil before putting in the oven.
8.Cover casseroles with foil and then the lid to prevent loss of moisture.
9.Always thaw frozen food completely before cooking.
10.Root vegetables will cook better if cut into small pieces.
11.Adjust seasonings and thickenings at the end of the cooking time.
12.Use the zones of heat in the oven, e.g. meringues and milk puddings can be cooked lower in the oven whilst other dishes requiring greater heat can be cooked above them.
13.Egg and fish dishes need only
14.Dried red kidney beans must be boiled for a minimum of ten minutes after soaking, before inclusion in any dish.
19