Zanussi ZCE560DW Product Manaul - Page 15

Defrost Set the defrost function by turning the knob to the right. This main oven function defrosts most foods faster than more conventional methods. It is particularly suitable for delicate frozen foods which are to be served cold e.g. cream filled gateaux, cakes covered with icings or frostings cheesecakes, biscuits, scones, etc. Turn the main oven temperature control to the required setting. Hints and tips • Place the frozen food in a single layer where possible and turn it over half way through the defrosting process. • The actual speed of defrosting is influenced by room temperature. On warm days defrosting will be faster than on cooler days. • It is preferable to thaw fish, meat and poultry slowly in the fridge. However, this process can be accelerated by using the defrost function. Small or thin fish fillets, frozen peeled prawns, cubed or minced meat, liver, thin chops, steaks etc., can be thawed in 1 -2 hours. • A 1 kg/2¼lb oven ready chicken will be thawed in approximately 5 hours. Remove the giblets as soon as possible during the thawing process. • Joints of meat up to 2kg/4½lb in weight can be thawed using the defrost function. • All joints of meat and poultry must be thawed thoroughly before cooking. • Always cook thoroughly immediately after thawing. • Do not leave food at room temperature once it is defrosted. Cook raw food immediately or store cooked food in the fridge, once it has cooled. • Care must always be taken when handling foods in the home. Always follow the basic rules of food hygiene to prevent bacterial growth and cross contamination when defrosting, preparing, cooking, cooling and freezing foods. Slow Cook Function The slow cook setting gives a very low heat in the oven. It is particularity useful when you are cooking soups, stews and casseroles because the long slow cooking will make cheaper, tougher cuts of meat more tender. Some foods such as pastry and biscuits are not suitable for slow cooking because the temperature is too low. Cover all foods during cooking to prevent it from drying out. You can uncover food for the last half hour if it is normally served golden brown. Using slow cook You need to cook food at 180-190C for 30 minutes before you turn the oven down to the slow cook setting. This makes sure that the temperature of the food gets hot enough to start the food cooking. The indicator neon will glow. It may turn on and off during use to show that the setting is being maintained. Turn the oven control to the required setting. After 30 minutes turn the control to the slow cook setting . Cooking tables Oven cooking chart The temperature and baking times are for guidance only, as these will depend on the consistency of the various ingredients and the number, type and size of baking tray or tins used. It may be necessary to increase or decrease the temperature to suit individual preference and requirements. For best results, moist recipes (for example pizza, fruit flans etc) should be baked on one level. To ensure optimal performance when cooking convenience foods, pizza or frozen and chilled ready meal, always preheat the oven first. 15