Cooking Techniques; Cooking Utensils - Bailey Caravan Owner's Manual

4.25.4 Cooking Techniques

Stirring
Stir foods such as casseroles and vegetables while cooking to distribute heat evenly. Food at the
outside of the dish absorbs more energy and heats more quickly, so stir from the outside to the center.
The oven will turn off when you open the door to stir your food.
Arrangement
Arrange unevenly shaped foods, such as chicken pieces or chops, with the thicker, meatier parts toward
the outside of the turntable where they receive more microwave energy. To prevent overcooking, place
thin or delicate parts toward the center of the turntable.
Shielding
Shield food with narrow strips of aluminum foil to prevent overcooking. Areas that need shielding include
poultry wing-tips, the ends of poultry legs, and corners of square baking dishes. Use only small amounts
of aluminum foil. Larger amounts can damage your oven.
Turning
Turn foods over midway through cooking to expose all parts to microwave energy. This is especially
important with large items such as roasts.
Standing
Foods cooked in the microwave build up internal heat and continue to cook for a few minutes after the
oven stops. Let foods stand to complete cooking, especially foods such as roasts and whole vegetables.
Roasts need this time to complete cooking in the centre without overcooking the outer areas. All liquids,
such as soup or hot chocolate, should be shaken or stirred when cooking is complete. Let liquids stand
a moment before serving. When heating baby food, stir well and test the temperature before serving.
Adding Moisture
Microwave energy is attracted to water molecules. Food that is uneven in moisture content should be
covered or allowed to stand so that the heat disperses evenly. Add a small amount of water to dry food
to help it cook

4.25.5 Cooking Utensils

Utensils should be checked to ensure that they are suitable for use in microwave ovens.
Microwave energy is produced by high frequency radio waves. They are reflected from metal, but will
pass through most cooking utensils without heating them.
As the waves come into contact with the food, they are converted into heat energy. Listed below are the
suggested cooking utensils for this microwave oven and when to use them. Metal utensils and dishes
with metal trim must not be used in the microwave oven (this will cause sparking).
1. Glass or ceramic heat proof dishes - excellent for microwave cooking.
2. China dishes and plates without metal trim may be used to cook and heat individual portions of
food.
3. Wood or straw - use only for short period, wood contains some moisture and the microwave
energy may cause the wood to dry out and crack
4. Aluminum foil may be used in very small pieces for shielding only. Any aluminum foil used should
never be closer than 2.5 cm from side walls of oven.
Caravan Equipment
4
4-61