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Cooking fresh vegetables
Cooking meat, fish & poultry
Defrosting & cooking
• When buying food items, try to ensure that, as far
as possible, they are of similar size. This will ensure
that they are cooked properly.
• Before preparation wash meat, fish and poultry
thoroughly under cold running water and pat them
dry with kitchen paper. Then continue as normal.
• Beef should be well hung and have little gristle.
• Even though the pieces may be of a similar size,
cooking results may vary. This is due, amongst other
things, to the kind of food, variations in the fat and
moisture content as well as the temperature before
cooking.
• Turn large pieces of meat, fish or poultry half way
through the cooking time, so that they are cooked
evenly from all sides.
• After cooking cover roasts with aluminium foil and
allow them to stand for approx. 10 minutes
(standing time). During this period the roast carries
on cooking and the liquid is evenly distributed, so
that when it is carved a minimum amount of juice is
lost.
• When buying vegetables try to ensure that, as far as
possible, they are of similar size. This is particularly
important when you want to cook the vegetables
whole (e.g. boiled potatoes).
• Wash the vegetables before preparing them, clean
them and only then weigh the required quantity for
the recipe and chop them up.
• Season them as you would normally, but as a rule
only add salt after cooking.
• Add about 5 tbsps of water for 500 g of vegetables.
Vegetables which are high in fibre require a little
more water. You will find information about this in
the table (see page 27).
• Vegetables are usually cooked in a dish with a lid.
Those with a high moisture content, e.g. onions or
boiled potatoes, can be cooked in microwave cling
film without adding water.
• After half the cooking time has elapsed vegetables
should be stirred or turned over.
• After cooking allow the vegetables to stand for
approx. 2 minutes, so that the temperature disperses
evenly (standing time).
• The cooking times given are guidelines and depend
upon the weight, initial temperature and condition
of the type of vegetable in question. The fresher the
vegetables, the shorter the cooking times.
Deep-frozen dishes can be defrosted and cooked at the
same time in one process in your microwave. You will
find some examples in the table. Do take note,
however, of the general advice given on "heating" and
"defrosting" food.
Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions on the
packaging when preparing deep- frozen dishes. These
usually contain precise cooking times and offer advice
on preparation.
1. AG-71+72D-EU English 29/03/2005 10:48 Page 14
