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GETTING THE BEST RESULTS
FROM YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN
Keep an eye on things. The instructions in this book
have been formulated with great care, but your
success in preparing food depends, of course, on how
much attention you pay to the food as it cooks. Always
watch your food while it cooks. Your microwave oven is
equipped with a light that turns on automatically when
the oven is in operation so that you can see inside and
check the progress of your recipe. Directions given in
recipes to elevate, stir, and the like should be thought of
as the minimum steps recommended. If the food seems
to be cooking unevenly, simply make the necessary
adjustments you think appropriate to correct the
problem.
Factors affecting cooking times. Many factors affect
cooking times. The temperature of ingredients used in a
recipe makes a big difference in cooking times. For
example, a cake made with ice-cold butter, milk, and
eggs will take considerably longer to bake than one
made with ingredients that are at room temperature. All
of the recipes in this book give a range of cooking times.
In general, you will find that the food remains under-
cooked at the lower end of the time range, and you may
sometimes want to cook your food beyond the maximum
time given, according to personal preference. The
governing philosophy of this book is that it is best for a
recipe to be conservative in giving cooking times. While
undercooked food may always be cooked a bit more,
overcooked food is ruined for good. Some of the recipes,
particularly those for bread, cakes, and custard,
recommend that food be removed from the oven when
they are slightly undercooked. This is not a mistake.
When allowed to stand, usually covered, these foods will
continue to cook outside of the oven as the heat trapped
within the outer portions of the foods gradually travels
inward. If the foods are left in the oven until they are
cooked all the way through, the outer portions will
become overcooked or even burnt.
As you gain experience in using your microwave oven,
you will become increasingly skillful in estimating both
cooking and standing times for various foods.
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES IN
MICROWAVE COOKING
Browning: Meats and poultry that are cooked fifteen
minutes or longer will brown lightly in their own fat.
Foods that are cooked for a shorter period of time may
be brushed with a browning sauce to achieve an
appetizing color. The most commonly used browning
sauces are Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and
barbecue sauce. Since relatively small amounts of
browning sauces are added to foods, the original flavor
of recipes is not altered.
Covering: A cover traps heat and steam and causes
food to cook more quickly. You may either use a lid or
microwave cling-film with a corner folded back to prevent
splitting.
Covering with waxed paper: Waxed paper effectively
prevents spattering and helps food retain some heat.
Since it makes a looser cover than a lid or cling-film, it
allows the food to dry out slightly.
Wrapping in waxed paper or paper towel: Sandwiches
and many other foods containing prebaked bread should
be wrapped prior to microwaving to prevent drying out.
Arranging and spacing: Individual foods such as baked
potatoes, small cakes, and hors d’oeuvres will heat more
evenly if placed in the oven and equal distance apart,
preferably in a circular pattern. Never stack foods on top
of one another.
Stirring: Stirring is one of the most important of all
microwaving techniques. In conventional cooking, foods
are stirred for the purpose of blending. Microwaved
foods, however, are stirred in order to spread and
redistribute heat. Always stir from the outside towards
the center as the outside food heats first.
Turning over: Large, tall foods such as roasts and
whole chickens should be turned so that the top and
bottom will cook evenly. It is also a good idea to turn cut-
up chicken and chops.
Placing thicker portions near the edge: Since
microwaves are attracted to the outside portion of foods,
it makes sense to place thicker portions of meat, poultry
and fish to the outer edge of the baking dish. This way,
thicker portions will receive the most microwave energy
and the foods will cook evenly.
Other Helpful Information
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