Oh joy! I have got a slow cooker again

[OrmIrian]

Having smashed the casserole dish from the last one that my DB bought me when I was a penniless student. Mum gave me a lovely shiny new one for Christmas and I just cooked a brisket of beef in loads of red wine - 48 hours of slooooow cooking and it was like angels food. Bliss!

OOh, I bought a new one today and am all ready to make beef stew tomorrow! Does it make your house smell all lovely? recipe please!

aah now I'm glad you started this thread because they have some in the sale in Sainsburys but I wanted to ask a few questions before I got one (had never even heard of them!)...

do you set the time that it has to cook?

how does it not run out of liquid and burn up (have visions of burning down the house while I'm at work!)?

how does it cook the meat if it cooks at a really low temperature?

got one for christmas, still sitting there, shiny new as i don't know what to do with it atm. hoping for a set of plates so was a tad dissappointed when i opened it but after having read a few threads on here they sound fab and i'm off to library to get a recipe book. just hoping my house doesn't smell of meat and onions for ever more!

pah, sod sainsbo's mine was £8.50 from argos!

It doesn't run out of liquid as the lid stays on so it seals, so any liquid can't evaporate into the ether and stays in the cooker.

Apart from that I have no idea...!

You have to heat up the stock/liquid first, the slow cooker just keeps it at that temperature. The liquid doesn't evaporate, so the sauce stays the same consistency throughout cooking (not like in the oven when it thickens).

Love mine, had pork in cider for tea tonight.

Now, I really must carry on with my NYE partying.

(not really partying, lying on the sofa whilst mumsnetting )

Meat cooks at a very low temp. Veggies generally need a bit of a higher temp.

I love my slow cooker for when I'm at uni. I prep the night before, stick the crock in the fridge and then just put it on low before I leave in the morning.

Current fav is chicken thighs browned in olive oil, take the chicken out and add shallots/onions and garlic & soften. Delaze pan with big splash of white wine &1/2 pint of stock, thicken with a spoon of flour. Stick in fridge.

Put in slow cooker on low all day long. Come home to a wonderful smell.

A very simple bolognase: Brown mince, garlic & onion. Add one carton of passata with herbs. Cook on low all day - really simple but gorgeous.

Just don't put loads of liquid in, it seems to generate extra liquid on it's own.

Cider recipe please.

I'm confused - I thought the stuff had to boiling when you put it in the slow cooker - and that you couldn't just take it out of the fridge and set it off. Clearly that works JudgeNutmeg (I wouldn't argue wit a judge ) You really put the meat in cold?

With pleasure (have made a note of your chicken recipe, thanks)

Chop 2 sticks of celery, an onion, and an apple into small pieces and fry in a bit of butter and olive oil. Put in the slow cooker.

Chop pork (I used loin) and brown in same pan. Mix 2 tbsp flour with a bit of cider until dissolved, then stir in the rest of the cider (I use a 500ml bottle), then add to the pan. Chuck in a bouquet garni and some salt and pepper, heat until simmering and pour over the veg in the slow cooker. Cook all day. Stir in a bit of cream before serving.

If you put your prepared meal in the fridge at night do you then reheat it before you put in the slow cooker? Or not bother?

I don't bother to reheat before putting it in the slow cooker from the fridge. As i normally put whatever to be reheated first thing in the morning so it is cooking allday.

I've been putting cold food in the slow-cooker for nearly 20 years and am still extremely robust.

I have a book called 'slow-cooking explained' that has a rule.....hot food into a hot crockpot, cold food in a cold crock-pot. I think this rule ensures that the pot doesn't crack. [/end saddo , back to hootenanny]

Well I must admit that when I once put cold food in it didn't cook that well so I tend to put stuff in hot. But on that occasion I didn't have all that much time to let it cook and if I'd left it long enough it would probably be fine. I have a high setting on this one that is probably good for starting things off - but as I never read instructions I haven't found out yet

I don't brown meat first. I just bung everything in cold and don't add any water as the meat juices and water from the veg makes enough liquid. I feel like browning stuff first just makes it faff and I have a slow cooker for non-faffability.
I have an auto button that cooks on high first for I think 1 hour then turns itself down to low. My lamb hotpot lumps with chunky lumps of carrot and onion have been in there since 10am and smell delicious.

get a slow cooker its the way forward love mine, we go caravaning go off all day walking and get back to a lovely dinner. It will never burn has the food is cooking the steam hits the lid and goes back into the food.,so you don't need so much liquid. A curry is heaven cooked in a slow cooker!!
I am starving now

dh has recently done a lamb tangine recipe (twice) and a spag bol - all of which have burnt on the top. Can't understand why - but have a very definite burnt crust.
Has been fine with all the stew / casserole type things I make.

Ooo, have been thinking about buying a slow cooker for a while. Can anyone advise which size to buy - 3.5L or 6.5L (looking at a Morphy Richards one) - for me, DH and 2 young children. Was thinking the larger one so I can freeze leftovers or eat same thing on consecutive days, or are they huge?? (haven't seen any, going to buy online)

Has anyone got the tefal 4 in 1 rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer and would you recommend it?