THE ARRANGEMENT 2. TURNING
Arrange foods carefully. Place thickest areas toward outside of dish. Foods such as poultry and joints of meat should be turned over after half
the cooking time.
3. COVERING
Cover foods in the microwave if you would normally cover the food in
your ordinarv oven, or to retain moisture. Cover foods such as Vegetables,
Casseroles, or when Reheating.
Use to cover foods:
PLASTIC WRAP
5. SHIELDING PAPER TOWEL
Shield using small pieces of aluminium foil to shield thin areas of meat,
fish and poultry or edges of cakes to prevent overcooking.
- 7. STIRRING FISH CHICKEN
Stirfoodsfrom the outside to the centre of the dish, once or twice during
cookinq if possible.
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11
DENSITY
Thedepth to which microwaves penetrate food varies depending on the
food’s density. Porous foods like minced beef or mashed potatoes
microwave faster than dense ones like steak or whole potatoes.
STARTING TEMPERATURE
Frozen or refrigerated food takes longer to heat than food at room
temperature. Cooking times in this book are based on normal storage
temperatures. Since rooms, refrigerators and freezers differ in temper-
ature, check for doneness at the minimum time.
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13.CONDENSATION . ’
Condensation is a normal part of microwave cooking. The humidity and
moisture in food will influence the amount of condensation in the oven.
Generally, covered foods will not cause as much condensation as
uncovered foods. Ensure that the ventilation openings are not blocked.
Eg. Casserbles and Sauces.
4. PIERCING
Pierce potatoes, eggs, tomatoes or any foods with a skin or membrane
to allow steam to escape. p
6. STANDING TIME
Standing time is important. After cooking or defrosting ensure adequate
standing time. This allows the food to continue cooking or heating. Refer
to cooking guides for each menu or according to manufacturers instruc-
tions.
8 SIZE
Small pieces cook faster than large ones. To speed cooking, cut pieces
smaller than 5 cm so microwaves can penetrate to the centre from all
sides. For even cooking, make all the pieces the same size.
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12.
FAT AND BONE
Marbling within meat, or a thin, even layer of fat on a roast, speeds
cooking. Large fatty areas or excess drippings in dish attract energy
away from meat, and slows cooking. Centre bones do not affect cooking,
but bone on the side of meat conducts heat to the areas next to it.
QUANTITY
Microwave cooking times are directly related to the amount of food in
the oven. Because energy is absorbed by the food itself, one potato or
a single piece of chicken cooks rapidly. When the energy is divided
among several items, cooking takes more time.
TOMATO EGG