Sharp R-321CAF Operation Manual page 67

1. ARRANGEMENT
Arrange foods carefully. Place thickest areas toward outside of dish.
E.g. Arrange vegetables in a shallow dish in the following way:
Hard Vegetables around the outside, Soft Vegetables in the
centre, Medium Vegetables in-between.
2. TURNING
Foods such as poultry and joints of meat should be turned over after half the
cooking time.
3. COVERING
Cover foods in the microwave if you would normally cover the food in your
ordinary oven, or to retain moisture. Cover foods such as Vegetables, Casse-
roles, or when Reheating.
Use to cover foods:
LID
4. PIERCING
Pierce potatoes, eggs, oysters, tomatoes or any foods with a skin or
membrane to allow steam to escape.
5. SHIELDING
Shield using small pieces of aluminium foil to shield thin areas of meat, fish
and poultry or edges of cakes to prevent overcooking.
6. STANDING TIME
Standing time is important. After cooking or defrosting ensure adequate
standing time. This allows the food to continue cooking or heating. Refer to
cooking guides for each menu or according to manufacturers instructions.
7. STIRRING
Stir foods from the outside to the centre of the dish, once or twice during
cooking if possible.
E.g. Casseroles and Sauces.
HELPFUL HINTS
MICROWAVE COOKING
PLASTIC WRAP PAPER TOWEL
TOMATO EGG
FISH CHICKEN
STIR
8. SIZE
Small pieces cook faster than large ones. To speed cooking, cut pieces
smaller than 5cm so microwaves can penetrate to the centre from all sides.
For even cooking, make all the pieces the same size.
9. DENSITY
The depth to which microwaves penetrate food varies depending on the
food's density. Porous foods like minced beef or mashed potatoes microwave
faster than dense ones like steak or whole potatoes.
10.FAT AND BONE
Marbling within meat, or a thin, even layer of fat on a roast, speeds cooking.
Large fatty areas or excess drippings in a dish attract energy away from
meat, and slows cooking. Centre bones do not affect cooking, but bone on
the side of meat conducts heat to the areas next to it.
11. STARTING TEMPERATURE
Frozen or refrigerated food takes longer to heat than food at room
temperature. Cooking times in this manual are based on normal storage
temperatures. Since rooms, refrigerators and freezers differ in temperature,
check for doneness at the minimum time.
12.QUANTITY
Microwave cooking times are directly related to the amount of food in the
oven. Because energy is absorbed by the food itself, one potato or a single
piece of chicken cooks rapidly. When the energy is divided among several
items, cooking takes more time.
13.CONDENSATION
Condensation is a normal part of microwave cooking. The humidity and
moisture in food will influence the amount of condensation in the oven.
Generally, covered foods will not cause as much condensation as uncovered
foods. Ensure that the ventilation openings are not blocked.
14.GENERAL
Your microwave oven is capable of heating food and beverages very quickly
therefore, it is very important that you select the appropriate cooking time
and power level for the type and quantity of food to be heated. If you are
unsure of the cooking time and power level required, begin with low cooking
times and power levels until the food is sufficiently heated evenly throughout.
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