Modern progressive housewives do not need to be reminded once again that stewed and oven-baked dishes are much healthier than fried ones. And it tastes better - that's a fact! But the opinion that cooking in the oven boils down to “put it in - close the door - ready”, wrongly, because this, like any other culinary process, has its own subtleties.
We will teach you oven tricks that will take cooking to the next level. How to determine the operating temperature without a thermometer, how to protect a dish from burning, how to ensure uniform baking - you will find answers to these and other important questions in this article.
Rules for cooking in the oven
Warming up
Turn on the gas oven 10 minutes before cooking, the electric oven 25 minutes. Set the required temperature.
Temperature
Prioritize cooking at medium temperature. It may take more time, but preserve the taste of the products. You can get the desired golden crust if you briefly increase the temperature at the beginning or end of baking.
To determine the temperature in the oven without a thermometer, use an old trick. Turn on the heat and place a white sheet of paper on a baking sheet for a few minutes. If after 30 seconds it is slightly yellowed, oven at 100-120 degrees. A bright yellow color indicates a temperature of 170–190 degrees. If the paper turns brownish, the temperature is 190–210 degrees.
Level
The middle tier of the oven is the best option for cooking most dishes in the oven. As a rule, a baking tray with water is placed on the bottom one, if the recipe requires it. On the top tier you get a golden crust.
Evenly cooked
Do not push the pan close to the back wall of the oven. In order for hot air to circulate freely in the oven, there should be a gap of 2-3 centimeters between the baking sheet and the back wall.
Sleeve, foil or paper
Foil, film sleeve and parchment are used to ensure even baking of the dish and protection from burning. Parchment is usually placed on the bottom of the baking sheet to prevent fragile items from sticking. The sleeve is used to preserve juiciness and provide a special microclimate during long-term baking of large meat cuts or a whole poultry carcass. Foil is used to cover almost any dish: casseroles and complex meat dishes to reduce cooking time and ensure even baking.
Insurance
Rock salt will help reduce heat in the oven: pour about 1 kg of salt onto a baking sheet and place on the lower tier.
Important subtleties
- Cook vegetables at a higher temperature, but for less time. Turn off the oven when the vegetables are al dente, then leave them in the cooling oven for a while.
- When baking pies and baked goods, do not open the door over and over again to check the readiness of the product. Wait the required time and let the baked goods rise. This applies to any type of dough, not just yeast dough!
- Cooking in the oven involves cooking in a ceramic dish at a low temperature at the start and using enough water to completely cover the ingredients.
- Stewing is the opposite: a well-heated oven before starting cooking and a small amount of water.
Fans of rich desserts and baked-stewed delights have probably more than once encountered a situation when, after preparing a dish, the result does not meet expectations. Why did the picture show a beautiful fluffy pie, but in the end it turned out to be a flat cake? Here it is not only a matter of the correct selection of ingredients, but also the correct use of a gas or electric oven.
The design of these two options for culinary cabinets has general operating rules, as well as nuances for each type of device. Even beginners can master these aspects; the main thing is to study the instructions for the desired model and learn how to use the equipment in order to reveal all its strengths.
General rules for operating a gas oven
Rules for using an electric oven
3 nuances of using an electric oven:
- During cooking, do not place the baking pan or utensils on the lower part of the device. This can lead to damage to the heating elements located at the bottom of the unit. Containers with food are located exclusively on grates or shelves.
- The oven can be turned off a few minutes before the end of cooking. The remaining temperature is enough to bring the dish to readiness.
- To ensure that the dish is evenly baked or stewed, it is better to use the middle shelf. Cooking vegetable, fish, and meat stews should be done at the lowest level.
You also need to select a certain type of cookware for cooking. For electrical appliances, containers made of ceramics, refractory clay or cast iron are ideal. Metal containers and foil cannot be used. This is due to the design feature of the electric oven - metal and the containers that contain it are conductors of electricity and can cause sparks inside the device and damage it.
