6
SOUPS:
•
Some recipes call for large amounts of water/stock. Add the soup ingredients to the cooking bowl first then add water/
stock only to cover. If a thinner soup is desired, add more liquid when serving.
MEATS:
•
Trim fat, rinse well, and pat meat dry with paper towels.
•
Browning meat in a separate frying pan or grill pan allows fat to be drained off before slow cooking and also adds
greater depth of flavour.
•
Meat should be positioned so that it rests in the cooking bowl without touching the lid.
•
For smaller or larger cuts of meat, alter the amount of vegetables or potatoes so that the cooking bowl is always ½ to
¾ full.
•
The size of the meat and the recommended cook times are just estimates and can vary depending upon the specific
cut, type, and bone structure. Lean meats such as chicken or pork tenderloin tend to cook faster than meats with more
connective tissue and fat such as brisket or pork shoulder. Cooking meat on the bone versus boneless will increase
required cook times.
•
Cut meat into smaller pieces when cooking with precooked foods such as beans, or light vegetables such as
mushrooms, diced onion, aubergine, or finely minced vegetables. This enables all food to cook at the same rate.
FISH:
• Fish cooks quickly and should be added at the end of the cooking cycle during the last fifteen minutes to one hour of
cooking.
LIQUID:
•
It might appear that slow cooker recipes only have a small quantity of liquid in them but the slow cooking process
differs from other cooking methods in that the added liquid in the recipe will almost double during the cooking time. If
you are adapting a recipe for your slow cooker from a conventional recipe, please reduce the amount of liquid before
cooking.
RECIPES
Root vegetable soup
Serves 5
•
200g carrots, peeled and cut into 5cm pieces
•
200g celeriac, peeled and cut into 5cm pieces
•
200g leeks, trimmed and washed and cut into 5cm lengths
•
200g swede, peeled and cut into 5cm pieces
•
1 onion, diced
•
1.5 litres of good quality vegetable stock
•
2 bay leaves
•
Salt and pepper
4. Place all the ingredients into the removable cooking bowl, fit the lid, and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for
4–5 hours.
5. Allow to cool before transferring to a blending jug and blend to the desired consistency.
Alternatively, just blend half to
achieve a thicker soup with some texture.
Serve piping hot garnished with a swirl of crème fraiche and some snipped chives.
