Sharp R-68ST Mode D'emploi page 241

R-68ST CkBk_EN.qxd 7/27/07
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
SETTING THE COOKING TIME
WITH THE FOOD THERMOMETER
Every drink and every food has a specific internal
temperature at the end of the cooking process, at
which the cooking process can be ended and the
result is good. You can determine the internal
temperature with a food thermometer. The most
important temperatures are given in the
temperature table.
TABLES FOR SETTING THE
COOKING TIME WITH THE FOOD
THERMOMETER
Drinks/food Internal temperature Internal temperature
at the of
cooking time
Heating drinks
(coffee, water, tea, etc.)
Heating milk
Heating soups
Heating stews
Poultry
Lamb
Rare cooked
Well cooked
Beef
Rare roast
Medium cooked
well done
Pork, Veal
ADDING WATER
Vegetables and other foods that contain a lot of
water can be cooked in their own juice or with a
little added water. This means that many vitamins
and minerals are retained in the food.
FOOD WITH SKIN OR SHELLS
Pierce items such as sausages, chicken, chicken legs,
jacket potatoes, tomatoes, apples, egg yolk or
similar foods with a fork or wooden skewer. This
allows the steam that builds up to escape without the
skin or shell bursting.
FATTY FOODS
Meat with streaks of fat and layers of fat cook
faster than lean portions. As a result cover these
12:21 PM Page GB-20
up to 10 to 15 minutes
of standing time
°
65-75 C
°
60-65 C
°
75-80 C
°
75-80 C
°
80-85 C °
85-90 C
°
70 C °
70-75 C
°
°
75-80 C 80-85 C
°
50-55 C °
55-60 C
°
°
60-65 C
65-70 C
°
75-80 C °
80-85 C
°
80-85 C °
80-85 C
GB-20
portions when cooking with some aluminium foil
or place the food with the fatty portions at the
bottom.
BLANCHING VEGETABLES
Vegetables should be blanched before being
frozen. The quality and flavours are best retained
in this way. Process: wash and chop the
vegetables. Place 250 g of vegetables with 275
ml of water into a dish and heat while covered for
3-5 minutes. After blanching immerse these
immediately in iced water to prevent further
cooking and then drain. Pack the blanched
vegetables so that they are airtight and freeze.
BOILING DOWN FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES
Boiling down is fast and easy in
a microwave. Preserving jars,
rubber rings and suitable plastic
preserving clips that are
appropriate for the microwave
are available in retail outlets. The manufacturers
give exact instructions for use.
SMALL AND LARGE QUANTITIES
Microwave times depend directly on the quantity
of food that you wish to thaw, heat or cook. This
means that small portions cook faster than large
portions.
The following applies as a rule of thumb:
DOUBLE QUANTITY = ALMOST
DOUBLE THE TIME
HALF QUANTITY = HALF THE
TIME
TALL AND SHALLOW DISHES
Both dishes have the same capacity but the cooking
time is longer in the tall format than in the shallow
format. So opt for the shallowest possible dishes
with a large surface area. Only use tall dishes for
meals where there is a danger of overcooking, e.g.
for noodles, rice, milk, etc.
ROUND AND OVAL DISHES
Food cooks more evenly in round and oval shapes
than in rectangular shapes, as the microwave
energy gets concentrated in corners and the food
can become overcooked at these points.