Modes and rules for cooking in ovens
5 rules for cooking in an electric oven:
- At the middle level of the device, heating occurs from above and below, so it is suitable for almost any type of food.
- To stew a dish for a long time, you should place the container on the bottom shelf, first setting the minimum temperature.
- It is better to bake meat/fish and bake muffins in 2 modes: first set the temperature to high, and at the end - lower.
- You should not endlessly open the oven door to control cooking, as this can disrupt the cooking procedure. It is better to observe through the viewing window.
- Before you start cooking, you should thoroughly study the recipe in order to choose the desired cooking mode to obtain the ideal dish.
Modern models of electric ovens are equipped with useful “full-time” options, with which you can easily bake/stew both exotic and traditional dishes.
Basic cooking modes in electrical devices:
- Top and bottom heat. Standard cooking, which is optimal for baking pies or roasting deli meats.
- Top/bottom heat + fan. It is a quick cooking method and allows you to cook food on 2 baking sheets at the same time.
- Ring heater + fan. Super-fast cooking on 3 trays. In, for example, this mode is intended for cooking pizza.
- Grill. Designed for baking small, thinly sliced meat or fish pieces.
- Heating. The temperature is set to low (50-60 °C), you can reheat a previously prepared dish.
- Defrosting. Allows you to quickly and easily defrost meat, vegetables, and berries for further cooking.
Gas ovens are somewhat inferior in functionality to their electric “brothers”, but to the same extent they allow you to bake delicious dishes. Housewives often complain that the delicacies are not fully baked or that the top is not golden brown as stated in the recipe. How to deal with this? Learn how to properly bake and cook first/second courses in a gas oven. For baking, special molds or a complete aluminum baking sheet are used. By the way, you should not use the black tray that comes with the oven for cooking. It is designed to collect residual fat.
Rules for cooking food in a gas oven include:
- Time warming up. The maximum temperature is set for 10-15 minutes, then adjusted to the desired temperature. Only after this the container with the food is placed in the oven.
- Center installation. It is best to place the baking pan strictly in the middle. This will allow the heated air to circulate more evenly around the dish.
- Level selection. Do you want a golden brown crust on top or bottom? Place the dish on the lower/upper level accordingly.
A little secret to getting a golden crust on pies is to add the number of degrees 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
In standard versions of gas stoves, only 2 heating modes are provided and there is no fan. The appliances have bottom heat (gas heating element) and top heat (gas or electric grill).
Learning to correctly regulate the settings in culinary cabinets is a matter of time; the above tips will definitely help cooks with this. It remains to consider the last question: “What is the optimal depth of such units?”
Selecting oven depth
This parameter directly affects the usable volume of the oven. Such units have dimensions from 40 to 90 cm in width, and the depth of the models is 55-60 cm. For a family of 3-4 or more people, it makes sense to choose a larger option so that the finished dish is enough for everyone (for example, the depth is 62 cm ). For 1-2 users, a stove with a depth of 50 cm (for example, 53 cm) is sufficient.
Results: which oven is easier to use?
Gas and electric models of cooking cabinets have their own operational nuances, which are clearly displayed in the table
|
Operating rules |
Gas oven | Electric oven |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up time (min) | 10-15 | 15-20 |
| Temperature setting | on a special scale, manually | according to a special scale |
| Level selection | top, middle, bottom | top, middle, bottom |
| Cooking modes | top and bottom heat, grill | top and bottom heat, grill, defrosting, heating, fan |
| Baking container | ceramic, fireproof glass, cast iron, silicone molds, foil or baking sleeve | ceramic, cast iron frying pans, refractory clay molds |
The choice remains with users who need to study the instructions in detail before using the unit. The main operating rules are set out above; using them means ensuring a long and trouble-free “life” of the equipment, obtaining excellent taste and appetizing appearance of dishes prepared in gas or electric ovens.
