USING THE OVENS
USING THE OVENS
Traditional fruit cakes
It should be remembered that ovens can vary over time, therefore cooking times can vary, making it difficult to be precise when baking fruit cakes.
It is necessary, therefore, to test the cake before removal from the oven. Use a fine warmed skewer inserted into the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean, then the cake is cooked.
❍ Do not attempt to make Christmas | |
| cakes larger than the oven can cope |
| with; you should allow at least |
| 25mm (1 inch) space between the |
| oven walls and the tin. |
❍ | Always follow the temperatures |
| recommended in the recipe. |
❍ | To protect a very rich fruit cake |
| during cooking, tie 2 layers of |
| brown paper around the tin. |
❍ We recommend that the cake tin is | |
| not stood on layers of brown |
Roast turkey
Roasting turkey perfectly involves cooking two different types of meat - the delicate light breast meat, which must not be allowed to dry out, and the darker leg meat, which takes longer to cook.
The turkey must be roasted long enough for the legs to cook, so frequent basting is necessary. The breast meat can be covered once browned.
❍ Turkey should be roasted at 170 - | |
| 190˚C for 20 minutes per 1lb, |
| plus 20 minutes unless packaging |
| advises otherwise. |
❍ The turkey can be open roasted - | |
| breast side down - for half of the |
| cook time, and then turned over for |
| the remainder of the cooking time. |
❍ | If the turkey is stuffed, add 5 |
| minutes per 1lb to the cooking time. |
❍ | If roasting turkey covered with |
| foil, add 5 minutes per 1lb to the |
Roasting guide
The times given in the roasting guide are only approximate, because the size and age of the bird will influence cooking times as will the shape of a joint and the proportion of the bone.
Frozen meat should be thoroughly thawed before cooking. For large joints it is advisable to thaw overnight.
Frozen poultry should be thoroughly thawed before cooking. The time required depends on the size of the bird - eg; a large turkey may take up to 48 hours to thaw.
Use of a trivet with a roasting tin will reduce fat splashing and will help to keep the oven interior clean. Alternatively, to help reduce fat splashing, potatoes or other vegetables can be roasted around the meat / poultry.
Notes:
❍When cooking stuffed meat or poultry calculate the cooking time from the total weight of the meat plus the stuffing.
❍For joints cooked in foil or covered roasters, and for lidded casseroles, add 5 minutes per 450g (1lb) to the calculated cooking time.
❍Smaller joints weighing less than 1.25kg (21⁄2lb) may require 5 minutes per 450g (1lb) extra cooking time.
❍Position the oven shelf so that the meat or poultry will be in the centre of the oven.
❍It is recommended that the appliance is cleaned after open roasting.
paper, as this can hinder effective |
circulation of air. |
❍ Do not use soft tub margarine for |
rich fruit cakes unless specified in |
the recipe. |
❍ Always use the correct size and |
shape of tin for the recipe quantities. |
cooking time. |
To test if the turkey is cooked, push a fine skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear, the turkey is cooked. If the juices are still pink, the turkey will need longer cooking.
Cook in oven at: | Approximate Cooking Time | |
180˚C - Main Oven (Fanned) | (preheated oven) | |
200˚C - Top Oven (Conventional) |
| |
|
|
|
Beef | Rare | 20 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 20 minutes |
| Medium | 25 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 20 minutes |
| Well done | 30 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 30 minutes |
|
|
|
Lamb | Medium | 25 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 25 minutes |
| Well done | 30 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 30 minutes |
|
|
|
Pork |
| 35 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 35 minutes |
|
|
|
Poultry |
| 20 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 20 minutes |
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12 | 13 |
