Operation Manual

Page 25
General guide lines ( continued )
Starting temperatures.
The lower the temperature of the food placed in
the oven, the longer the time required to cook it.
Food at room temperature will cook quicker than
refrigerated food.
Composition of the food.
Food with a high fat or sugar content will heat up
faster than food containing a lot of water. Fat and
sugar will also achieve a higher temperature dur-
ing the cooking process than water.
The more dense the food, the longer it takes to
cook. Meat for example takes longer to heat than
sponge cake.
Size and shape
Smaller pieces will cook faster than larger pieces
and uniform pieces will cook more evenly than
irregular pieces.
Thin parts will cook faster than thicker parts.
Place the thinner chicken wings and legs nearer
the centre of the tray.
Stirring and turning the food
Stirring and turning are techniques used in con-
ventional as well as microwave cooking. It allows
heat to distribute more quickly and avoids over-
cooking at more exposed areas.
Covering the food
Covering the food with perforated cling wrap or
pot lids, reduces splatter, shortens cooking times,
and retains moisture. All materials which allow
the passage of microwaves are suitable.
(see utensil guide)
Releasing pressure in foods
Several foods are covered with a membrane.
Steam builds up under the membrane and these
foods should be pricked with a fork or cocktail
stick to release pressure and prevent them from
bursting. Typical examples of these foods are po-
tatoes, Chicken livers, sausages, egg yolks, and
certain fruits.
Standing time.
Experience has shown that standing time , after
using the oven, always improves results as it al-
lows heat to be evenly distributed prior to con-
sumption.
In a microwave, food continues to cook even
when the microwave energy is turned off.
The reason for this is the transfer of heat from the
food centre though a conduction process.
The length of standing time is dependent on the
volume and density of the food and may range
from 1 to 10 minutes. Generally the larger dense
foods need more standing time.
Arranging the food
1. Arranging the food in the oven contributes to
the result.
2. If several items of similar food are cooked at
the same time, it is best to place them in a ring
pattern around the tray. This will ensure uni-
form cooking.
3. When cooking food of uneven shapes or thick-
ness, arrange the denser, thicker food on the
outside and the smaller, thinner pieces towards
the centre of the tray where they will be heated
last.
4. Fish should be arranged with the tail sections
towards the centre of the tray. When cooking
whole fish, score the skin to prevent cracking
and shield the tail with small pieces of alumin-
ium foil.
5. When re-heating a meal, arrange the smaller
pieces in the centre and larger pieces towards
the perimeter of the plate.
6. Place thin slices of meat on top of one another.
Thicker pieces such as sausages and meat loaf
should be placed close together.
7. Gravy, sauce or soup should be heated in a
separate container. Choose a tall narrow con-
tainer rather than a broad flat one and do not
fill the container more than 2/3.