AEG MC2660E - Manual (Page 12)

10
Tips & advice
Melted butter and dried paprika
Dried paprika
Soya sauce
Barbecue and Worcestershire sauce, Gravy
Rendered down bacon fat or dried onions
Cocoa, chocolate flakes, brown icing, honey and
marmalade
Poultry
Oven baked dishes - Cheese toasties
Meat and poultry
Roasts, Rissoles, Small roasted items
Oven baked dishes, toasted items,
soups, stews
Cakes and desserts
Coat the poultry with the
butter/paprika mixture
Dust with paprika
Coat with the sauce
Coat with the sauce
Sprinkle pieces of bacon or dried
onions on top
Sprinkle pieces on top of cakes &
desserts or use to glaze
BROWNING AGENT DISH METHOD
Tall containers, flat dishes
Both types of container have the same capacity but
cooking times are longer for tall containers than for
flat ones. Therefore it is preferable to use dishes that
are as flat as possible, with the
largest possible flat surface.
Only use tall containers for foods
that are likely to boil over, e.g.
noodles, rice, milk etc.
Round & oval dishes
Food cooks more evenly in round and oval dishes than
in rectangular ones, because the microwave energy
concentrates into the corners of rectangular dishes and
the food there may get overcooked.
Covering the food
By covering the food as it cooks
moisture is retained and cooking time
is reduced. Use a lid, microwave film,
or cover. Do not cover food that
should have a crispy surface, such as
roast meat or chicken. As a rule if
you would cover it in a conventional oven, cover it in
the microwave. If you would cook it in a conventional
oven without a cover, you can cook it without a cover
in the microwave.
Irregular shaped food
Place the thicker, more compacted
end of the food pointing towards
the outside. Place vegetables (such
as broccoli) with the stalks pointing
outward.
Stirring
You need to stir the food because
the microwaves heat the outer
areas first. Stirring the food
balances the temperature and the
food heats evenly.
Arranging
Arrange individual portions (pudding moulds, cups or
baked potatoes) in a circle on the turntable. Leave
space between the portions for the microwave energy
to penetrate from all sides.
Turning
Turn medium sized portions, such as
burgers and steaks, once during
cooking, to reduce cooking time.
Large items such as roasts and
chickens must be turned because
they receive more microwave
energy on the uppermost side and could dry out if not
turned.
Standing time
One of the most important rules of microwave cooking
is standing time. Almost all foods that are defrosted,
heated or cooked in a microwave oven require standing
time. This may be fairly short or quite long. During this
time the temperature is balanced and the liquids inside
the food are evenly distributed.
Browning agents
After more than 15 minutes cooking time food
acquires a brownness, although this is not comparable
to the deep brownness and crispness obtained through
conventional cooking. In order to obtain an appetising
brown colour you can use browning agents. For the
most part they simultaneously act as seasoning agents.
In the following table you will find some suggestions
for substances you can use as browning agents and
some of the uses to which you might put them.
1. AG-31+32D-EU English 09/11/2005 09:02 Page 10