6
•
When removing the Glass Lid
(2)
, tilt it so that the
opening faces away from you to avoid being burnt
by the released steam.
•
The Handle
(1)
, Glass Lid
(2)
, Cooking Pot
(3)
and
Base Unit
(5)
all become hot during cooking.
Always use oven gloves when handling ANY
part of the Slow Cooker during 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
thawed prior to cooking.
•
Cut root vegetables into small, even pieces, as
they take longer to cook than meat. Ensure that
root vegetables are always placed at the bottom
of the Cooking Pot
(3)
and all ingredients are
immersed in the cooking liquid.
•
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.
•
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 meat,
hams or whole chickens to ensure they are
cooked to the desired temperature.
•
WARNING: Do not use your Slow Cooker to
reheat any food with the exception of Christmas
Pudding.
•
Your 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 5cm gap from the rim of
the Cooking Pot
(3)
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 10-15 minutes extra cooking time
for each time you remove the Glass Lid
(2)
.
•
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
(3)
and add boiling
liquid/stock. In most of the recipes in this book,
the meat ingredients are browned by searing in a
pan to improve their appearance and flavour.
•
Most meat and vegetable recipes require 8-10
hours on the Low setting, Medium Setting 5-7
hours and 4-6 hours on the High setting.
•
Some ingredients are not suitable for slow
cooking. Pasta, seafood, milk and cream should
be added towards the end of the cooking time.
•
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.
•
All food should be covered with a liquid, gravy or
sauce. In a separate pan or jug, prepare your
liquid, gravy or sauce and completely cover the
food in the Cooking Pot
(3)
.
•
When cooking joints of meat, ham, poultry etc,
the size and shape of the joint is important. Try to
keep the joint in the lower 2/3 of the pot. If
necessary, cut into two pieces.
Joint weight should be kept within the maximum
limit of 1kg.
Foods for slow cooking
Handling the Glass Lid and
Cooking Pot
Slow cooking tips
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