Please attribute any comments to Kris Brearley, Sales Director, R H Hall
What are the latest developments in microwaves in restaurants?
Manufacturers are always looking for new and innovative ways that microwave technology can be used. The Combination Microwave and High Speed Oven market is continuing to grow – with these clever machines offering the speed of microwave cooking, combined with the versatility of more conventional methods. We are currently seeing rapid progress with Combination Microwave technology and expect to see imminent changes in this area – we are currently working with some major manufacturers in developing the next generation! The use of barcodes with microwave cooking also continues to be exclusively marketed and developed by iWave. The company are currently planning an addition to the range that will be designed to appeal to the wider catering market. Keep an eye on www.maestrowave.com for the latest news. The microwave oven continues to be seen as a must have kitchen product within commercial foodservice operations. We continue to work in partnership with our dealer and distributor network to offer the full microwave solution. Multi-sited chains may require additional support in the form of food testing, demonstrations or training, pre-programming, branding and more. Your specialist microwave supplier should always be able to liaise closely with the operator to offer these services and we have had notable successes with our Distributor partners – signing up a number of chain accounts in the last 18 months. We are here and ready to work with you!
What food and drink can best be made using microwaves?
Today’s microwave ovens are sophisticated, yet easy to use and produce excellent cooking results in a fraction of the time it takes to cook foods conventionally and their versatility is under estimated. Many foods and dishes can be cooked very, very well in a microwave oven: cakes, sauces, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice, eggs and jams can all be cooked with great results. There are a great diversity of dishes that can be prepared quickly and easily from fresh ingredients. Not only that, but more nutrients are retained in microwave cooked food than by any other cooking method. In fact, correctly cooked vegetables contain 85% of their original vitamin content, when boiled they oftencontain none! A great benefit especially for growing children where they would only need to eat a little to get more of the vitamins they need. Be prepared for a bit of trial and error! Overcooking is one of the common problems experienced when new to microwave cooking or introducing new dishes. It is better to undercook first until you are familiar with a recipe, test it and then increase the cooking time. You should also factor in standing time and test a dish after this – a bit of trial and error will help establish the correct timing for a perfect result. You can always put it back in the oven for an extra minute – whereas overheated or overcooked food is ruined. Consider each of the foods you are cooking – every food has a different moisture, fat and sugar content and different starting temperatures – e.g. refrigerated, ambient etc. and these factors all affect cooking times and can affect the final result.
Are restaurant chefs using microwaves to the best of their ability?
Understanding is still the key to success with microwave cooking and if caterers do not fully understand what their equipment is capable of, they are unlikely to be using it to its full potential. By fully understanding their microwave and getting the right techniques for each type of food, caterers can achieve succulent meat, poultry and fish together with perfectly cooked vegetables that retain taste, texture and nutritive value. Many of the techniques used in microwave cooking are the same as used in conventional cooking, but with a few minor adjustments. Historically there has been a lot of negativity towards cooking with microwaves, but there shouldn’t be, microwaves can cook great food in a fraction of the time it would take with other methods. Not only do they save time, but money and nutrients too. Overcooking is one of the common problems experienced when new to microwave cooking or introducing new dishes. It is better to undercook first until you are familiar with a recipe, test it and then increase the cooking time. You should also factor in standing time and test a dish after this – a bit of trial and error will help establish a perfect result. If unsure, always start with a recipe you are familiar with – if you have cooked it before you will know exactly what the finished dish should look and taste like, so you can then compare and tweak the cooking procedure to get the same result.
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Or contact our Sales Team on 01296 663400/sales@rhhall.com
FOR FURTHER PRESS INFORMATION CONTACT:
Emma Smith
01296 663400
Follow us on twitter @rhhallcatering
RHHall, Hallco House, Beacon Court, Pitstone Green Business Park, Pitstone LU7 9FE
T: 01296 663 400 E: sales@rhhall.com W: www.rhhall.com
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