48705_Layout 1 11/04/2013 10:42 Page 6
Handling the Cooking Pot
•WARNING: The Cooking Pot (3) will become very hot when in use.
•To prevent the Cooking Pot from slipping when using to sear, saute or fry the ingredients on your hob, use an oven glove to support the Cooking Pot when stirring the food.
•Be careful when using the Cooking Pot on a gas hob, select the correct size gas ring to fit the base area of the Cooking Pot. DO NOT use on a wok burner or oversized gas hob.
•Do not use metal utensils to stir food in the Cooking Pot as this will scratch and remove the non stick coating. Use either wood or silicone plastic utensils.
•WARNING: The Lid handle (1), the Base Unit (4) and the Cooking Pot (3), as well as the outside of the Base Unit, all become hot during cooking. Always use oven gloves when handling ANY part of the Slow Cooker during cooking.
Handling the Glass Lid
•When removing the Glass Lid (2), tilt so that opening faces away from you to avoid being
burned by steam.
Foods for slow cooking
•Most foods are suited to slow cooking methods, however there are a few guidelines that need to be followed.
•Ensure all frozen ingredients are thoroughly defrosted prior to cooking.
•Cut root vegetables into small, even pieces, as they take longer to cook than meat. They can be gently sauteed for
•Trim all excess fat from meat before cooking, as the slow cooking method does not allow fat to evaporate.
•If adapting an existing recipe from conventional cooking, you may need to reduce the amount of liquid used. Liquid will not evaporate from your Slow Cooker to the same extent as conventional cooking.
•Never leave uncooked food at room temperature in your Slow Cooker.
6
•Uncooked kidney beans must be soaked overnight and boiled for at least 10 minutes to remove toxins before use in a Slow Cooker.
•Insert a meat thermometer into joints of roasts, hams or whole chickens to ensure they are cooked to the desired temperature.
•Do not use your Slow Cooker to reheat food.
Slow cooking tips
•The Slow Cooker must be at least half full for best results.
•Slow cooking retains moisture. If you wish to reduce liquid, remove the lid after cooking and turn the control to High. Reduce the moisture by simmering for 30 to 45 minutes.
•If cooking soups, leave 5 cm gap from the rim of the Cooking Pot (3) and the food surface to allow for simmering.
•Removing the Glass Lid (2) will allow heat to escape, reducing the efficiency of your Slow Cooker and increasing the cooking time. If you remove the lid to stir or add ingredients, you will need to allow
•Many things can affect how quickly a recipe will cook, including water and fat content, initial temperature of the food and the size of the food. Check food is properly cooked before serving.
•Many recipes will take several hours to cook. If you don’t have time to prepare food in the morning, prepare it the night before, storing the food in a covered container in the fridge. Transfer the food to the Cooking Pot and add boiling liquid/stock. In most of the recipes in this book, the meat ingredients are browned first to improve their appearance and flavour.
•If you are short on preparation time and would prefer to skip the searing stage, simply add your meat and other ingredients into your Slow Cooker and cover with boiling liquid/stock.You will need to increase the recipe cooking time as follows: High setting +1hr, Medium setting
•Most meat and vegetable recipes require
•Some ingredients are not suitable for slow cooking. Pasta, seafood, milk and cream should be added towards the end of the cooking time.
•Pieces of food cut into small pieces will cook quicker. A degree of ‘trial and error’ will be required to fully optimise the potential of your Slow Cooker.