Magic Chef DM15H 14B Use Ard Care Instructions page 26

COOKING TECHNIQUES FOR
MICROWAVESUCCESS
"13ps to help equalize heatingare more important COVERING FOOD
when microwaving thanwhenconventional c ooking COVERING FOOD helpsit heat evenlybecauseit
becausemicrowaving is usuallyfaster.If this isyour traps heat and steam.
secondmicrowave, t hisreviewmay helpyou brush
upon your micrewaving skills.Mostof these tips A TIGHT COVER can be achievedwithheavyduty
alsohelpwhenconventional c ooking, plasticwrap. This holdsin the maximumamountof
STIRRING AND REARRANGINGFOOD IN THi_ steam. However,wrap mustbe ventedso excessive
steam does notloosenseal orsplitthe plastic; also
COOKING DISH redistributes t he heat withinthe
so steambuildupis nottoogreat whenwrap is
food itself.Saucyfoods,soups,stews,sauces, loosenedafter cooking.Nevertheless,alwaysbe
puddings and pie fillings,all can be stirredwhile carefulwhen openingplasticwrap-sealedmicrowave
microwaving. Rearrangedfoodsare usuallyin dishesafter cookingin them.
pieces;chickenis an example.Whenfoods are
rearranged, i t isusuallyso thatthe insidepieces, Tightlycoveredfoodsare more moiston the topand
whichmaybe cookingmore slowly, a re nowtoward sometimesin otherareas than othercoveredfoods.
the outside,wherethey are more exposedto VENT plasticwrap-covered dishesby turningback
microwaves, one corner(squareoroblongdishes)or turningback
INITIALARRANGEMENT of foodsin the microwave smallarea at edge (rounddishes.)
is sometimes important. W hen you arrange A LIGHT COVER is usuallyachievedwitha sheet of
potatoes,applesorotherindividual f oods,placing wax paper,laid lightly overthe top of the foodor
them in a circleprovidesthe mostevencookingfor dish.Sometimesa recipewillspecifythatthe wax
allpieces, paper be folded down over the dish to trap a little
Large individual foods which are uneven in shape more steam.
(ex: chicken legs) or tenderness (ex: broccoli Lightly covered foods usually benefit from added
spears) may be arranged on a cooking plate or dish steam around the top of the food as it cooks.
with the meatiest or least tender areas to the edge of However, these foods are often most appealing if the
the dish. top is not too moist when serving. Meatloaf is an
SHIELDING AND TURNING OVER are related example of a food lightlycovered with wax paper for
techniques, especially in microwave meat cookery, microwaving.
Even with lower power settings, outside edges of CASSEROLE LIDS are also frequently considered
meats sometimes tend to overcook, especially if they light coverings because they allow a moderate
are very large. (Large size roasts must cook amount of steam to escape from food. Before
relatively longer than small ones.) Sharp edges, like cooking, you can check how tightly the lid of a
cut sides of meat, exterior of roasts,tend to be casserole fits. Put it on the casserole and observe
vulnerable, as are thin meaty areas on bony meats whether it sits flatly or "rattles" when the casserole is
like lamb leg or turkey. Potatoes take approximately lightly moved.
a minute longer apiece if you do not turn them over
and arrange them while microwaving. POROUS COVERS include paper towels and
napkins. These covers remove the moisture from the
Small strips of aluminum foil are useful in deflecting steam around foods they enclose, leaving mostly dry
microwave energy away from vulnerable areas, heat. Porous covers are frequently used with
Turning over meat also helps expose various parts sandwiches, where the filling may be more dense
of the meat to microwave energy over the entire than the bread. With such combinations, some
cooking period. With turningover, some parts of the trapped heat helps warm the fillingbefore the bread
meat "shield"other parts from overcooking, toughens from excessive rnicrowaving.
WITH DEFROSTING, the techniques of shielding Paper napkins and towels are also useful and
and turning over are also important, convenient for "freshening" many bakery foods.
Turning over is helpful in speeding up the defrosting Placing baked goods on a paper towel-lined plate
and cooking of many individual foods, avoids a soggy underside to the food. Some bakery
goods have a very different composition from
sandwiches. Those which are filled with sugary
centers tend to warm up very quickly in the middle,
while the bready exterior remains much cooler. Bite
into these carefully after microwaving!
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