Kitchen Essential

A modern miracle, the microwave’s potential is hardly ever met in the mere mortal’s kitchen. It stands in the corner forlornly hoping its owners will use it for more than pizza leftover warm-ups. As we are also maniacal reheaters, we went in search of the holy grail — or in this case the Best Kept Microwave Secrets.

In many instances the general reluctance to make the most of your microwave oven may well stem from a secret fear that it will blow up and take you and your home along with it. So let’s start with some golden rules:

The Cooking Rules

• Always read the manufacturer’s instruction manual carefully, as all makes of microwaves vary.
• Choose straight-sided, round rather than square containers, to allow the food maximum exposure to the microwaves.
• If in doubt, undercook. Rather raw (which can be fixed) than burnt to a crisp (which has you calling Mr Delivery again).
• Food will continue cooking for 5-10 minutes after you’ve removed it from the microwave. (A bit of science: Microwaves cause molecules to vibrate, which causes friction, which causes heat… that’s how your food cooks. The vibrating does not stop just because you switch off the microwave. It will subside slowly, whilst continuing to cook your food.) So let it stand for a while.
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• Cover food to keep it moist. Pierced cling wrap works well if the dish you’re using doesn’t have a lid.
• Arrange food carefully to ensure even cooking. A general rule is to place the thinnest part towards the centre and items like buns or potatoes in a circle rather than a row.
• Cut veggies into even-sized pieces.
• Always prick whole potatoes and other vegetables all over to prevent them from popping.
• Don’t defrost food in a closed container or bag.
• Reheat baked goods on a rack to allow air to circulate underneath. Pastry generally does not microwave well, especially choux and puff pastry. You never get a crispy pastry when you’ve microwaved it. Also remember pastry contains a lot of butter, so it heats very quickly and becomes very hot.
• Never attempt to deep-fry in a microwave oven.

Why Use a Microwave?

N It’s fast. You can cook any dish in a fraction of the time it will take in a conventional oven or on the stove.

N It’s economical. It uses less electricity because cooking time is reduced.

N It’s clean. Well not always, but it is easier to clean than a normal oven.

N It’s tasty. Food cooks in its own juices, retaining natural flavour. Less fat is needed to cook the food, which means it’s healthier too.

N It’s versatile. Use it to defrost the food you forgot to take out of the freezer. When someone’s late for a dinner party, use it to reheat a plate of food.

N It’s easy. A child can learn to use the microwave, and it’s safe too.

Containers for the Microwave

There’s an easy test to check whether a container is suitable for use in the microwave. Take half a glass of water and place it in the container (still in the glass). Place the container in the microwave and set it to cook on full power for one minute. At the end of this time the water should be warm and the container cool. If both are warm the containerh can still be used but food will take longer to cook in it. But if the container is hot and the water is cold, it means that the container has been absorbing the microwave energy and cannot be used.

The best containers for the microwave are oven-proof glass and ceramics (without metal trim), porcelain, pottery and microwave-specific containers. Microwave containers come in a wide range and makes life around the microwave a lot easier. Check your newly bought microwave-specific container for any warnings (about what it should not be used for). These warnings are normally printed on the bottom of the container.

If you don’t have a conventional oven, a browning dish will extend your repertoire considerably since it enables you to, as the name suggests, brown foods, especially meat, that would otherwise remain unappetizingly grey. Invest in one or add it to your birthday wishlist.

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