What halogen cookers became famous for is that they cook faster and better than conventional ovens while coming cheaper.
However, cooking times and temperatures of halogen heaters are not widely recognised and remain unfamiliar. Want to unfold the culinary potential of these ovens? We will leave you with a couple of toothsome recipes and tips that are painless to make.
Here’s what you can make in your halogen oven:
How to cook frozen chips in a halogen oven safely without defrosting?
At Maggie’s Oven Cleaning, we know that many still wonder if they can cook frozen food in a halogen cooker.
Fortunately, this is one of the many advantages that come with halogen lamp heaters, as they heat food evenly and there will not be raw innards. Some companies take this to a level of art with selection and meals. That’s a great inspiration if you want to know what’s the opposite end of chips, that is.
So, cooking frozen chips using a halogen cooker. Do:
- Distribute the chips evenly. It doesn’t really matter which rack you use, halogen ovens have fans for perfect heat circulation.
- Set the timer for 15 minutes for 1 portion of 250g and the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Cook about 20 minutes for bigger portions, same temperature, but mash up the chips after 10.
Reminder: Pay attention to colouring and remove after “golden” has been achieved.
How to cook crispy jacket potatoes in a halogen oven and the secret to an excellent consistency?
To achieve the perfect culinary balance, you need to combine two separate cookers. Include a microwave for crispy outers and fluffy innards. To prepare the jacket potatoes in your halogen cooker you should:
- Cook the potatoes partially in the microwave for 10-12 minutes
- Rub them with some olive oil and sea salt
- Wrap them in foil to avoid drying out
- Leave in the halogen oven for 30 minutes at 200 C
- Unwrap the foil in the last 5 minutes and slightly turn the heat for a nice crisp.
Without microwave:
Same as above, except you cook them at 170-180 for about 45-50 minutes.
Reminder: Try the potatoes out with a fork. If it goes in smoothly – they’re done. If you feel resistance before reaching the centre of the potato – cook for another 7-8 mins and try again.
What are the two main ways of cooking sausages in a halogen oven?
You can make sausage in two ways, depending on what you like. Preparing them is extremely easy, even for a novice cook. One way is if you prefer them grilled:
- Use the extender ring or place them on the bottom rack
- Set the oven to 220 C and cook for about 10 minutes. No need for turning.
For soft butcher sausages:
Cook at 180 degrees Celsius for about 25 minutes.
Pro tip: Put water in the bottom. The grease will float, leaving you with an easy-to-clean bowl after.
How to cook delicious roast potatoes in a halogen oven while making them crisp on top?
For better results, you’d need to parboil them first. This ensures better consistency of the potato and allows it to roast better in the cooker. To properly roast potatoes with a halogen oven you should:
- Peel the potatoes and then wash them
- Boil them for 5 minutes (add a little salt when the water starts boiling)
- Put the parboiled potatoes in the halogen oven and cover them in oil and seasoning
- Leave them there for an hour at 200 C, but move them around half an hour in.
Note: You can also roast chicken along with the potatoes. The cooking temperature for roasting chicken is a little lower than that for roasting potatoes, but in a halogen oven, it’s possible, because of the powerful fan that distributes the heat evenly.
How long to cook roasted beef sirloin in halogen oven and what are the specifics?
Beef can be tricky, but there’s a basic rule for preparing it. There’s a simple trick to cooking a beef like a professional:
Follow the 20 minutes rule. You start with 20 mins at 200 C and then cook the sirloin 20 minutes per half a kilogram at 180 C.
For example: 1 kg => 20 mins at 200 C + 2 x 20 mins at 180 C = 60 mins.
Advice for great taste and better halogen cooked beef meals:
- Start off with a non-heated halogen cooker
- Adding red wine 30 minutes before it’s done will make your beef significantly tastier
- Don’t add salt! You want your beef juicy. It will suck up the moisture. Black pepper is fine
- If you’re dealing with a large piece of beef, cover it with foil to prevent outer burning.
General halogen oven cooking tips for foolproof experience
There are a couple of generic rules to be followed in order to end up with a successful meal. As the nature of halogen cookers implies – they are smaller, cook faster and are mobile.
These advantages when not taken into account may become the opposite – inconveniences. Stick to these tricks and ensure safe and efficient halogen cooking:
- Make sure the desired meal will fit in your cooker – Halogen ovens are smaller so always consider the size of your dish.
- Air circulation is key – If you cook bigger meals, remember to use the oven racks wisely. Hot air should be able to reach underneath the dish. It’s recommended that you put it on the lowest rack, leaving space for circulation and therefore even cooking. Experts at Tavola comment that nowadays you could easily use a high-grade air fryer, in UAE the least.
- Make sure you have room to operate – as compact as these cookers may be you need to have space for the lid to come off safely. When the temperatures are high you should be able to freely remove it and place it somewhere else.
- Read instructions between the lines – If there are instructions on the bag follow the ones for a fan oven, but lower the suggested temperature by 20 degrees and cook for less.
- Use aluminium foil with caution – As stated before the fan of this type of cooker is really good at distributing the heat. This also means it is strong. If you happen to use cooking foil in your halogen cooker make sure it stays where you wrap it.
- Be careful when opening the lid – hot steam is dangerous, but if you do not lean directly over the cooker you will be fine.