Crock-Pot 201023, Instruction Manual

7

VEGETABLES:

•

Many vegetables benefit from slow cooking and are able to develop their full flavour. They tend not to overcook in your

slow cooker as they might in your oven or on your hob.

•

When cooking recipes with vegetables and meat, place vegetables into the cooking bowl before meat. Vegetables

usually cook more slowly than meat in the slow cooker and benefit from being partially immersed in the cooking liquid.

•

Place vegetables near the sides or bottom of the cooking bowl to help cooking.

MILK:

•

Milk, cream, and sour cream break down during extended cooking. When possible, add during the last 15 to 30

minutes of cooking.

•

Condensed soups may be substituted for milk and can cook for extended times.

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 beforehand 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 transfer to a

container suitable for hand blending.

Serve piping hot garnished with a swirl of crème fraiche and some snipped chives.