Combo-Cooking: Tips & Tricks #5

You know how some things cook quickly in a microwave, but their texture leaves something to be desired?  And how the same items can go in an oven, but take forever?  Well, if you're in a hurry, why not do both?  Start the item cooking in the microwave, and plan to cook it about 85 to 90% of the normal amount.  While that's going on, pre-heat your oven to the required temperature.  When the item is (say) 85% done in the microwave, take it out and put it in the oven.  Plan to cook it there for the complementary percentage of oven time.  So, if you cook it 85% in the microwave, cook it 15% in the oven. 

Example: You just brought home a store-bought pot pie.  It says 45 to 50 minutes in a 375° oven, or 12 to 13 minutes in the microwave.  So put the pot pie in the microwave for 11 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°.  When the 11 minutes in the microwave is up, take the pot pie out and put it in the oven for 10 minutes or so.  You can also go by whatever alternate instructions you have: if the pot pie says to cook it until it's brown and bubbly around the edges, then just do that, instead of shooting for a specific time. 

Another advantage to this method is that the preheat time for the oven and any stand time required after microwaving effectively disappear, because you're cooking with the other oven during those times. 

When you get to design yourself the perfect kitchen, you can get one of those fancy combination convection/microwave ovens.  :)  Until then, this can save you some time.

Comments

[Kira]

Microwaves are the official cooking device of the forces of Satan (they even get sponsorship money for that). The only thing I use my microwave for is to defrost meat or to reheat something I've already cooked. That's it. I have found that I can tell the difference between micro potatoes, half micro/half oven potatoes, and oven potatoes. And oven baked potatoes win. I think I started to become scared of my microwave when those frozen pizzas appeared on the market with the shiny metallic-ish insert to "crisp" the bread. Brrrr.

[Maura]

I didn't have a microwave for years. I recently inherited one from a friend. We store it in the office, and pulled it out for Thanksgiving. But I still say I don't have a microwave. I don't need one,and it takes up too much room.

People look at me like I have lobsters crawling out of my ears when I say that.

[Joe Eater]

I use my microwave for reheating food all the time. I also use it to pre-heat things that are going into other food. The most prominent use there is pre-heating liquids that are going into sauces. Something is supposed to get 2 cups of hot milk? I measure the milk into a glass measuring cup, then nuke that while I'm (say) making the roux. Or the meat stock gets pre-heated while I'm getting ready to make the gravy. Admittedly, I don't have to do things that way, but it works for me.

I don't like defrosting meat in a microwave, because I'm not very good at it. :( But I do it occasionally.

[Fritz]

Your combo of half micro/oven sounds good

I like to nuke leftover Chinese food but that is about it. When I'm nukin it generally means I'm gettin lazy cooking frozen stuff.

I once heard you could check a microwave for radiation leaks by turning on an AM radio , tuning it between channels and setting it next to the microwave when on. If it was leaking you would hear interference on the radio. Is this true?

[Joe Eater]

Fritz: I've got no freakin' idea. I know I'm supposed to be infallible, but really I'm just some wacko with a blog. Sorry. :) Trying (poorly) to be anonymous must add to my air of infallibility. But perhaps we have a physicist or electrical engineer in the audience who could answer this question?

Responding again to Kira's comment: One of my pet peeves is nuking water for beverages in the microwave. Tea tastes better when the water is boiled atop the stove. Kira already knows this, so I don't really need to say this here, but maybe she'll come back me up on it. ;-)

[Kira]

Yes, I will back you up on that. It's why we own a teapot. MUCH better tea is made from heating it on the stove. I do not boil water in the microwave. That would be wrong ;)

[Maura]

Kira, Joe, my sister is a devoted tea drinker and swears that nuking the water ruins it. (She's also a devoted microwave user.) So there's another vote for you.

[durhamfood]

Why the hell would anyone microwave water? OK, so you don't own a tea kettle. Surely you own a freakin' pot? It's actually faster!

People are weird!

[Maura]

Surely you own a freakin' pot? It's actually faster!
It is faster, especially if it's an aluminum pot. And it's not like you have to wash it afterwards. It's water, for pete's sake.

[Colm(Dublin)]

I have been drinking tea for a long time ...recently I came accross a bodum coffee pot....capacity about one litre or maybe 2 pints.......anyway because the pot filters I now buy tea leaves instead of teabags and it makes a wonderful pot of tea with no leaves in the cup!...first you must not use the plunger , allow the tealeaves to absorb the boiling water while stirring until golden!.....then use the plunger slowly until you have reached the concistancy you require...transfer to a suitable teapot ......perfect!......Colm(Dublin)

[Joe Eater]

Colin - thanks. I've been in a restaurant that does that too. You have to be a little careful with it not to oversteep, which it sounds like you're doing. So long as you don't mind washing the (what I assume is a) french press, it's great.