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and Operation
(contd)
Covering with waxed paper: Waxed
paper effectiveUy prevents spattering
and heUps food
retain some
heat.
Since it makes a Uooser cover than a
Hd or cling-film, it allows the food to
dry out sHghtUy.
Wrapping
in waxed paper or paper
towel:
Sandwiches
and many other
foods
containing
prebaked
bread
shouUd
be
wrapped
prior
to
microwaving to prevent drying out.
Arranging
and spacing:
UndividuaU
foods such as baked potatoes, small
cakes, and hors d'oeuvres wHUheat
more evenUyif pUaced in the oven and
equaU distance apart, preferaMy in a
circular pattern. Never stack foods on
top of one another.
Stirring:
Stirring is one of the most
important
of all microwaving
tech-
niques,
in conventional
cooking,
foods are stirred for the purpose of
blending.
Microwaved
foods,
how-
ever, 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, tall foods such
as roasts and whoUe chickens should
be turned so that the top and bottom
will cook evenly. It is also a good idea
to turn cutup chicken and chops.
PJacing thicker
portions
near the
edge: Since microwaves are attract=
ed to the outside portion of foods, it
makes sense to place thicker por=
tions of meat, poultry and fish to the
outer edge of the baking dish. This
way, thicker portions will 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 foods.
Piercing:
Foods enclosed in a shell,
skin, or membrane are likely to burst
in the oven unless they are pierced
prior to cooking. Such foods include
both yolks and whites of eggs, clams
and oysters, and many whole vegeta-
bles and fruits.
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
foods, including
meats and poultry,
are removed from the oven while still
slightly undercooked
and allowed to
finish cooking during standing time.
The internal temperature of foods will
rise between 5 ° F (3 ° C) and 15 ° 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 bis-
cuits, for example). Standing allows
foods to finish cooking and also helps
flavors to blend and develop.
HOW FOOD
CHARACTERUSTUCS
AFFECT tVlJCF OWAVE
COOKING
Density of foods:
Light, porous food
like cakes and breads cook more
quickly than heavy, dense foods such
as roasts and casseroles. You must
take care when microwaving
porous
foods that the outer edges do not
become dry and brittle.
Height of foods:
The upper portion
of tall foods, particularly
roasts, will
cook more quickly than the lower por-
tion. Therefore, it is wise to turn tall
foods
during
cooking,
sometimes
several times.
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:
Bones 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.
NOTE: it is a common misconception
that microwaves cook food from the
inside out. This comes from heating
filled
pastries
with
a high
sugar
content,
like jelly
doughnuts.
The
pastry is cool but the filling is very
hot! If you cook a chicken or a roast,
you'll see the outside is cooked first.
Shape of foods:
Microwaves pene-
trate only about 1 inch (2.5 cm) into
foods; the interior
portion
of thick
foods
is
cooked
as
the
heat
generated
on the outside
travels
inward. In other words, only the outer
edge of any food is actually cooked
by microwave
energy;
the rest is
cooked by conduction.
It follows then that the worst possible
shape
for a food
that
is to
be
microwaved
is a thick
cube. The
corners will burn long before the cen-
ter is even warm. Round, thin, and
ring shaped
foods cook most suc-
cessfully in the microwave.
Quantity
of foods:
The number of
microwaves
in your oven
remains
constant
regardless
of how
much
food is being cooked. Therefore, the
more food you place in the oven, the
longer the cooking time. Remember
to decrease cooking times by at least
one-third when halving a recipe.
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