Mellerware 27601, 1300W manual Frying/Grilling, Stir-frying, Cooking, Poaching, Stewing, Thawing

Turning meat and fish only once whilst frying will help prevent it from drying out. This will also be avoided by turning over the food with a spatula rather than pricking it with a fork.

Frying or cooking fish for too long will make it tough, and will spoil the flavour. In general, fish is done when the tissue readily separates (into layers) and has lost its transparency

or raw colour.

Frying/Grilling

Do not use more than a small quantity of oil or frying fat when frying or grilling food.

Coating fish with breadcrumbs or flour before you fry it will protect the fish from the heat and prevent it from drying out. After frying the fish place it on a piece of paper kitchen towel to drain.

Stir-frying

Stir-fried dishes are prepared by continually stirring and turning until the ingredients are done. Only a little oil is required; the pot is set to a high temperature. Put the meat or fish in the pot, and turn it repeatedly until it is about three-quarters done. You can then add the further ingredients, such as carrots, onions, mushrooms, paprikas, courgettes, and/or a little thin sauce, etc., etc., and continue cook- ing until the meat or fish is done.

Stir-frying is healthy since only a little oil is re- quired, little or no salt needs to be added, and the vitamins are retained. Moreover the food is delicious since this method of preparation does full justice to the flavour of the ingredients

– and the vegetables remain crisp.

Cooking

Food is cooked by heating it in boiling liquid until it is done. The Electric Pot is very suitable for cooking moderate quantities of pasta and rice. The Electric Pot is, in particular, ideally suited to cooking spaghetti; the pot has a larger diameter than many other pots available, and you do not need to shorten the spaghetti.

The cooking times stated in the enclosed recipes serve only as guidelines. The actual cooking times depend on the quality of the meat and the freshness of the vegetables, etc., and will vary from dish to dish.

Poaching

Poached foods are cooked slowly in a liquid just below boiling point. The liquid is at the correct temperature for poaching once the surface just begins to move. The quantity and temperature of the liquid used for poaching depends on the food being cooked. Meat, fish and poultry are usually poached in bouillon; eggs are poached in water containing a little salt and, often, a drop of vinegar. Fruit can be poached in a thin syrup. Poaching imparts a delicate flavour to the food, since a little flavour from the liquid is added to the poached ingre- dients.

Stewing

Food is stewed by briefly frying the surface and then allowing it to cook very slowly at a low temperature. Stewing is ideal for preparing a hash, since the Electric Pot offers you an op- portunity to combine a wide variety of prepa- ration methods. Lightly fry the meat, add the various ingredients, such as onions, cloves, cream, mushrooms and garlic, etc., and then allow to simmer for a couple of hours.

Thawing

You can also use the Electric Pot to thaw food. Set the thermostat to position 1 and put the food to be thawed in the pot.

Maintenance and cleaning

•Never move the appliance whilst it is switched on or is still hot. Switch off the appliance, and wait until it has cooled down before you move it.

•Do not immerse the appliance in water or in other liquids when the thermostat is plugged in the socket. If this happens do not use the appliance any more; dispose

of the appliance.

•Do not use corrosive or scouring cleaning agents or scouring pads.

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