USING THE OVENS
Traditional fruit cakes
It should be remembered that ovens
can vary over time, therefore cooking
times can vary, making it difficult to be
precise when baking fruit cakes.
It is necessary, therefore, to test the
cake before removal from the oven.
Use a fine warmed skewer inserted
into the centre of the cake. If the
skewer comes out clean, then the cake
is cooked.
❍ Do not attempt to make Christmas
cakes larger than the oven can cope
with; you should allow at least
25mm (1 inch) space between the
oven walls and the tin.
❍ Always follow the temperatures
recommended in the recipe
.
❍ To protect a very rich fruit cake
during cooking, tie 2 layers of
brown paper around the tin.
❍ We recommend that the cake tin is
not stood on layers of brown
paper, as this can hinder effective
circulation of air.
❍ Do not use soft tub margarine for
rich fruit cakes unless specified in
the recipe.
❍ Always use the correct size and
shape of tin for the recipe quantities.
Roast turkey
Roasting turkey perfectly involves
cooking two different types of meat -
the delicate light breast meat, which
must not be allowed to dry out, and
the darker leg meat, which takes
longer to cook.
The turkey must be roasted long
enough for the legs to cook, so
frequent basting is necessary. The breast
meat can be covered once browned.
❍ Turkey should be roasted at 170 -
190˚C for 20 minutes per 1lb,
plus 20 minutes unless packaging
advises otherwise.
❍ The turkey can be open roasted -
breast side down - for half of the
cook time, and then turned over for
the remainder of the cooking time.
❍ If the turkey is stuffed, add
5
minutes per 1lb to the cooking time.
❍ If roasting turkey covered with
foil, add
5 minutes per 1lb to the
cooking time.
To test if the turkey is cooked, push a
fine skewer into the thickest part of the
thigh. If the juices run clear, the turkey
is cooked. If the juices are still pink,
the turkey will need longer cooking.
12
USING THE OVENS
Roasting guide
The times given in the roasting guide
are only approximate, because the
size and age of the bird will influence
cooking times as will the shape of a
joint and the proportion of the bone.
Frozen meat should be thoroughly
thawed before cooking. For large
joints it is advisable to thaw overnight.
Frozen poultry should be thoroughly
thawed before cooking. The time
required depends on the size of the
bird - eg; a large turkey may take up
to 48 hours to thaw.
Use of a trivet with a roasting tin will
reduce fat splashing and will help to keep
the oven interior clean. Alternatively,
to help reduce fat splashing, potatoes
or other vegetables can be roasted
around the meat / poultry.
Notes:
❍ When cooking stuffed meat or
poultry calculate the cooking time
from the total weight of the meat
plus the stuffing.
❍ For joints cooked in foil or covered
roasters, and for lidded casseroles,
add 5 minutes per 450g (1lb) to
the calculated cooking time.
❍ Smaller joints weighing less than
1.25kg (2
1
⁄2
lb) may require 5
minutes per 450g (1lb) extra
cooking time.
❍ Position the oven shelf so that the
meat or poultry will be in the
centre of the oven.
❍ It is recommended that the appliance
is cleaned after open roasting.
13
Cook in oven at: Approximate Cooking Time
180˚C - Main Oven (Fanned) (preheated oven)
200˚C - Top Oven (Conventional)
Beef Rare 20 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 20 minutes
Medium 25 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 20 minutes
Well done 30 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 30 minutes
Lamb Medium 25 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 25 minutes
Well done 30 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 30 minutes
Pork 35 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 35 minutes
Poultry 20 minutes per 450g (1lb), plus 20 minutes
