Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [4]
For families of four or more, I’d recommend anything in the 5- to 7-quart range. Try a few of the recipes in the book, and you may decide you like this type of cooking so much you might get a an additional smaller or larger size. Remember that the slow cooker is a great tool when entertaining because it keeps dishes warm as well as cooks them.
CARE AND FEEDING OF THE SLOW COOKER
Food safety is always important, regardless of the equipment you are using. Make sure to wash your slow cooker insert thoroughly with hot soapy water, rinse it thoroughly, and dry it completely after washing. Keeping the outside clean is also important. The exterior of a slow cooker tends to get spotted with food stains, but cleaning those stains after cooling the slow cooker is a snap. Make sure to read the manufacturer’s directions on safe usage, cleaning, and storage of your slow cooker. Make sure to follow these simple rules for food safety:
Cool hot ingredients before adding them to cold ingredients.
Wash cutting boards thoroughly after each use and run them through the dishwasher if possible.
Use separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before undertaking any type of prep work.
Recently slow-cooker liners have become available. Made of heatproof plastic, these liners are a lifesaver when you are making a dish that is guaranteed to stick to your pan. I also like to line the slow cooker when I am making a casserole. I will partially freeze the insert with the casserole until the casserole will hold its shape, then I remove the liner with the partially frozen casserole, wrap it in plastic wrap or in a zipper-top plastic bag, seal it airtight, and freeze it. When ready to cook, I then defrost the frozen casserole overnight in the refrigerator before putting it into the slow cooker the next morning. See individual recipes for instructions.
Some slow cookers come with a rack, which can be used to keep dishes like custard cups and ramekins from touching the bottom. Racks also help steam food at a constant temperature and are an added feature I find useful.
CONVERTING YOUR RECIPES TO THE SLOW COOKER:
If you have a dish that is braised on the stovetop or in the oven that you would like to convert to the slow cooker, follow these general guidelines.
CONVENTIONAL OVEN OR STOVETOP SLOW COOKER
½ hr 1½ hrs high/3 hrs low
1 hr 3½ hrs high/6 to 7 hrs low
2 hrs 4½ hrs high/9 to 10 hrs low
3 hrs 5½ hrs high/10 to 11 hrs low
Never fill your slow cooker more than two-thirds full. When foods give up their moisture over the long cooking process, you may find your cooker filled to the brim with liquid by the time you are ready to serve. Also make sure that the ingredients fill the slow cooker at least halfway, to ensure even cooking. If you don’t have enough ingredients to fill the cooker halfway, your timing will be off.
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR GETTING THE MOST FLAVOR
Chef Jose Andres, one of the world’s most renowned chefs, said that his father told him that “every step in cooking is important.” Andres expanded his father’s advice by saying “every inglorious” step helps you prepare dishes that are flavorful and memorable. So if you think that browning the meat before it goes into the cooker isn’t important, remember that every step is important. I have tried where appropriate to streamline the prep so that it is minimal, but if I instruct you to brown, or stir, or lift the top off the cooker, it’s because the finished dish benefited from that step.
There are lots of tricks to use with slow cooking. Because the foods themselves give off moisture in the form of liquid, you will need to back off on the amount of liquid that you add to the pot (this is especially true if you are converting a conventional recipe for a slow cooker), and this will concentrate the flavors in the dish. Even beyond that simple rule, there are other tricks that will help coax the maximum flavor from your dishes.
Brown meats, poultry, and other proteins before adding them to the slow