It is advisable to place the tray with the dish in such a way that there is a small distance between the top and bottom shelves. This will help the food cook evenly. When cooking in an electric oven, it is recommended to use ceramic or cast iron cookware.
In an electric oven you can cook fish, meat, poultry, pastries and other dishes. It is advisable to preheat the oven to a certain temperature before cooking. This is especially important when baking baked goods.
RECIPE FOR FLOUSE WITH TOMATOES
What do you need:
- 4 flounders
- 350 ml sour cream
- 3 tomatoes
- 250 g hard cheese
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- zest of one lemon
- salt and pepper - to taste
- 1 bunch of dill
How to cook flounder with tomatoes:
Carefully clean and gut the flounder. Don't forget to remove the fins and tails. Then rinse the carcasses under cold water and wipe dry with a paper towel.
Take a deep bowl and mix chopped dill and zest with sour cream.
Place the fish on foil and brush with the prepared sour cream sauce. After this, cut the tomatoes into slices and place them on top of the fish. Sprinkle with finely grated cheese. Wrap the fish in foil and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C. Cooking time should not exceed 30-40 minutes.
If you prefer delicious baked pork, try it with eggplant and tomato sauce.
RECIPE FOR BAKED PORK WITH EGGPLANT
What do you need:
- 3 eggplants
- 500 g pork
- 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 7 tomatoes
- 5 eggs
- salt, pepper - to taste
- 2 tsp provencal herbs
How to cook baked pork with eggplant:
Wash the eggplants, dry and cut into slices. Lightly salt and leave for 10 minutes. Then rinse well again and dry. Drizzle the eggplants with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 150°C for 25 minutes.
Rinse the pork thoroughly and pass through a meat grinder. Fry the meat in a frying pan for 15 minutes. Don't forget to add salt and spices, and stir the minced meat during the frying process. Otherwise, lumps may form.
Peel and chop the garlic, and then place it in a frying pan greased with butter.
Wash the tomatoes, peel the skins, cut into cubes and add to the garlic. Add salt and slightly reduce the garlic-tomato sauce. If desired, you can add a small amount of basil to the sauce.
Cool the resulting mixture and carefully fold in the beaten eggs. Mix everything well.
For further preparation, you will need a heat-resistant form in which you need to place the eggplants and pork in layers. Top everything with a generous amount of homemade sauce. Place in the oven and cook for about an hour at 190°C.
Before serving the dish, drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs, such as basil.
Almost any dish that you are used to cooking on the hob can be cooked just as deliciously in the oven. An oven comes in handy even when you don’t want to completely give up traditional frying. You can add benefits to dishes and reduce harm by combining two types of cooking.
Often, especially in restaurants, cooks first fry the product until golden brown, and then finish it in the oven. Each oven is individual and has a number of features, which can be read about in the instructions for it, but there are several general secrets that will suit the owners of all ovens.
Choosing a level
To ensure that the dish does not burn, remains juicy and aromatic, and is completely cooked, it is important to choose the correct cooking level in the oven. A win-win option is to choose the middle level, it is on this level that the dish will not burn and will cook evenly. If golden brown crust is important, then the almost finished dish can be moved to a higher level for a short time. The latest trend is to cook food at low temperatures for several hours. It is believed that this method allows you to preserve the correct texture of products, taste and aroma. This method allows you to cook in the oven on the lower level, but in a mode in which the lower heat is not strong.
Some foods are more difficult to brown on the bottom, so it is best to cook them on the lower level with high heat from the lower heat. For example, chefs recommend preparing pizza this way. This way it won't burn on top and will be crispy on the bottom. We advise you not to move the baking sheet close to the back wall, as this interferes with air circulation and does not allow the dish to bake evenly.
