Slow Cookers

[jake]

Not yet - we still have the semi-working cooker at the moment. Fortunately, the grill still works, as does the hob, & I have both a microwave & a slow cooker too. The oven does still work - it just takes everyhting longer coz it won't get as hot - LOL!

I had a slow cooker one time, but it never got out the box. I'm not exactly Nigella when it comes to cooking. We usually eat courtesy of 'Lord Sainsbury' and M&S !!

[Maureen]

What is a slow cooker?

[jake]

What is a slow cooker?

I honestly am not sure how they work! I think you put your 'stuff' in it and cook it over a number of hours. Mine was never out the box.

[Kell]

They're excellent for doing things like soups or chillis - I did a roast beef ni it the other week & it was delicious!

[jake]

They're excellent for doing things like soups or chillis - I did a roast beef ni it the other week & it was delicious!

Do you just bung everything in and leave it for a few hours?

[Kell]

Basically, yup. Mine came with a booklet with recipes in it too, so I could get a handle on how to use it. I did a gorgeous rice pudding in it the other week - scrumptious!

[Freewheeling Andy]

Thinking of slow cooking - I made rillettes yesterday, which cooked very low for about 7 hours in the end.

[Freewheeling Andy]

I didn't use a slow cooker. I used the oven, set on low.

[Michelle]

Does anyone know any recipies?

[Freewheeling Andy]

The rillettes are excellent, by the way, but not quite right. I think there's not enough fat in them, peculiarly. Cooking was very simple. Just render down cubed pork belly with a bit of garlic and seasoning in a pot for a very long time on a long temperature, then shred the pork and allow it to set in its own fat. Mmmmmm!

[wrathofkublakhan]

What is a slow cooker?

One of the brand names is Crock Pot.
I think it's a thick ceramic, a pot that has two settings: low and high, the intent is to cook things over a longer period of time so the flavors can really do it right.

Like someone else said in this thread: it's great for stews and soups. However you can use coffee cans and make bread in a slow cooker!

There are a lot of fairly elaborate recipes and it can get pretty fancy - but for me, I like the "ease of use" part, toss in a bunch of the things you like for a strew and cook it over night on low. It can double as a fondue pot, melt some cheese for dip perhaps.
Just know you usually want something fairly hardy (like roots) if you want to cook veggies - carrots, corn, potatoes, hominy that sorta deal. Broccoli just turns into mush over 8 hours of slow boil.

My current dinner that is now in my slow cooker --

I chopped up some garlic cloves,
added some thin sliced pork,
added a small can of green chiles,
added half a can of hominy,
some whole mushrooms,
added chicken broth until the pot was about 3/4 full -- set it on low; I've been eating it for the past two days. Now that's pretty darn easy - they stress that you don't lift the lid or stir it.

Just....walk....away....

[Maureen]

Thanks Wrath. That sounds simple. I've never used one though.

[JudyB]

However you can use coffee cans and make bread in a slow cooker!

.

I'm intrigued by this Wrath - tell me more.

I use mine to cook the Christmas pudding - it's foolproof as it doesn't dry out and you can leave it to cook over night. Slow cooker's are also brilliant for when you're working and you want your food to be ready when you return - because they cook slowly you can leave them on while you're at work.

[wrathofkublakhan]

I'm intrigued by this Wrath - tell me more.


Well, take a look at: http://www.recipenet.org/health/recipes/recipkit/slow_cooker_bread1.htm

and: http://www.recipenet.org/health/articles/crockpot.htm

remember -- it's supposed to be fun, otherwise why bother?

[JudyB]

Thanks Wrath - I'm going to try this.