Microwave cooking by Bureaucrat

Ah, the humble microwave.  So handy for zapping up popcorn, reheating a cuppa and leftovers.  We tend not to think of using the microwave as a legitimate means of cooking food.  The reasons for this are many - the perceived bad health of eating foods that have been zapped by radiowaves; the dry, chewy texture it gives the food; or it just explodes inside and makes it hell cleaning it up afterwards.

Over the years, I have heard the occasional story or two where people use the microwave to cook proper meals - anything from a whole chicken to desserts.  But I never thought of trying it myself.... until now.

When Mr G invited me to join their weekly Fish Thursdays lunch, I was a bit skeptical.  Cooking fish in a microwave... and at work?  It seemed to be a recipe for a pongy office and wasted fish.  However, in the interest of trying something new, I tagged along one Thursday.

My ocean trout a-cooking in the microwave.  Within two minutes, it's ready.

After buying fresh fillets of ocean trout (it has to be ocean trout.  Salmon or rainbow trout just doesn't taste as nice - and the texture is different - when it's cooked in the microwave) and salad ingredients from the Vic Market, we headed back to the office to start cooking.  An efficient production line meant that we could shop, cook, eat and clean within our hour lunch break.  First off, as they take the longest to cook, the potatoes go in the microwave.  While that's cooking, we prep the fish (simply seasoned with salt) and make the salad (avo, toms and red onion).

Fish with a view.

Microwaved fillet of ocean trout w salad.

I was quite surprised to taste how delicious the ocean trout was.  Tender, not over cooked and still quite juicy and evenly cooked.  As the fish is so fresh, there wasn't a hint of fishiness - in the taste and in the office.  The simple salad was tasty.  As I'm trying to limit my intake of carbs, I don't always have a potato.  However, I have had it with the fish one time, and it was properly cooked, tender but not mushy/floury. 

You could do far worse for your workday lunch.  For around $7 for a fresh, healthy lunch, I'm definitely on board for Fish Thursday!  We enjoy our Fish Thursdays so much that we've even contemplating doing Fish Tuesdays as well.... time will tell!