Viking Built-In Convection Microwave Hood - Manual (Page 13)

13
ABOUT MICROWAVE COOKING
• Arrange food carefully. Place thickest areas towards outside of dish.
• Watch cooking time. Cook for the shortest amount of time indicated and
add more as needed. Food severely overcooked can smoke or ignite.
• Cover foods while cooking. Check recipe or cookbook for suggestions:
paper towels, wax paper, microwave plastic wrap or a lid. Covers prevent
spattering and help foods to cook evenly.
• Shield any thin areas of meat or poultry with small flat pieces of aluminum
foil to prevent overcooking before dense, thick areas are cooked thor-
oughly.
• Stir foods from outside to center of dish once or twice during cooking, if
possible.
• Turn foods over once during microwaving to speed cooking of such foods,
as chicken and hamburgers. Large items like roasts must be turned over
at least once.
• Rearrange foods such as meatballs halfway through cooking both from
top to bottom and from the center of the dish to the outside.
• Add standing time. Remove food from microwave oven and stir, if possible.
Cover for standing time which allows the food to finish cooking without
overcooking.
• Check for doneness. Look for signs indicating that cooking temperatures
have been reached.
Doneness signs include:
- Food steams throughout, not just at edge.
- Center bottom of dish is very hot to the touch.
- Poultry thigh joints move easily.
- Meat and poultry show no pinkness.
- Fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.