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Tips & advice
Turning/stirring
Almost all foods have to be turned or stirred from time
to time. As early as possible, separate parts which are
stuck together and rearrange them.
Small amounts...
defrost more quickly and evenly than larger ones. We
recommend that you freeze portions which are as small
as possible. By so doing you will be able to prepare
whole menus quickly and easily.
Foods requiring careful handling
Foods such as gateaux, cream, cheese and bread should
only be partially defrosted and then left to defrost
completely at room temperature. By so doing you will
avoid the outer areas becoming too hot while the inside
is still frozen.
Standing time
This is particularly important after defrosting food, as
the defrosting process continues during this period. In
the defrosting table you will find the standing times for
various foods. Thick, dense foods require a longer
standing time than thinner foods or food of a porous
nature. If the food has not defrosted sufficiently, you
may continue defrosting it in the microwave oven or
lengthen the standing time accordingly. At the end of
the standing time you should process the food as soon
as possible and not re-freeze it.
COOKING FRESH VEGETABLES
• When buying vegetables try to ensure that, as far as
possible, they are of similar size. This is particularly
important when you want to cook the vegetables
whole (e.g. boiled potatoes).
• Wash the vegetables before preparing them, clean
them and only then weigh the required quantity for
the recipe and chop them up.
• Season them as you would normally, but as a rule
only add salt after cooking.
• Add about 5 tbsps of water for 500 g of vegetables.
Vegetables which are high in fibre require a little
more water. You will find information about this in
the table.
• Vegetables are usually cooked in a dish with a lid.
Those with a high moisture content, e.g. onions or
boiled potatoes, can be cooked in microwave cling
film without adding water.
• After half the cooking time has elapsed vegetables
should be stirred or turned over.
• After cooking allow the vegetables to stand for
approx. 2 minutes, so that the temperature disperses
evenly (standing time).
• The cooking times given are guidelines and depend
upon the weight, initial temperature and condition
of the type of vegetable in question. The fresher the
vegetables, the shorter the cooking times.
COOKING MEAT, FISH & POULTRY
• When buying food items, try to ensure that, as far as
possible, they are of similar size. This will ensure that
they are cooked properly.
• Before preparation wash meat, fish and poultry
thoroughly under cold running water and pat them
dry with kitchen paper. Then continue as normal.
• Beef should be well hung and have little gristle.
• Even though the pieces may be of a similar size,
cooking results may vary. This is due, amongst other
things, to the kind of food, variations in the fat and
moisture content as well as the temperature before
cooking.
• After the food has been cooking for 15 minutes it
acquires a natural brownness, which may be
enhanced by the use of a browning agent. If, in
addition, you would like the surface to be crisp you
should either use the browning dish or sear the food
on your cooker and finish cooking it in your
microwave. By doing this you will simultaneously
obtain a brown base for making a sauce.
• Turn large pieces of meat, fish or poultry half way
through the cooking time, so that they are cooked
evenly from all sides.
• After cooking cover roasts with aluminium foil and
allow them to stand for approx. 10 minutes
(standing time). During this period the roast carries
on cooking and the liquid is evenly distributed, so
that when it is carved a minimum amount of juice is
lost.
DEFROSTING & COOKING
Deep-frozen dishes can be defrosted and cooked at the
same time in one process in your microwave. You will
find some examples in the table (see page 18). Do take
note, however, of the general advice given on "heating"
and "defrosting" food. Please refer to the
manufacturer's instructions on the packaging when
preparing deep- frozen dishes. These usually contain
precise cooking times and offer advice on preparation.
2. AG-21+22D-UK ENGLISH 03/02/2006 14:05 Page 10