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Like all appliances, the slow cooker has its unique way of doing things and, as a result, you need to understand how it works and adapt your cooking style accordingly. Success in the slow cooker, like success in the oven or on top of the stove, depends on using proper cooking techniques. The slow cooker saves you time because it allows you to forget about the food once it is in the stoneware. But you must still pay attention to the advance preparation. Here are a few tips that will help ensure slow cooker success.

Soften Vegetables

Although it requires using an extra pan, I am committed to softening most vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker. In my experience, this is not the most time-consuming part of preparing a slow cooker dish — it usually takes longer to peel and chop the vegetables, which you have to do anyway. But softening vegetables such as onions and carrots dramatically improves the quality of the dish for two reasons: it adds color and begins the process of caramelization, which breaks down the vegetables’ natural sugars and releases their flavor; and it extracts the fat-soluble components of foods, which further enriches the taste. Moreover, tossing herbs and spices with the softened vegetables emulsifies their flavor, helping to produce a sauce in which the flavors are better integrated into the dish than they would have been if this step had been skipped.

Reduce Liquid

As you use your slow cooker, one of the first things you will notice is that it generates a tremendous amount of liquid. Because slow cookers cook at a low heat, tightly covered, liquid doesn’t evaporate as it does in the oven or on top of the stove. As a result, food made from traditional recipes will be watery. So the second rule of successful slow cooking is to reduce the amount of liquid. Naturally, you don’t want to reduce the flavor, so I suggest using lower-salt broth or homemade salt-free stock, rather than water, to cook most of the dishes. The other potential problem with liquid generation is that it can affect the results of starch dishes, such as cakes and some grains. One technique that works well with such dishes is to place folded tea towels over top of the stoneware before covering with the lid. This prevents accumulated moisture from dripping onto the food.

Cut Root Vegetables into Thin Slices or Small Pieces

Perhaps surprisingly, root vegetables — carrots, parsnips, turnips and, particularly, potatoes — cook very slowly in the slow cooker. As a result, root vegetables should be thinly sliced or cut into small pieces no larger than 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.

Pay Attention to Cooking Temperature

Many desserts, such as those containing milk, cream or some leavening agents, need to be cooked on High. In these recipes, a Low setting is not suggested as an option. For recipes that aren’t dependent upon cooking at a particular temperature, the rule of thumb is that 1 hour of cooking on High equals 2 to 2½ hours on Low.

Don’t Overcook

Although slow cooking reduces your chances of overcooking food, it is still not a “one size fits all” solution to meal preparation. Many vegetables, such as beans, lentils and root vegetables, need a good 8-hour cooking span and may even benefit from a longer cooking time. But others, such as green beans and cauliflower, are usually cooked within 6 hours on Low and will be overcooked and unappetizing if left for longer. One solution (which, because of food safety concerns, is not possible if you are cooking meat) is to extend the cooking time by assembling the dish ahead, then refrigerating it overnight in the stoneware. Because the mixture and the stoneware are chilled, the vegetables will take longer to cook. This is a useful technique if you are cooking more-tender vegetables and need to be away from the house all day.

Use Ingredients Appropriately

Some ingredients do not respond well to long, slow cooking at all, and should be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking, after the temperature has been increased to High. These include zucchini, peas, snow peas, fish and seafood, as well as milk and cream (which will curdle if cooked too long.)

Although I love to cook with peppers, I’ve learned that most peppers become bitter if cooked for too long. The same holds true for cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauces (such as Tabasco) and large quantities of spicy curry powder (small quantities of mild curry powder seem to fare well, possibly because natural sugars in the vegetables counter any bitterness). The solution to this problem is to add fresh green or red bell peppers to recipes during the last 30 minutes of cooking, use cayenne pepper in small quantities, if at all, and add hot pepper sauce after the dish is cooked. All of the recipes in this book address these concerns in the instructions.

Use Whole-Leaf Herbs and Coarsely Ground Spices

Spices (such as cumin seeds) that have been toasted and coarsely ground and whole-leaf herbs (such as dried thyme and oregano leaves) release their flavors slowly throughout the long cooking period. Finely ground spices and herbs, on the other hand, tend to lose flavor during slow cooking. If you’re using fresh herbs, finely chop them — unless you’re using the whole stem (which works best with thyme and rosemary) — and add during the last hour of cooking.

I recommend the use of cracked black peppercorns rather than ground pepper in many of my recipes because they release flavor slowly during the long cooking process. “Cracked pepper” can be purchased in the spice section of supermarkets, but I like to make my own using a mortar and pestle. If you prefer to use ground black pepper, use one-quarter to half the amount of cracked black peppercorns called for in the recipe.

Tip

Many of the recipes call for ½ to 1 tsp (5 to 10 mL) of salt. In most cases, this could be omitted to reduce sodium intake.

Find Dishes and Pans That Fit into Your Stoneware

Some recipes, notably breads, need to be cooked in an extra dish placed in the slow cooker stoneware. Not only will you need a large oval slow cooker for this purpose, but finding a dish or pan that fits into the stoneware can be a challenge. I’ve found several kinds of dishes that suit this purpose well: standard 7-inch (17.5 cm) square baking pans; 4-cup (1 L) and 6-cup (1.5 L) ovenproof baking dishes; 6-cup (1.5 L) soufflé dishes; and 8- by 4-inch (20 by 10 cm) loaf pans.

Before you decide to make a recipe that requires a baking dish, make sure you have a container that will fit into your stoneware. I’ve noted the size and dimensions of the containers used in all relevant recipes. Be aware that varying the size and shape of the dish is likely to affect cooking times.

Maximize Slow Cooker Convenience

In addition to producing mouthwatering food, a slow cooker’s great strength is convenience. Where appropriate, my recipes contain a Make Ahead tip that will help you maximize this attribute. To get the most out of your slow cooker,

•Prepare ingredients to the cooking stage the night before you intend to cook, to keep work to a minimum in the morning.

•Cook a recipe overnight and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serving Size Matters

In the 1970s, a typical pasta serving in a restaurant was 1 cup (250 mL); now, it’s not unusual to see a serving size of 3 cups (750 mL). Bagels weighing 5 oz (150 g) or more dwarf those of 30 years ago, which were 2 to 3 oz (60 to 85 g).

We encounter this “portion distortion” or “portion creep” everywhere we turn. And it’s easy to start choosing larger amounts of food than we need, often without realizing it. So you may find that some of the serving sizes in this book are smaller than you’re accustomed to. The Portion Calculator on pages 13–15 will help you serve yourself the right amount.