Select a mode
Modern ovens have many modes that help cook even the most complex multi-stage dish with maximum comfort. For example, the simultaneous use of upper and lower heating is considered a traditional baking format and can be used to cook almost any dish. It ensures uniform heat distribution and natural convection. This mode is quite slow, while the lower heat in almost all ovens works more powerfully, which means that the dish may not be cooked completely evenly. Traditionally, cookies, biscuits, bread, lasagna, stuffed vegetables, roasts, poultry, beef, fish and fish casseroles are prepared in this mode.
Simultaneous intense bottom heat and standard top heat are used when you need to quickly fry a dish from below or achieve a golden crust. This mode is ideal for baking in pots and small dishes. If you use cookware that does not conduct heat well, such as glass or aluminum, then this mode is ideal.
The mode of simultaneous lower, upper heating and fan helps to evenly influence the products and creates an even microclimate in the oven. In this mode, food is heated more intensely due to air masses and food quickly browns on all sides. This mode is suitable for large baking trays, large quantities of food in a dish and large whole pieces. For example, for shanks, rolls, roasts, casseroles, whole poultry, boiled pork. You can cook with it when you need even cooking inside and out. In this mode, we do not recommend experimenting with omelettes and meringues. These dishes do not like convection.
In the bottom heating only mode, we recommend drying the bottom of pies with wet fillings, additionally browning the pizza, and canning. In this mode, you have to move the dish more often to a higher or lower level and monitor browning. We recommend the lower heating and fan mode to complete the baking of open pies, dishes in pans with low sides, or for baked goods that do not rise well. In this mode, dishes are obtained with a crust on the bottom and juicy on the inside.The top heating mode with a fan is useful for dishes that require even cooking and a baked crust. It is very convenient to bake food in molds on it. Suitable for casseroles, souffles, lasagna, julienne. We recommend using the grill mode for cooking steaks, chops, kupat, rolls, fish fillets, vegetables, toast, bacon, kebabs, sausages, pork ribs, and dishes in various sizes. It can be used as the main cooking mode or at the final stage to achieve a recognizable appearance. This mode can be called grill, infraheating, or barbecue, depending on the model and manufacturer.
What do we bake in?
Today there is a huge amount of bakeware. Ceramic molds, glass, and cast iron are considered the most environmentally friendly. It is very convenient to bake in the baking trays that come with the oven. We recommend choosing a baking tray with high sides for juicy, moist dishes, and a flat one for dry dishes. It is convenient to cook in ceramic pots and molds, but we recommend placing them in the oven before heating, this will protect the dishes from cracking. A sudden change in temperature may even cause the pot to burst. We recommend making casseroles from various products in a regular cast-iron frying pan; it is in such a dish that they bake faster and more evenly. Silicone molds are convenient for baking, bread, cheesecakes. Nothing sticks in them even without lubrication, which allows you to prepare dietary baked goods.
Cooking in foil, sleeve
You can bake any food in foil, except fruits, soft vegetables, cereals, and mushrooms. They turn out overcooked and have lost their taste. For other dishes, foil perfectly retains juice and prevents the dish from drying out from high temperatures. An important rule is that the shiny side of the foil should always face the dish, and the matte side should always face outward. This will keep the temperature required for cooking longer. When wrapping meat or fish, it is important to ensure that protruding bones or sharp corners of the product do not break through the foil during cooking, otherwise the dish will lose valuable juice. To do this, we recommend that you always seal the edges of the foil tightly.
On average, dishes under foil are cooked at 200 degrees. Baking time depends on the size of the product. For example, meat is cooked from 40 minutes to 2 hours. Fish – from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. Vegetables - about half an hour. Poultry – from half an hour to 3 hours. In order to get a crispy crust, at the very end of cooking, unroll the foil and cook the dish in the intense top heating mode until golden brown. Be careful not to let strong acids, such as wine or marinades, come into contact with the foil. Foil can be used even at very high temperatures; it can withstand up to 600 degrees.
