Unfortunate broccoli accident

[fivemack]

Today I decided to steam some broccoli for supper.

So I put it in a bowl, add a little water, stick cling-film over the top, microwave for three minutes.

I then pull off the cling-film, not realising that a bowl with cling-film over the top satisfies all the definitions of a pressure vessel, and 750W applied to 50g of water for 180s converts it into something satisfying many of the definitions of live steam.

Now I have a blister on my right thumb, which I have covered in a sticky goo made from herbs and lanolin. This is as messy a substance as can be contrived, and makes typing, as well as the use of mice and spoons, inconvenient.

Though the broccoli (with baked potatoes and a little steak-and-kidney pudding from Tesco) was nice.

Comments

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

you probably know this now, but what you do is take a sharp knife and cut the cling film at arms length while the bowl is still inside the microwave. Once the steam has escaped, take the bowl out of the microwave (oven gloves!) and then peel the rest of the clingfilm off gingerly.

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

Blister gone now. Not much live steam, and the goo seems to have been effective.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation at all, I've done this too - and more than once.

Full Steam Ahead

[(Anonymous)]

If it is any consolation, I've never done this and do not know anyone who has.

I always leave a small gap in the cling film at the edge of the bowl. Better still is to buy a dedicated steamer bowl which fits in the microwave (complete with water bowl, veg tray and vented lid).

Your thumb will probably be ok in a few years.

Here is a poem :

Womack burned his finger on some veg,
whilst trying to some dinner.
To cook some broccoli without a gap in the film,
is surely not the act of a winner.