48790 MUK Rev1 1/5/08 15:55 Page 5
Tips for slow cooking
• The slow cooker must be at |
least half full for best results. |
• Slow cooking retains moisture. |
If you wish to reduce this, |
remove the lid after cooking and |
turn the control to high (if set to |
low or medium) and reduce the |
moisture by simmering for 30 to |
45 minutes. |
• Removing the lid will allow |
valuable heat to escape, |
reducing the efficiency of your |
slow cooker and increasing the |
cooking time. If you remove the |
lid more than a couple of times |
to stir or add ingredients, then |
you will need to allow |
minutes extra cooking time |
each time you remove the lid. |
• If cooking soups, leave 5 cm |
space between the top of the |
cook pot and the food surface |
to allow for simmering. |
• 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 crock |
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 browning stage, simply add |
your meat and other ingredients |
into the slow cooker and cover |
with boiling liquid/stock. You will |
need to increase the recipe |
cooking time as follows: High |
setting +1 hour, Medium setting |
hours. |
• Most meat and vegetable |
recipes require 71/2 |
on low, 4 1/2 |
• Do not use frozen meat or | • When cooking joints of meat, | |
poultry unless it is thoroughly |
| ham, poultry etc, the size and |
thawed out first. |
| shape of the joint is important. |
• Some ingredients are not |
| Try to keep the joint in the |
| lower 2/3 of the pot and fully | |
suitable for slow cooking. |
| cover with water. If necessary, |
Pasta, seafood, milk, and |
| cut into two pieces. Joint |
cream should be added |
| weight should be kept within |
towards the end of the cooking |
| the maximum limit of 1kg for |
time. Many things can affect |
| this slow cooker. |
how quickly a recipe will cook, |
|
|
water and fat content, initial |
| COOKING GUIDE |
temperature of the food and |
| |
the size of the food. |
| The cooking times given in the |
|
| |
• Pieces of food cut into small |
| following recipes are for the |
pieces will cook quicker. |
| ‘MEDIUM’ setting. Should you |
A degree of ‘trial and error’ will |
| want to increase or reduce the |
be required to fully optimise |
| time, please refer to the |
the potential of your slow |
| cooking guide in the table |
cooker. |
| below A. Please note that |
• Vegetables usually take longer |
| these cooking times are for |
| guidance only and may vary | |
to cook than meat, so try and |
| depending on food type and |
arrange vegetables in the |
| personal tastes. For your |
lower half of the pot. |
| convenience, a conversion |
• After food is cooked, switch |
| table for weight and volume |
| has been included on page 19. | |
off and leave covered with the |
|
|
lid. There will be enough heat |
| Eg. If the recipe says cook for |
in the crock pot to keep warm |
| 3 1/2 |
for 30 minutes. If you require |
| require this to be a shorter |
longer to keep warm, switch to |
| time, cook on HIGH, which will |
the low setting. |
| reduce the cooking time to |
|
| hours. Increasing the time, |
• All food should be covered |
| choose LOW which will give 6- |
with a liquid, gravy or sauce. In |
| 8 hours. |
a separate pan or jug, prepare |
| The recipes are based on |
your liquid, gravy or sauce and |
| |
completely cover the food in |
| MAXIMUM WORKING |
the crock pot. |
| VOLUMES. |
• |
| 3.5 litres: |
a pan to seal in the juices, this |
| This slow cooker has a |
also reduces the fat content if |
| |
separated before adding to the |
| working capacity of 21/2 litres / |
crock pot. This is not |
| 4 1/2 pts. This allows a 2cm |
necessary if the time is limited, |
| space between the top of the |
but improves the flavour. |
| crock pot and the food. |
AEquivalent cook times for low and high settings
medium, and 3 1/2 |
high. |
Cook on
MEDIUM
3 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours
5 1/2 - 7 1/2 hours
7 1/2 - 9 1/2 hours
Cook on
LOW
5 1/2 - 7 1/2 hours
7 1/2 - 9 1/2 hours
9 1/2 - 111/2 hours
Cook on
HIGH
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours
4 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours
6 1/2 - 7 1/2 hours
5
