AEG MC1761E, MC1751E Cooking Fresh Vegetables, Cooking MEAT, Fish & Poultry, Defrosting & Cooking

2. AG-21+22D-UK ENGLISH 03/02/2006 14:05 Page 10

Tips & advice

Turning/stirring

Almost all foods have to be turned or stirred from time to time. As early as possible, separate parts which are stuck together and rearrange them.

Small amounts...

defrost more quickly and evenly than larger ones. We recommend that you freeze portions which are as small as possible. By so doing you will be able to prepare whole menus quickly and easily.

Foods requiring careful handling

Foods such as gateaux, cream, cheese and bread should only be partially defrosted and then left to defrost completely at room temperature. By so doing you will avoid the outer areas becoming too hot while the inside is still frozen.

Standing time

This is particularly important after defrosting food, as the defrosting process continues during this period. In the defrosting table you will find the standing times for various foods. Thick, dense foods require a longer standing time than thinner foods or food of a porous nature. If the food has not defrosted sufficiently, you may continue defrosting it in the microwave oven or lengthen the standing time accordingly. At the end of the standing time you should process the food as soon as possible and not re-freeze it.

COOKING FRESH VEGETABLES

•When buying vegetables try to ensure that, as far as possible, they are of similar size. This is particularly important when you want to cook the vegetables whole (e.g. boiled potatoes).

•Wash the vegetables before preparing them, clean them and only then weigh the required quantity for the recipe and chop them up.

•Season them as you would normally, but as a rule only add salt after cooking.

•Add about 5 tbsps of water for 500 g of vegetables. Vegetables which are high in fibre require a little more water. You will find information about this in the table.

•Vegetables are usually cooked in a dish with a lid. Those with a high moisture content, e.g. onions or boiled potatoes, can be cooked in microwave cling film without adding water.

•After half the cooking time has elapsed vegetables should be stirred or turned over.

•After cooking allow the vegetables to stand for approx. 2 minutes, so that the temperature disperses evenly (standing time).

•The cooking times given are guidelines and depend upon the weight, initial temperature and condition of the type of vegetable in question. The fresher the vegetables, the shorter the cooking times.

COOKING MEAT, FISH & POULTRY

•When buying food items, try to ensure that, as far as possible, they are of similar size. This will ensure that they are cooked properly.

•Before preparation wash meat, fish and poultry thoroughly under cold running water and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Then continue as normal.

•Beef should be well hung and have little gristle.

•Even though the pieces may be of a similar size, cooking results may vary. This is due, amongst other things, to the kind of food, variations in the fat and moisture content as well as the temperature before cooking.

•After the food has been cooking for 15 minutes it acquires a natural brownness, which may be enhanced by the use of a browning agent. If, in addition, you would like the surface to be crisp you should either use the browning dish or sear the food on your cooker and finish cooking it in your microwave. By doing this you will simultaneously obtain a brown base for making a sauce.

•Turn large pieces of meat, fish or poultry half way through the cooking time, so that they are cooked evenly from all sides.

•After cooking cover roasts with aluminium foil and allow them to stand for approx. 10 minutes (standing time). During this period the roast carries on cooking and the liquid is evenly distributed, so that when it is carved a minimum amount of juice is lost.

DEFROSTING & COOKING

Deep-frozen dishes can be defrosted and cooked at the same time in one process in your microwave. You will find some examples in the table (see page 18). Do take note, however, of the general advice given on "heating" and "defrosting" food. Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging when preparing deep- frozen dishes. These usually contain precise cooking times and offer advice on preparation.

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