Steamed fish, Cantonese-style
Ken Hom, chef, author, and TV presenter
“This is a dish I grew up with. And now I can do it in the microwave. Take firm fillets of white fish, such as cod, sole or salmon, crush fresh ginger and squeeze over them. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top the fish with finely shredded fresh ginger – you can do this an hour or so in advance. Wrap in microwave-safe clingfilm and refrigerate. Shred some spring onions and set it aside.
“When you are ready to cook, place the wrapped fish in the microwave and cook at full power for four to five minutes, depending on the thickness. When the fish is cooked, pour over light soy sauce, and then top with the shredded spring onions.
“Quickly heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil together with two teaspoons of sesame oil and, when smoking, pour this over the fish. Voilà! A quick, easy, and inexpensive dish. What more can you ask for in these challenging times?”
Speedy syrup sponge
Nigella Lawson, writer, cook and broadcaster
“Instead of having to be steamed on the stove for several hours, my speedy syrup sponge is cooked in a trice in the microwave, which gives it a feathery and open texture. What strikes me whenever I eat this is how ridiculously light the sponge is. Using the microwave is like being rewarded for impatience.”
Spuds you’ll like
Miguel Barclay, chef and author of Green One Pound Meals
“I always use my microwave to make sautéed potatoes – the ones you get in posh restaurants that use those tiny oval potatoes sliced in half with their delicate skin left on. Just get a bag of salad potatoes at the supermarket, chuck a handful in the microwave for 10 minutes or until soft in the middle, slice them in half lengthways and pan-fry them middle side down in olive oil and salt. Flip them over and cook a bit more to crisp up the skin, too. They go a beautiful golden colour and taste amazing.”
Miguel Barclay, chef and author of Green One Pound Meals
Breakfast bowl brownie
Paul A Young, award-winning chocolatier with a shop in London, and author of The Joy of Chocolate (Kyle Books)
“This is the perfect, indulgent, mega-fast brownie baked in the microwave; it’s super fudgy, super easy and can be made in the ad break of your favourite TV show. This recipe is based on an 800w microwave.
“In a microwaveable breakfast bowl put 75g dark chocolate in pieces, 50g honey, and 30g butter, then microwave for 30 seconds on medium heat, and mix until smooth. Add a medium egg and 20g plain flour, and mix until smooth. Microwave on medium for 80 seconds (an extra 20 seconds may be needed for a lower-wattage microwave), allow your brownie to cool for five minutes, then enjoy it with ice-cream, cream, or berries.”
On a roll
Olia Hercules, chef, author of Home Food, and co-founder of #CookForUkraine
“I’ve just spent a week with my mum and her Ukrainian friend Ela in Berlin, and Ela gave us a great microwave hack. Normally to make Ukrainian holubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls), we would boil or steam the cabbage leaves, but they soften beautifully and very quickly in the microwave. Core the cabbage and just put the whole thing into the microwave for three minutes, and check.”
Cheese, please
Gennaro Contaldo, chef and author of Gennaro’s Cucina (out next year)
“Don’t ever throw away the rind of parmesan; it’s a secret ingredient that is packed full of flavour and can be used to enrich sauces and soups. A great way to soften it is to put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.”
Dessert revival
Ravneet Gill, pastry chef and author of Sugar, I Love You
“If I’ve made a sticky toffee pudding or chocolate cake, I always warm up any leftovers in the microwave – never the oven. If I put them in the oven, not only does it take ages, but it also dries them out. However, the microwave revives puddings, and makes them fluffy again. I love a warm pudding, and the microwave nails it. I always say my chocolate cake is best served after 15 seconds in the microwave, because the ganache melts, the cake gets warm, then you pour cold cream on it and it’s just the perfect temperature.”
Easy greens
Jack Stein, chef director, Rick Stein Restaurants
“Microwaves are really good for cooking green vegetables, such as broccoli and kale. I finely chop garlic, put it in a mug, cover it with olive oil, and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute to create a quick confit garlic (the garlic will be soft, and the oil will have a great flavour). Put a little water in a microwave-safe bowl or dish with a lid, add your greens, cook for 30 seconds to one minute, maybe a little longer depending on what you’re cooking. Strain, season, then pour the confit garlic and oil over the top. This is a perfect side dish, and it’s so much quicker than doing it on the hob.”
Roots manoeuvre
Sat Bains, chef-patron of Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
“We make a microwave parsnip sponge in a takeaway coffee cup; it takes just over a minute, and you’ll get the most incredible, feather-light sponge. Blend 200g parsnip, peeled and chopped, 420g whole egg, 60g egg yolk, 60g self-raising flour, 80g demerara sugar, 5g baking powder, 10g salt, 80g golden syrup or honey, and 25g cinnamon and mix spice (total weight) until smooth. Pass it through a sieve, whisk until thick, then pierce the bottom of a coffee cup five times and add the mixture until the cup is half full. Cook in the microwave for 70 seconds (it will have risen right to the top of the cup). Turn it upside down on a wire rack and, once cool, the sponge will come out of the cup in one go. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You could serve it with a parsnip-infused treacle syrup for an incredible dessert.”
No-fuss pilau
Vivek Singh, executive chef of The Cinnamon Collection
“I have a no-fuss pilau rice recipe that’s perfect for cooking in a microwave. Get a microwaveable bowl and add your rice grains, spices of choice and water so the rice is covered. Place in the microwave and cook uncovered for 13 minutes on high. Remove the bowl, give the rice a stir and then cook covered with microwave-safe clingfilm for another four minutes.”
Raise the root
Akwasi Brenya-Mensa, chef-owner of Tatale, London
“A jacket sweet potato is my favourite microwave meal. It’s obviously much quicker than using an oven, super easy, and sweet potato alone guarantees a delicious meal. I start by pricking the sweet potato with a fork and heat for four to seven minutes (depending on the size). While it’s cooking, I make a quick harissa butter by mixing harissa paste with butter. Once the sweet potato is cooked, I spoon the butter into the potato and top with freshly chopped chives. You can make this a whole meal, or it’s also a great side dish.”
Chocs away
Tom Oxford and Oliver Coysh, co-owners of The Exploding Bakery, Exeter
“Our method for tempering chocolate in the microwave is really good: melt two-thirds of your chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, then just as it’s melted, mix in the final third of chocolate until it’s fully melted, and that will bring it down to the required temperature. This gets rid of the thermometers and marble slabs. Then pour your tempered chocolate into silicone moulds, dip stuff in it or fashion fancy shapes. When it sets, it’ll look glossy and snap with a thunderous crunch.”
