Cooking Hints for Convection Ovens
- A convection oven is ideal for roasting meats and vegetables. The movement of hot air leads to ideal browning of meats, sealing in the juices and flavors. It also results in the fast caramelizing of the sugars on the surface of vegetables and potatoes. This caramelizing results in crispy, browned edges and moist, tender interiors. To get the best results from roasting in a convection oven, use pans with low sides to allow maximum circulation of the hot air. Any pan that is suitable for use in a traditional oven is suitable for use in convection cooking. Place meats, such as roasts and chickens, on a rack that raises them above the roasting pan. This will allow browning on all surfaces of the meat.
- Convection baking results in a thicker crust on baked goods. For this reason, it is not ideal for cakes and other tender-topped baked goods. Souffles and meringues can be blown out of shape by the fan. This crust is desirable on items such as breads and cookies. The even heat distribution of a convection oven means that all racks can be utilized for baking at once without the fear of uneven cooking. Recipe instructions that specify a specific rack placement for cooking can be ignored. The quick transfer of heat that occurs in convection ovens is ideal for pastries that rely on butter for their flakiness. The moisture in the butter is quickly turned into steam that separates the pastry into crispy layers. There will be no noticeable difference in casseroles. As with roasting, pans with low sides are the best choice for convection baking.
- It will take some experimenting with specific recipes to find the ideal time and temperature for convection cooking. A general guideline is to reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees F for a recipe written for a traditional oven. Cooking times can be reduced by 10 to 25 percent. When cooking a recipe for the first time in a convection oven, check to see if it is done after reducing the baking time by 25 percent. Continue cooking if necessary.
