Panasonic NE-C1275 operating instructions Cooking by Microwave, Fish, Vegetables

Cooking by Microwave

Commercial ovens are primarily used for reheating and defrosting. It is possible however to cook certain foods eg. fish and vegetables very successfully by microwave. These foods should be limited to small quantities as larger amounts will not offer any time saving.

Fish

Microwave

1.Arranging

When cooking fillets or whole fish, always arrange the thicker part to the outside of the container and, wherever possible, make even-shaped parcels of fish. Cook two whole fish together, placed head to tail with backbone towards the outside of the dish.

2.Shielding

Single whole fish will need to have the head and tail ends shielded with aluminium foil halfway through the cooking time.

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3.Whole fish

Score the sides of whole fish prior to cooking; this prevents the skin from bursting and splattering the oven cavity. A better result is obtained if whole fish are cooked on a LOWER power setting rather than HIGH power.

4.Fish fillets

Fish fillets should be rolled so that the head and tail of the fillet overlap forming a fish parcel. Any number of fillets can be cooked together, on HIGH power, in this way. Arranging food in this manner means that it cooks evenly and without the need to shield with aluminium foil.

Vegetables

1.Adding salt

Vegetables cooked by microwave, retain their colour and texture. The short cooking times and small quantity of cooking liquid required ensures the vegetables do not lose their nutritive value. Do not add salt to the vegetables.

2.Cooking vegetables together

It is possible to cook a selection of vegetables together in the same dish if they have roughly the same cooking time per pound. Do not, for example, cook new potatoes alongside frozen peas, as the peas will be cooked and the potatoes almost raw.

3.Adding water

A small amount of water is required to generate sufficient steam to begin to cook the vegetables; the microwave energy will then complete the cooking within the vegetables themselves. If too much liquid is added this will increase the cooking time considerably.

4.Container size

Choose the size of the dish to match the quantity of vegetables to be cooked. A large, covered bowl with only a handful of food in the base does not cook very well.

5.Arranging

Always arrange the denser parts of the vegetables to the outside of the dish. With vegetables such as broccoli the denser part is the stalk.

6.Part-cooking

If the vegetables are going to be pre-cooked for plating up, refrigerating and regenerating at a later date, reduce the cooking time by about a third; during the reheating time the vegetables will complete their cooking, retaining their “bite”.

7.Standing time

It is important to allow vegetables to stand before testing to see if they are correctly cooked. This prevents the vegetables over cooking and becoming tough.

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