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Cooking Techniques
Spacing
Individual
foods,
such as baked
potatoes,
cup-
cakes and
appetizers,
will
cook more
evenly
if
placed
in
the
oven
equal distances
apart.
When
possible,
arrange foods
in
a
circular pattern.
Covering
As
with
conventional cooking, moisture
evapo-
rates
during
microwave
cooking.
Casserole
lids
or
plastic
wrap
are
used
for
a
tighter seal.
When
using
plastic
wrap, vent
the
plastic
wrap
by
fold-
ing
back
part of
the
plastic
wrap
from
the
edge
of
the dish
to
allow
steam
to
escape.
Loosen
or
remove
plastic
wrap
as
recipe
directs
for
stand
time.
When
removing
plastic
wrap
covers,
as
well
as any
glass
lids,
be
careful
to
remove them
away
from
you
to
avoid
steam
burns. Various
degrees
of
moisture
retention
are
also
obtained
by
using
wax
paper
or
paper
towels.
However,
unless
specified,
a
recipe
is
cooked
covered.
Shielding
Thin areas
of
meat and
poultry
cook more
quickly
than
meaty
portions.
To
prevent overcooking,
these
thin
areas
can be
shielded with
strips of
aluminum
foil.
Wooden
toothpicks
may
be
used
to
hold the
foil
in
place.
Timing
A
range
in
cooking time
is
given
in
each
recipe.
The
time
range
compensates
for
the uncontrol-
lable
differences
in
food shapes,
starting
temper-
ature,
and
regional
preferences.
Always cook
food
for
the
minimum
cooking
time given
in
a
recipe
and check
for
doneness.
If
the
food
is
undercooked,
continue cooking.
It
is
easier
to
add
time
to
an undercooked
product.
Once
the food
is
overcooked,
nothing
can be
done.
Stirring
Stirring
is
usually
necessary
during
microwave
cooking.
We
have
noted
when
stirring
is
helpful,
using the
words
once,
twice, frequently, or
occa-
sionally to
describe the
amount
of
stirring
neces-
sary.
Always
bring
the
cooked
outside
edges
toward
the center
and
the less
cooked
center
por-
tions
toward
the outside
of
the
dish.
Rearranging
Rearrange
small items
such as
chicken
pieces,
shrimp,
hamburger
patties,
or
pork chops.
Rearrange
pieces from the
edge
to
the center
and
pieces from
the
center
to
the
edge
of
the
dish.
Turning
It
is
not possible
to
stir
some
foods
to
redistribute
the heat. At times,
microwave energy
will
concen-
trate
in
one
area
of
a
food.
To
help insure
even
cooking, these foods
need
to
be
turned.
Turn
over
large foods,
such as
roasts or turkeys,
halfway through cooking.
Stand
Time
Most
foods
will
continue
to
cook by
conduction
after
the
microwave oven
is
turned
off. In
meat
cookery, the
internal
temperature
will
rise
5°F
to
15°F (3°C
to
8°C),
if
allowed
to
stand, tented with
foil,
for
10
to
15
minutes.
Casseroles
and
vegetables
need a
shorter
amount
of
standing
time,
but
this
standing time
is
necessary
to
allow
foods
to
complete cooking
to
the center without
overcooking
on
the
edges.
Test
for
Doneness
The same
tests
for
doneness used
in
convention-
al
cooking
may
be used
for
microwave
cooking.
Meat
is
done
when
fork-tender or
splits
at
fibers.
Chicken
is
done
when
juices
are
clear
yellow
and
drumstick
moves
freely.
Fish
is
done
when
it
flakes
and
is
opaque.
Cake
is
done
when
a
tooth-
pick or
cake
tester
is
inserted
and
comes
out
clean.
Candy
is
done
when
it
reaches
the
proper
temperature
for
each
stage
of crystallization.
18
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