Dishes cooked in the oven in their own juice are indisputably more healthful than those that are fried in oil on the hob. But in order to learn how to prepare really tasty and beautiful dishes with the help of an oven, you first need to learn about some of the subtleties of the process.
How to use the oven correctly?
Whatever model your oven is, no matter what the source of heat in it (gas or electric stove), there are some general recommendations how to use it to avoid trouble in the form of burned meat or unevenly baked pie. So:
- Choose the right level. This is important for the dish - it should remain juicy and aromatic, while baking inside. Optimum to choose an average level, and when the dish is almost ready it can be rearranged to a level higher, to form a ruddy crust. If you want to cook something at a low temperature, choose the lower level in the upper heating mode.
- Select the appropriate mode. In modern ovens, there are many regimes that allow you to prepare even complex dishes. The most traditional mode involves the use of both upper and lower heating. In this mode, you can cook almost any dish. Also, for the uniform effect on the product being developed, the upper and lower fan blowing is often used. The lower heating is used for drying pies with wet fillings, obtaining roast pizza, canning. You also need to know how to properly use the oven with an overheating: it is used for casseroles, soufflé, julienes, lasagna. Grill mode is used for steaks, rolls, sweets, shish kebabs, bacon, etc.
- Choose the right dishes. Today, there are a lot of dishes for baking in the oven - glass, ceramic, cast iron, with high and low sides, with different thickness of the bottom and walls. The choice must be made depending on the food being prepared. For example, for juicy and moist dishes, utensils with high sides are preferred, for dry dishes with low ones. It is very convenient to cook in pots and in forms. In casserole dishes, casseroles are very good, and in silicone forms - bread, cheese cakes and other pastries.
Tips on how to use the oven:
- always warm up the oven beforehand, 10-20 minutes before cooking;
- Turn off the oven until the final availability of vegetable dishes, so they do not fall apart;
- if possible, do not open the oven door during cooking;
- Observe the mode and temperature recommended in the recipe.