Indesit FM 37K IX DK manual Practical Cooking Advice, Pre-heating, Cooking on one or more shelves

Practical Cooking Advice

The “Chefs” cooker offers a wide range of alternatives which allows you to cook any type of food in the best possible way. Various functions allow heat to be directed as required: upward, downward or evenly and with the required intensity. With time, you will learn to make the best use of this versatile cooker. The following indications are only approximate and may be varied according to your own personal experience.

Pre-heating

Should it be necessary to pre-heat the oven, generally speaking for any leavened food, it is advisable to use the ventilated oven which allows the required temperature to be reached in a shorter time as well as saving energy. Once the food has been put into the oven, you can proceed with the most suitable cooking process.

Cooking on one or more shelves

Should you need to use more than one shelf, use only function 3 “ventilated oven” which is the only solution for this process. The three central shelves are to be used, since the top and bottom shelves receive too much hot air which could cause delicate food to burn. When three shelves are used at the same time, food on the middle shelf cooks more slowly and so should be left in the oven for a few more minutes. If you are using three shelves to cook a complete meal, use the middle shelf for the dish which requires a lower temperature (usually the dessert).

Using the grill

The 7 programms cooker offers 3 different grilling functions.

Use position 4 “grill” for small portions consumption in this position is only 1200 W, but allows small portions such as toasted sandwiches, frankfurters etc... to be cooked perfectly. Place the food in the middle of the grill since only the central part of the upper heating element is on. Food which in any corner of the grill will not be cooked.

Position 5 “The double grill” allows food to be cooked in all parts of the grill. Use this function when food is evenly distributed and you want it all evenly browned. Position 6 “The Gratin oven” is extremely useful for quick cooking. Grill heat is distributed thus browning food whilst cooking the inside. Allows large pieces of meat and poultry to be cooked without using the turn-spit. It can also be used for finishing the cooking process of food which needs to be browned, as for example baked pasta.

Grilling should normally be carried out with the door closed to obtain the best results and save energy (about 10%). A grill pan should be placed under the grid to catch grease dripping.

Baking Pastries

When baking pastries, always place them in the oven after it has been preheated. Make sure you wait until the oven has been preheated thoroughly (the red "L" light will turn off). Do not open the door while the pastry is cooking in order to prevent it from dropping. Batters must not be too runny, as this will result in prolonged cooking times. In general:

Pastry is too dry

Increase the temperature by 10°C and reduce the cooking time.

Pastry dropped

Use less liquid or lower the the temperature by 10°C.

Pastry is too dark on top

Place it on a lower rack, lower the temperature, and increase the cooking time.

Cooked well on the inside but sticky on the outside

Use less liquid, lower the temperature, and increase the cooking time.

The pastry sticks to the pan

Grease the pan well and sprinkle it with a dusting of flour.

I used more than one level and they are not all at the same cooking point

Use a lower temperature setting. It is not necessary to remove the food from all the racks at the same time.

Cooking Fish and Meat

Meat must weigh at least 1 Kg in order to prevent it from drying out. When cooking white meat, fowl and fish, use low temperature settings (150° C-175°C). For red meat that should be well done on the outside while tender and juicy in the inside, it is a good idea to start with a high temperature setting (200° C-220°C) for a short time, then turn the oven down afterwards. In general, the larger the roast, the lower the temperature setting. Place the meat on the centre of the rack and place the dripping pan beneath it to catch the fat. Make sure that the rack is inserted so that it is in the centre of the oven. If you would like to increase the amount of heat from below, use the low rack heights. For savory roasts (especially duck and wild game), dress the meat with lard or bacon on the top.

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