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SPECIAL
TECHNIQUES
IN
MICROWAVE
COOKING
Browning:
Meats and poultry that are cooked
fifteen minutes
or tonger will brown {ightly in their
own fat. Foods that are cooked
for a shorter pe_od
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 attered
Covering:
A cover traps heat and steam and
causes
food to cook more quickly. You may either
use a lid or microwave
clingofilm with a corner
folded back to prevent
spl_ing.
Covering
with waxod paper: Waxed paper
effectively
prevents spattering
and helps food
retain some heat. Sin_
it makes
a looser cover
than a _id or cling-film,
_ 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
wil_ heat more evenly if placed
in the oven and
equal distance
apart, preferably
in a c#cutar
pattern. Never stack foods on top of one another.
Stirring:
Stirring is one of the most important
of aft
microwaving
techniques
In conventional
cooking,
foods are sgrred 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, tail foods such as roasts and
whole chickens
should be turned so that the top
and bottom will cook eventy_ It: is a_se a good idea
to turn cut-up
chicken and chops.
Placing thicker
portions
near the odge:
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 wil{ receive
the most microwave
energy and the foods will cook
evenly_
Elevating:
Thick or dense foods are often elevated
so that microwaves
can be absorbed
by the
underside
and center of the food&
Piercing:
Foods enciosed
in a sheli, skin, or
membrane
are likely to burst in the oven unless
they are pierced
prior to cooking.
Such foods
inctude
both yolks and whites of egg& clams and
oysters,
and many whole vegetables
and fru_s.
Testing
if cooked:
Because
foods cook so quickly
in a microwave
oven, it is necessary
to test food
frequently.
Some foods are left in the microwave
until completely
cooked,
but most food& iecluding
meats and poultry, are removed
from the oven
while still stight:ly undercooked
and allowed to
finish _oking
during standing
time. The internal
temperature
of: foods will rise between
5°F (3°C)
and t5°F (8°C) during standing
time.
Standing
time:
Foods are often allowed to stand
for 3 to 10 minutes
after being removed
from the
microwave
oven
Usually the foods are covered
during standing
time to retain heat unless they are
supposed
to be dry in texture (some cakes and
biscuits,
for example).
Standing
allows foods to
finish cooking
and atso hetps flavors to blend and
develop.
HOW FOOD CHARACTERISTICS
AFFECT
MICROWAVE
COOKING
Density of foods:
LighL porous food like cakes
and breads cook more quick}y than heavy, dense
foods such as roasts and cas_roles,
You must
t_e
care when microwaving
porous foods that the
outer edges do not become
dry and bridle.
Height
of foods:
The upper portion of ta{I food&
particularly
roasts, will cook more quickly than
the
lower portion. Therefore,
it is wise to turn tall foods
during _oking,
sometimes
several
time&
Moisture
content
of foods:
Since the heat
generated
from microwaves
tends to evaporate
moisture, relatively
dry foods such as roasts and
some vegetables
should either be sprinkled
with
water prior to cooking
or covered
to retain moisture.
Bone and fat content
of foods:
8ones conduct
heat and fat cooks more quickly than meat.
Therefore,
care must be taken when cooking bony
or fatty cuts of meat that the meats do not cook
unevenly
and do not become overcooked.
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