9
Hints and Tips
•
When in Browning mode, always remember to
press START after the pan has pre-heated and
displays "READY", even if you don’t need the
timer.
• The Browning mode assists you in your
slow cooking by allowing you to sear meat
and vegetables at the beginning, but also
allows you to thicken sauces and make
gravies at the end.
• To thicken a casserole at the end of
cooking, set the Browning mode to SEAR
and stir through a little cornflour combine
with water. Allow to simmer, stirring until
thickened.
• Your SecretChef is not only great for soups,
casseroles, curries, stews and roasts,
but also great for breakfasts, puddings,
desserts and most of your other favourite
recipes.
• To boil water, set your SecretChef to 120°C
with the lid on.
• Slow Cooking is perfect for the cheaper,
tough cuts of meats, as the lengthy cooking
process tenderises these cuts.
• When in Slow Cooker mode, the SecretChef
does not recover lost heat quickly. So only
lift the lid if necessary or if instructed to
do so in the recipe.
• It’s a good idea to monitor your cooking
results throughout the cooking cycle
by viewing through the lid rather than
removing the lid (causing heat loss).
Different cuts and thickness of meats and
vegetables can vary cooking times.
• It is not uncommon for meat to cook
faster than root vegetables. It is for this
reason that we recommend chopping all
vegetables to a similar small size. Meat can
be cut into larger chunks because if it is
cut too small, it will break up once cooked
and tenderised.
• Slow Cooking prevents evaporation,
resulting in the flavours and juices being
maintained. Keep this in mind when
creating your own recipes, as you may not
require as much liquid as you would when
using other cooking methods.
• Don’t be scared to experiment with your
SecretChef. With your SecretChef, there
are a myriad of possibilities.
Roasts
• With your SecretChef, you can roast a
whole chicken as well as whole pieces of
meat, such as lamb, beef, veal and pork.
• Roasts can be cooked without the addition
of liquid as they will release juices while
cooking. These juices are great to make
sauces and gravies.
• To make a sauce or gravy with the roast
juices, remove the meat and cover with
foil to keep warm. Set the Browning mode
to SEAR and stir through some cornflour
mixed with a little water. Allow to simmer,
stirring until thickened. You can also add
some stock or wine to stretch the gravy a
little further and add great flavour.
• Do not use oven bags in the SecretChef.
• Roasting in the Slow Cooker will not brown
your meat or chicken, as roasting in an
oven does. If you want your roast to be
golden, we recommend using the browning
mode to sear the meat first.
• Leftover roast makes great sandwiches
the next day. Try the caramelised onion or
tomato chutney recipe and make burgers
with the leftovers!
