I am getting on quite well cooking battered frozen fish on the bottom rack and my own chips, drizzled with oil, on the top rack. Two points I would like help on though:
With the fish, although the top crisps up nicely the bottom stays soggy, it's difficult to turn the pieces over when you have the top rack in use with chips on it, major operation! Any ideas?

And the chips - can't put them straight on top rack because they fall through. I put them on a round baking sheet but although they cook through well, and I do turn them over, they still end up brown one side and white the other. I thought about using a pizza tray with holes in the bottom but I can't find one small enough. I am looking for a Halogen Oven steaming tray now, which might work, anyone know where I can track one down?

Hi Mo,

I use a tray for the chips which I placed on the rack. This way I can easily lift the chip tray out, then remove the rack, turn the fish pieces over and put rack, chip tray back in

I don’t get any problems with the chips Mo, always done golden on all sides. I use a tray and I do turn them over just once, sort of moving them around a bit


Coopers have a set of accessories

http://www.halogenovenshop.co.uk/


Perforated steaming tray
Grill/Fry Pan tray
Ten slice bread toaster rack
Height extension ring


Andrew James have a better set but I am not sure if they sell them without the HO

The best thing to do is to email them and ask. They are very helpful


http://www.halogenovenshop.co.uk/


Have you tried Ebay?. Many Halogen Oven sellers are opening shops on Ebay now.

I hope you find these info useful mo



Reeta

Thanks so much for all those tips Reeta - I thought the chips would need to be on the grill or on a perforated tray to cook through, but how silly of me - when I do them in my conventional oven they just go on a baking tray, no problem. And putting them on a tray will make it so much easier to turn the fish over and so solve the 'soggy bottom' problem. Cheers! Mo

Another thought Reeta - do you drizzle olive oil over your chips, as I do (I presume they are your own chips, not frozen ones?) - I just wondered if this makes them rather 'mottled' in places, but they do taste so good and come out quite crispy this way.

I got given on of these weight watcher pump action sprays for olive oil. I find it excellent for spraying chips and roast potatoes, evenly and with no mottling. Also saves on excess waste of olive oil (too late for me to worry about calories!)

Thanks for this tip sdmcc. Never heard of this pump and it does sound like a good idea.

mo wrote:Another thought Reeta - do you drizzle olive oil over your chips, as I do (I presume they are your own chips, not frozen ones?) - I just wondered if this makes them rather 'mottled' in places, but they do taste so good and come out quite crispy this way.

It's frozen chips Mo. That's what the boys like

When I do saute potatoes that's my own and I do sprinkle a bit of olive and yes it does get little dark patches here and there. They taste yummy though. Sometimes I also sprinke herbs such as thyme and oregano

Great tip, sdmcc. I'm sure I've seen those sprays somewhere but can't think where, I will keep my eyes open when I am out shopping. Must be a lot less messy than using your hands to turn them over in a bowl of oil!

And Reeta, I shall try sprinkling some herbs on my chips some time, although I don't know whether hubby will appreciate it, he's very conventional! We don't like oven chips and I gave up using a smelly, messy chip pan, or an equally messy deep fat fryer, a few years ago, so to be able to make my own again - and they do taste yummy - is as good a reason to have a Halogen as any.

Hi, I think the spray you are looking for is 'Fry Light'. It is a one calorie spray which stops food from sticking and helps it to brown. You can get it in any supermarket beside the cooking oils. It comes in a variety of flavours. I have the extra virgin olive oil one and I think there is a buttery one among others. Don't be frightened to spray a few times as it works better that way. It's still much healthier than oil, Junie

The spray I am talking about is purchased from "Weight Watchers" either from a member, at a meeting or online. They are self-fillable, so you can change the olive oil infusion. You just pump the pressure top, remove and spray (a little like old refillable perfume sprays) They cost around seven or eight pounds. Hope that helps. By the way, I am not a member of WW's---beyond redemption and refuse to cut alcohol from my diet!

Sorry, I know the spray that you mean. It costs £7.95 from WW (I am a member - again - almost beyond redemption and I ignore the alcohol bit ).
The spray is a very good idea for helping to reduce the oil used, but those watching the calories need to be aware it delivers half a teaspoon of oil with every spray.
All the best, Junie

Thanks Junie, I got the Fry Light in Tesco this afternoon, only £1.80-odd, a lot cheaper than the WW one! I am looking forward to giving it a go.

Hi there!

I have just joined the group and have very little experience but I have been starting my chips off earlier on a round metal bottom of a cake tin on the lower rack. Turn them and then add the frozen fish on the top rack. The fish crisps up nicely and then I turn it over!

Hello and welcome



It sounds as if you are getting off to a good start with your oven. You have come to the right place and I'm sure that 'little experience' will soon grow to 'cooking with confidence'.

You know where we are if you need us.

Thanks linpeteuk, this tip certainly works!