500 years have passed since the discovery of America, and potatoes brought from overseas have already begun to occupy key positions in European cuisine. In the Slavic culinary tradition, the "second bread" completely expelled turnips and significantly replaced the previously prevailing cabbage. Now, without it, we can not do both in the preparation of everyday dishes, and holiday dishes. And the invention of the microwave oven only diversified the methods for preparing this tasty and healthy vegetable. So, cook the potatoes in the microwave. What can we count on? Of course, we won’t succeed in the usual fried tubers, and potato pancakes, of course, also need to be baked in a traditional frying pan, but everything else can be cooked in Hi-tech style.
It’s good to cook potatoes in the microwave for those who are on a diet, since the cost of fat for cooking is minimal. You can not use oils 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-fangled device it’s easier to simply warm up dishes and “bring to mind” semi-finished products. You can put fried potatoes in the microwave for a few minutes to get crispy and surprisingly delicious slices.
Now a few general rules on how to cook potatoes in the microwave. Firstly, it is advisable to cook in flat dishes or bowls with low edges. Please note that metal must not be placed in the microwave oven. Use only containers made of special durable glass or Pyroflam bowls that are made for microwave ovens. Since potatoes, unlike other vegetables, are cooked slowly, it should be cut into thin and, most importantly, uniform slices. To prevent you from getting undercooked pieces mixed with boiled ones, it is recommended to use a food processor or “mandolin” - a special grater with one cutting hole.
Some ovens have a special “Potatoes” mode, in which case we will use it. If there is no such program, you can proceed from the calculation of 6-8 minutes per pound of product at a power of 900 watts. If after this time the potatoes in the microwave are damp, put it on for a couple more minutes. So that the slices are not dry, it is recommended that you add a few tablespoons of water to the dish before cooking, or use a culinary sleeve. Slices need to be evenly distributed in the sleeve, squeeze air out of it, pierce several holes so that excess steam can escape. This healthy dish takes about 4-5 minutes.
How to cook jacket potatoes in a microwave? For very lazy cooks, there are several such recipes. To do this, wash the medium-sized tubers and make punctures with a fork or knife. Cover the flat plate with a paper towel. Grease each tuber with olive oil and put on a plate so that they do not touch each other. Two potatoes need to be baked for 7 minutes, and three - 12 minutes at a power of 900 watts (or in "high" mode). If your oven has a Fan function, turn it on to form a delicious crispy crust on the potato. Serving this dish is recommended with garlic sauce and cheese, as well as fresh herbs.
In the microwave, you can cook both traditional side dishes and potato main dishes. Recipes for these dishes can be found in the booklet, which is usually attached to the microwave oven. Here is one of them - “Selyansky Bulba” (Ukrainian cuisine). We take small tubers, wash them thoroughly, remove the “eyes”. Cut into large slices (the size of orange). Put in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt and seasonings (pepper, herbs, a pinch of nutmeg), pour unrefined sunflower oil. Mix and add a third of a glass of water. Cover and put in the oven for 25 minutes in 600 kW mode. After that, sprinkle with finely chopped garlic, crush with grated cheese and set for another 1-2 minutes with the same regime.