Convection ovens
are ideal for roasting meats.
Roasting in a convection oven makes foods juicier and more nutritious because convection ovens use airflow to cook, which decreases the depletion of nutrients. Many recipes are more ideal in a convection oven, but with a few alterations in method almost any food can be roasted to perfection in a convection oven. When using a convection oven, it's important to look at the mass of an item. For example, if you are going to roast a turkey without stuffing, remember that it will take less time to cook than a turkey with stuffing because the airflow is increased when there is nothing to block it. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Place the meat or other item you intend roasting in an oven pan that is very shallow. Convection ovens cook foods by hot airflow, so if the pan blocks the airflow your dish will not turn out well. Also, do not put foil on the rack; the better the airflow, the more effectively the food will cook.
2. Figure the temperature for a convection oven by reducing the temperature called for in your recipe (if the recipe does not specify it is for a convection oven) by one quarter. If the temperature called for is 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you will cook at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. An alternative method is to leave the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and reduce the time by a quarter. A cooking time of one hour would be reduced to 45 minutes. This is an ideal method if you're cooking smaller roasts or dishes like Cornish hens.
3. Place the shallow roasting pan with the dish you are roasting on the center rack of the convection oven and set the temperature you calculated. Again, that should be one quarter less than the recipe calls for. Larger roasts cooked at a lower temperature may take a little longer to cook.
4. Take your dish out when the baking time has expired. Check to see that the dish is cooked through according to your taste, just as you would with a conventional oven.
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