Sharp R-216 Operation Manual With Cookbook page 113

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
Thaw more quickly and evenly than larger ones. We
reco mmend that yo u freeze po rtio ns which are as
small as possible. By so doing you will be able to
prepare whole menus quickly and easily.
FOODS REQUIRING CAREFUL HANDLING
Fo o ds such as gateaux, cream, cheese and bread
should only be partially thawed and then left to thaw
completely at room temperature. By so doing you will
avo id the o uter areas beco ming to o ho t while the
inside is still frozen.
STANDING TIME
This is particularly important after thawing food, as the
thawing process continues during this period. In the
thawing table yo u will find the standing times fo r
vario us fo o ds. Thick, dense fo o ds require a lo nger
standing time than thinner foods or foodof a porous
nature. If the food has not thawed sufficiently, you may
continue thawing it in the microwave oven or lengthen
the standing time acco rding ly. At the end o f the
standing time youshould process the food as soon as
possible and not re-freeze it.
COOKING FRESH VEGETABLES
● W hen buying vegetables try to ensure that, as far
a s p o ssib le , the y a re o f simila r siz e . This is
particularly important when you want to cook the
vegetables whole (e.g. boiled potatoes).
● W ash 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.
● A d d a b o ut 5 tb sp s o f w a te r fo r 5 0 0 g o f
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 foil
without adding water.
● After half the cooking time has elapsed vegetables
should be stirred or turned over.
● After co o king allo w the veg etables to stand fo r
TIPS AN D ADVICE
a p p ro x. 2 minute s, so tha t the te mp e ra ture
disperses evenly (standing time).
● The c o o king time s g ive n a re g uid e line s a nd
depend upo n the weight, initial temperature and
condition of the type of vegetable in question. The
fresher the veg etables, the sho rter the co o king
times.
COOKING MEAT, FISH AND POULTRY
● W hen buying food items, try to ensure that, as far
as po ssible, they are o f similar siz e. This will
ensure that they are cooked properly.
● Befo re preparatio n wash meat, fish and po ultry
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,
co o king results may vary. This is due, amo ngst
other things, to the kind of food, variations in the fat
and mo isture co ntent as well as the temperature
before cooking.
● After the food has been cooking for 15 minutes it
a c q uire s a na tura l b ro wnne ss, whic h ma y b e
enhanced by the use of a browning agent. If, in
addition, you would like the surface to be crisp you
sho uld either use the bro wning dish o r sear the
food on your cooker and finish cooking it in your
micro wave. By do ing this yo u will simultaneo usly
obtain a brown base for making a sauce.
● T urn 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.
THAWING AND COOKING
Deep-frozen dishes can be thawed and cooked at the
same time in one process in your microwave. You will
find so me e xa mp le s in the ta b le . Do ta ke no te ,
however, of the general advice given on " heating " and
" thawing " fo o d. Please refer to the manufacturer ' s
instructio ns o n the packaging when preparing deep-
frozen dishes. These usually contain precise cooking
times and offer advice on preparation.
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