Potatoes in the microwave: several secrets and recipes

500 years have passed since the discovery of America, and the potatoes brought from overseas have already begun to occupy key positions in European cuisine. In the Slavic culinary tradition, the "second bread" completely expelled the turnips and significantly squeezed the cabbage, which was predominant before. Now, without it, we can not do without the preparation of everyday dishes, and festive dishes. And the invention of the microwave oven only diversified the ways of making this tasty and healthy vegetable. So, we are preparing potatoes in a microwave oven. What can we expect? Of course, we will not get the usual roast tuberage, and the deruny, naturally, also needs to be baked in a traditional frying pan, but everything else can be cooked in Hi-tech style.

Potatoes in a microwave oven are good for those who are on a diet, since the costs of fat for cooking are minimal. You can not use oil at all. At the same time, when baking in a microwave oven from the root, useful vitamins and trace elements do not evaporate, as happens with prolonged cooking. Not to mention the fact that in a new-fashioned device it's easy to just warm up food and "bring to mind" semi-finished products. You can put fried potatoes in the microwave for a few minutes to get crispy and surprisingly tasty slices on the way out.

Now some general rules about how to cook potatoes in a microwave. First, it is desirable to prepare meals in flat dishes or bowls with low edges. Note that you can not put metal in the microwave oven. Use only containers of special durable glass or bowls of Pyroflam, which are made for microwave ovens. Since the potato, unlike other vegetables, is prepared slowly, it should be cut thin and, most importantly, evenly slices. That you do not get undercooked pieces mixed with boiled, it is recommended to use a food processor or "mandolin" - a special grater with one cutting hole.

In some ovens there is a special "Potatoes" mode, and in this case we will use it. If there is no such program, you can start with a calculation of 6-8 minutes per half a kilogram of product at a power of 900 watts. If after this time the potatoes in the microwave are damp, put it for a couple of minutes. To ensure that the slices are not dry, it is advisable to add a few spoonfuls of water before cooking or to use a culinary sleeve. Slices need to be evenly distributed in the sleeve, squeeze out air from it, pierce a few holes, so that excess steam can go out. This useful dish is prepared for about 4-5 minutes.

How to cook potatoes in a uniform in a microwave oven? For absolutely lazy cooks there are several such recipes. To do this, you need to wash the average size of the tubers and make punctures with a fork or knife. Plate a flat dish with a paper towel. Each tuber should be greased with olive oil and put on a plate so that they do not touch each other. Two potatoes should be baked for 7 minutes, and three - 12 minutes at a power of 900 watts (or in the "high" mode). If your oven has the function "Fan", turn it on to form a delicious crispy crust on the potatoes. Serve this dish with garlic sauce and cheese, as well as fresh herbs.

In a microwave oven, you can prepare both traditional side dishes and basic dishes from potatoes. Recipes of these dishes can be found in the booklet, which is usually attached to the microwave oven. Here is one of them - "a bulb in the village" (Ukrainian cuisine). We take small tubers, carefully wash them, remove the "eyes". Cut into large slices (the size of an orange). We put it in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt and seasonings (pepper, herbs, a pinch of nutmeg), water with unrefined sunflower oil. Mix and add a third of a glass of water. Cover the lid and put in the oven for 25 minutes in the 600 kW mode. After that, sprinkle finely chopped garlic, pritrushivayem grated cheese and put another 1-2 minutes with the same mode.