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Using Your Slow Cooker
ОглавлениеThe slow cooker’s less-is-better approach is, in many ways, the secret of its success. The appliance does its work by cooking foods very slowly — from about 200°F (90°C) on the Low setting to 300°F (150°C) on High. This slow, moist cooking environment enables the appliance to produce mouthwatering braises, chilies and many other kinds of soups and stews, as well as delicious breakfast cereals and desserts.
An Effective Time Manager
In addition to producing great-tasting food, a slow cooker is one of the most effective time-management tools available. Most recipes can be at least partially prepared up to two days before you intend to cook. (For detailed instructions, look for the Make Ahead that accompanies appropriate recipes.) Once the ingredients have been assembled in the stoneware and the appliance is turned on, you can pretty much forget about it. The slow cooker performs unattended while you carry on with your workaday life. You can be away from the kitchen all day and return to a hot, delicious meal.
A Low-Tech Appliance
Slow cookers are amazingly low tech. The appliance usually consists of a metal casing and a stoneware insert with a tight-fitting lid. For convenience, this insert should be removable from the metal casing, making it easier to clean and increasing its versatility as a serving dish. The casing contains the heat source: electric coils that usually surround the stoneware insert. These coils do their work using the energy it takes to power a 100-watt light bulb. Because the slow cooker operates on such a small amount of energy, you can safely leave it turned on while you are away from home.
Slow Cooker Basics
Slow cookers are generally round or oval and range in size from 1 to 7 quarts. I feel there is a benefit to having two: a smaller (3- to 4-quart) one, which is ideal for making recipes with smaller yields, such as breakfast cereals and some desserts; and a larger (6-quart) oval one, which is necessary for cooking larger quantities, as well as for making recipes that call for setting a baking dish or pan inside the stoneware. Because the heating coils usually surround the stoneware, most slow cookers cook from the sides, rather than the bottom, which means you’ll produce better results if the stoneware is at least half-full. Some manufacturers sell a “slow cooker” that is actually a multi-cooker. It has a heating element at the bottom and, in my experience, it cooks faster than a traditional slow cooker. Also, since the heat source is at the bottom, it is likely that the food will scorch during the long cooking time unless it is stirred.
Your slow cooker should come with a booklet that explains how to use the appliance. I recommend that you read this carefully and/or visit the manufacturer’s website for specific information on the model you purchased. I’ve cooked with a variety of slow cookers and have found that cooking times can vary substantially from one to another. Although it may not seem particularly helpful if you’re just starting out, the only firm advice I can give is: Know your slow cooker. After trying a few of these recipes, you will get a sense of whether your slow cooker is faster or slower than the ones I use, and you will be able to adjust the cooking times accordingly.
Other variables that can affect cooking time are extreme humidity, power fluctuations and high altitudes. Be extra vigilant if any of these circumstances affect you.