Electrolux EMS26415 user manual Microwave cooking advice, Food characteristics, Cooking techniques

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Microwave cooking advice

To cook/defrost food in a microwave oven, the microwave energy must be able to pass through the container to penetrate the food. Therefore it is important to choose suitable cookware.

Round/oval dishes are preferable to square/oblong ones, as the food in the corners tends to overcook.

Food characteristics

It is important to turn, rearrange or stir food to ensure even heating.

Standing time is necessary after cooking, as it enables the heat to disperse equally throughout the food.

Composition	Foods high in fat or sugar (e.g. Christmas pudding, mince pies) require less heating
	time. Care should be taken as overheating can lead to fire.
Density	Food density will affect the amount of cooking time needed. Light porous foods, such
	as cakes or bread, cook more quickly than heavy, dense foods, such as roasts and
	casseroles.
Quantity	The cooking time must be increased as the amount of food placed in the oven
	increases. E.g. Four potatoes will take longer to cook than two.
Size	Small foods and small pieces cook faster than large ones, as microwaves can pen-
	etrate from all sides to the centre. For even cooking make all the pieces the same size.
Shape	Foods which are irregular in shape, such as chicken breasts or drumsticks, take
	longer to cook in the thicker parts. Round shapes cook more evenly than square
	shapes when microwave cooking.
Temperature	The initial temperature of food affects the amount of cooking time needed. Chilled
of food	foods will take longer to cook than food at room temperature. Cut into foods with
	fillings, for example jam doughnuts, to release heat or steam.
Cooking techniques
Arrange	Place the thickest parts of food towards the outside of the dish. E.g. Chicken
	drumsticks.
Cover	Use vented microwave cling film or a suitable lid.
Pierce	Foods with a shell, skin or membrane must be pierced in several places before cooking
	or reheating as steam will build up and may cause food to explode, e.g. Potatoes, Fish,
	Chicken, Sausages.
	Important: Eggs should not be heated using microwave power as they may explode,
	even after cooking has ended, e.g. poached, hard boiled.
Stir, turn and	For even cooking it is essential to stir, turn and rearrange food during cooking. Always
rearrange	stir and rearrange from the outside towards the centre.
Stand	Standing time is necessary after cooking to enable the heat to disperse equally
	throughout the food.
Shield	Some areas of food being defrosted may become warm. Warm areas can be shielded
	with small pieces of foil, which reflect microwaves, e.g. legs and wings on a chicken.