Plastic bags and sleeves made of heat-resistant film allow baking at temperatures up to 230 degrees in sealed conditions. You can bake meat and potatoes, fish and vegetables in them at the same time. The side dish is saturated with the aroma and taste of meat or fish, the juices are mixed, and the dish with this method of preparation turns out very tasty. This method allows you to significantly save cooking time. For example, if a medium-sized turkey cooks under foil for about two hours, then in the sleeve it takes about an hour. But it is important to choose high-quality, food-grade sleeves and bags designed specifically for baking, then they are absolutely harmless. We recommend being very careful when unwrapping the dish and transferring it to a serving plate. A lot of juice comes out!We recommend making several punctures with a fork in the upper part of the sleeve or bag before cooking. This will allow hot air to escape and prevent the sleeve from bursting. There are a few tricks when baking in an artificial casing. A large piece of meat does not need to be salted, this will make it more tender and melt in your mouth. When baking poultry, it is better to use dry spices; raw ones can worsen the taste. When baking minced meat, salt and pepper it in advance and add a little flour, which absorbs excess salt and moisture. We recommend salting the fish several times more than usual, about a tablespoon of salt per kilogram. We advise you not to add salt or seasonings to baked vegetables. This can be done ready-made by adding them to taste along with butter, sour cream and sauce.
Traditional baking
If you are preparing a dish without an artificial casing, then during the cooking process it is important to constantly water the dish with its own juices. Especially if you are preparing large pieces of fish or meat. This method produces a crispier crust, but can also result in a drier, more burnt result. The traditional baking method requires constant presence in the kitchen. We do not recommend baking dishes made from small pieces of meat, fish and vegetables in this way. They may turn out too dry.
Many people do not know that you can cook porridge and soups in the oven. We recommend you try this at least once. The soup is cooked in a ceramic or fireproof container under a lid for about 1.5 hours at 200 degrees, then it can be simmered with the mode turned off until the oven cools down or at a very low temperature for about another hour. This soup turns out very tasty, with the effect of simmering in a traditional Russian oven. Porridge is prepared using the same technology. It cooks with milk or water for about 1.5 hours at 180 degrees and simmers for about another 40 minutes. This is delicious!
Cooking in a water bath
Another way is baking in a water bath. It is used when you need to prepare dishes from “capricious” products. For example, we recommend preparing soufflés, cheesecakes, pates, creams, and some casseroles this way. For a water bath, you need a three-dimensional form into which hot water is poured and the form with the dish being prepared is placed in it. The water level should reach the middle of the main form or slightly higher. This way, when heating, water will not get into the dish. Prepare in a water bath at 180 degrees. This method allows the dish to heat evenly and not burn. Even the most delicate cheesecake with this baking will turn out airy and at the same time elastic.
Simmer in the oven
You can simmer not only on the burner, but also in the oven. You can stew both pre-fried meat, fish, vegetables, and fresh ones. We recommend adding liquid to the mold at the rate of two-thirds of the total volume of products. The minimum amount of liquid is one third, but you need to make sure that it does not boil away. It can be stewed in water, kefir, milk, whey, broth, depending on the chosen recipe.
Some tips
- Be sure to preheat the oven in advance. We recommend heating a gas oven 10 minutes before cooking, and an electric oven 20 minutes before cooking. Only very fatty meats should be placed in a cold oven.
- To prevent the vegetables from boiling over and turning into cotton wool, we recommend turning off the oven until they are completely done and leaving the vegetables to finish cooking in a cooling cabinet.
- We do not recommend opening the lid during cooking. This disrupts the microclimate and air circulation. It is enough just to sometimes look through the glass by turning on the backlight function. This rule is especially important when preparing muffins and baked goods.
- Always follow the temperature specified in the recipe. In any case, until you become a professional cooking enthusiast.
- If you have a very old stove without a thermometer, you can use a simple sheet of paper to determine the degrees. In 30 seconds at 100-120 degrees the sheet turns slightly yellow, at 190-210 degrees the paper is yellow-brown, the sheet begins to burn at 220 degrees.
