COOKING IN THE MICROWAVE

As a general rule, if food needs to be turned, covered or stirred when cooked conventionally, it is also necessary to do the same in the microwave oven. If you're unsure about cooking times, go for a shorter period- you can always return the food to your microwave oven to cook it longer, but initial  overcooking will ruin your food.

STANDING  TIME:
This is an important aspect of microwave cooking and shouldn't be
ignored. Food continues to cook for a few minutes after it has been
removed from the oven. Standing time varies according to the size
and density of the food. If standing time isn't taken into consideration,
your dish could overcook. Keep food covered during standing time.


COOKWARE:
There's a great range of cookware designed for use in the microwave oven.
But you'll find you can use most of the dishes you have in your kitchen. China,
glass and some earthenware are all suitable. Metal is not. Dishes with a gold
or silver rim are unsuitable. To be absolutely sure that a dish is microwave-
safe, stand it in the oven with a glass of water next to it. Cook on High for 1
minute. If the dish remains cold, it is fine to use. If it gets hot  ( like the water )
don't use the dish in your microwave oven.


COVERING  FOOD:

• The dish containing the food may be covered with plastic wrap, a plate or a lid.
• Bacon cooks well when placed in a single layer on 2 sheets of absorbent paper, and covered loosely with 2 more sheets of absorbent paper. The paper absorts the fat and prevents spattering.
• When you buy takeaway food in a covered plastic container, either transfer it to a microwave- safe dish before reheating, or, if you're  microwaving for a very short time, remove the lid and cover the container with plastic wrap. The thin plastic used by most takeaway food outlets will not tolerate microwave energy for very long-it can become soft and, with prolonged cooking, it will sometimes even melt- right into tonight's dinner.

SHIELDING:
Use small pieces of foil to cover the corners of square or rectangular containers to prevent overcooking. Foil should also be wrapped around chicken wing tips and  the bony end of drumsticks when cooking a while bird.


CAUTIONARY  NOTES:

• Metal twist ties and metal skewers are not suitable for use in the microwave oven.
• Long cooking in the microwave oven will heat China and glass dishes; make sure you remove them with oven mitts.
• When removing plastic wrap from a microwaved dish, peel it from the back of the dish to protect your hands and face from the steam.
• Bones and fat conduct heat so the meat next to them will cook more quickly than the rest of the meat. This is one reason why standing time for meat dishes is so essential.
• When cooking food having one end thicker than another, for example, a chicken drumstick, place the thinner end towards the centre of the dish and the thicker end on the outside. The food will cook more evenly when arranged in this particular way.