TIPS &
ADVICE
TIME SETTINGS
In general the thawing, heating and cooking times are significantly shorter than when using a conventional cooker or oven. For this reason you should adhere to the recommended times given in this book. It is better to set the times too short, rather than too long. Test the food after it has been cooked. It is better to have to cook something for a little longer than to overcook it.
INITIAL TEMPERATURES
Thawing, heating and cooking times are dependent upon the initial temperature of the food.
COOKING TIMES
All the times given in this book are guidelines, which can be varied according to the initial temperature, weight and condition of the food (water or fat content etc.).
SALT, SPICES AND HERBS
Food cooked in your microwave retains its individual flavour better than it does when conventional preparation methods are used. For this reason you should use salt very sparingly and normally add it only after cooking. Salt absorbs liquid and dries out the outer layer of the food. Herbs and spices can be used as normal.
ADDITION OF WATER
Vegetables and other foods with a high water content can be cooked in their own juice or with the addition of a little water. This ensures that many vitamins and minerals are preserved.
FATTY FOODS
Food ‘marbled’ with fat or with layers of fat cook faster than lean meat. You should therefore cover these parts with some aluminium foil, and place the food fatty side downward.
FOOD IN SKINS OR SHELLS
Food such as sausages, chickens, chicken legs, baked potatoes, tomatoes, apples, egg yolks or such like should be pricked or pierced with a fork or small wooden skewer. This will enable the steam which forms to dissipate without splitting the skin or shell.
LARGE AND SMALL QUANTITIES
Microwave times are directly dependent upon the
amount of food which you would like to thaw, heat or cook. This means that small portions cook more quickly than larger ones. As a rule of thumb:
TWICE THE AMOUNT = ALMOST TWICE THE TIME HALF THE AMOUNT = HALF THE TIME
DEEP AND SHALLOW CONTAINERS
Both containers have the same capacity, but the cooking time is longer for the deeper one. You should therefore choose as flat a container as possible with a large surface area. Only use deep containers for dishes where there is a danger ofovercooking, e.g. for noodles, rice, milk etc.
ROUND AND OVAL CONTAINERS
Food cooks more evenly in round or oval containers than in containers with corners, since the microwave energy concentrates in the corners and the food in these areas could become overcooked.
COVERING
Covering the food retains the moisture within it and shortens the cooking time. Use a lid, microwave cling film or a cover. Foods which are to be crispy, e.g. roasts or chickens, should not be covered. As a general rule, whatever would be covered in a conventional oven should also be covered in a microwave oven. Whatever would be uncovered in a conventional oven can also be left uncovered in a microwave oven.
IRREGULAR SHAPED FOOD
Place the thicker, more compacted end of the food pointing towards the outside. Place vegetables (such as broccoli) with the stalks pointing outward.
STIRRING
You need to stir the food because the microwaves heat the outer areas first. Stirring the food balances the temperature and the food heats evenly.
ARRANGING
Arrange individual portions (pudding moulds, cups or baked potatoes) in a circle on the turntable. Leave space between the portions for the microwave energy to penetrate from all sides.
TURNING
8