- Water and salt prevent burning. Delicate foods are best cooked in a water bath. To prevent burning, you can use a kilogram of coarse salt scattered on the bottom baking sheet.
- We advise you to remember that puff pastry is baked at high temperature, butter or biscuits - at medium, protein dough - at low.
Solving common problems
When cooking roasts, it is very common for the sauce to burn. This means that next time it is better to use a smaller pan and add more liquid during cooking. To prevent dishes from turning out dry, we recommend using an artificial casing or cooking for less time at a higher temperature. When baking meat in a piece, we advise you to take a piece of at least a kilogram, then it will not dry out. White meat is baked at a moderate constant temperature of 150-175°C, red meat - at 200-250°C.
It is advisable to remove red meat from the refrigerator an hour before cooking, then it will remain soft. The meat may not cook well because you salted it before cooking. We recommend salting it in the middle of the process. Small fish are cooked at a constant high temperature. Medium-sized fish - initially at high, then gradually reduced. Large - with constant moderate heating.
If there are fewer problems during preparation with main courses, then muffins, biscuits and other baked goods can create a number of difficulties. If your pies constantly fall off and turn out flat, we advise you to follow the kneading time specified in the recipe, use less liquid and bake at a temperature 10 degrees lower than usual. If the cake does not rise at the edges, then do not grease the sides of the pan. When the top of the pie burns, move it to a lower level, but bake longer.If the bottom of the pie remains too light, then next time choose a dark dish, set it to a low level and turn on the additional lower heating mode. Baked goods may brown unevenly if the pan is not chosen correctly. A light and shiny form is not a suitable solution. To prevent the cake from turning out too dry, you need to poke small holes in it with a stick, pour a drop of fruit juice or syrup into them and reduce the baking time.
If the outside of the baked goods looks ready, but the inside is raw, we recommend using a lower temperature setting and lengthening the cooking time. For juicy fillings, it is better to bake the crust or base in advance, and then add the filling, be sure to sprinkle the crust with breadcrumbs or crushed almonds.
I couldn’t achieve perfect baking in a gas oven. I have an Indesit gas stove with oven and grill at home. I baked in the oven only a couple of times, because... My gas oven doesn't bake well - the baked goods were burnt on the bottom and pale on top. I’m used to baking in an electric oven, where you can regulate the temperature, use two or only one heating element when baking, and heating in an electric oven is more uniform.
Due to the economic crisis, I decided to start using energy resources more economically. Therefore, I decided to give up baking in an electric oven and start using a gas oven to its fullest extent.
And I had to decide the question - how to use a gas oven so that the pies are evenly baked with a beautiful golden brown crust.
It turned out that I was not the only one who had this problem. Since the heating element (gas burners) in the oven is located only at the bottom, the heating inside is uneven. There are also problems in some models of gas ovens due to insufficient thermal insulation.
There are problems and they need to be solved. There were many possible solutions.
Some tips on how to use a gas oven, how to bake golden brown pies and pies in a gas oven without any problems.
- a pair of red fire bricks;
- just a free baking sheet;
- a baking sheet filled with coarse rock salt (1-2 packs);
- a baking sheet with river sand or fine gravel (can be bought at a pet store);
- tiles or even clay tiles;
- special stone for baking.
Back in Soviet times, many housewives used asbestos in their ovens. Do not do this under any circumstances.
Based on the results of comprehensive scientific studies of carcinogens, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified asbestos in the first, most dangerous category of the list of carcinogens for which there is reliable evidence of their carcinogenicity to humans.
- Many housewives recommend placing a bowl or baking sheet with on the bottom of the gas oven. Water at the bottom of the oven is recommended not only to prevent the product from burning, but also to improve yeast baked goods. Due to the increased humidity in the oven, the crust turns out beautiful, and the dough fits much better.
- If you have an oven with a grill, then the pale pies at the end of baking can be browned for a few minutes by turning on the grill. Just watch carefully, because... Due to the high temperature they turn brown very quickly.
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