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General guidelines
Piercing
The skin or membrane on some foods will cause steam to
build up during cooking. These foods must be pierced or a
strip of skin should be peeled off before cooking to allow
the steam to es cape. Eggs, potatoes, apples, sausages
etc., will all need to be pierced before cooking. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO BOIL EGGS IN THEIR SHELLS.
Moisture content
Many fresh foods e.g. veget ables and fruit, vary in their
moisture content throughout the season. Jacket potatoes
are a particular example of this. For this reason cooking
times may have to be adjusted throughout the year. Dry
ingredients e.g. rice, pasta, can dry out further during
storage and cooking times may differ from ingredients
freshly purchased.
Cling film
Cling film helps keep the food moist and the trapped steam
assists in speeding up cooking times. However it should be
pierced before cooking, to allow excess steam to escape.
Always take care when removing cling film from a dish as
the build-up of steam will be very hot. Always purchase
cling film that states on the packet “suitable for microwave
cooking” and use as a covering only. Do not line dishes with
cling film. Do not cover foods when cooking by
COMBINATION, CONVECTION or GRILL.
Dish size
Follow the dish sizes given in the recipes, as these affect
the cook ing and reheating times. A quan tity of food spread
in a bigger dish cooks and reheats more quickly.
