Morphy Richards 48720 - Manual (Page 4)

4
About slow
cooking
• Slow cooking has always been
the best way to prepare a
nutritious hot meal with
minimum preparation and
maximum free time away from
the kitchen. Morphy Richards
has brought this style of
cooking into this modern,
cooking system; providing you
with style, convenience and
great tasting meals.
• Traditionally, slow cooking has
centred on soups and
casseroles, but with this oval
ceramic pot you can also
produce most modern family
meals and dinner party dishes.
This pot is convenient as well
as looking good enough to take
straight to the table for serving
(always place the ceramic pot
on a heat proof mat or surface).
• Slow cooking gives you
convenient, versatile and
flavoursome food. The longer
cooking times allow better
distribution of flavours, giving
them time to blend and season
the food. A slow cooker heats
food gently, making it a great
way to cook meats - in
particular, less-expensive cuts,
such as stewing beef, which are
tenderised through the long
cooking process. Remember,
there are no limits to the
potential uses of your slow
cooker, only your imagination!
IMPORTANT: The slow cooker
works by building up heat and
maintaining an even
temperature. To get the best
cooking results, do not remove
the lid during cooking, since
this will lose heat and therefore
slow down the cooking time.
The glass lid allows you to
monitor the cooking progress
without interrupting the cooking
time.
Suitable foods for
slow cooking
• Most foods are suited to slow
cooking methods, however
there are a few guidelines that
need to be followed.
• Make sure all frozen ingredients
are well thawed out.
• Cut root vegetables into small,
even pieces, as they take longer
to cook than meat. They should
be gently sauteed for 2-3
minutes before slow cooking.
Ensure that root vegetables are
always placed at the bottom of
the pot and all ingredients are
immersed in the cooking liquid.
• Trim all excess fat from meat
before cooking, since the slow
cooking method does not allow
fat to evaporate.
• If adapting an existing recipe
from conventional cooking, you
may need to cut down on the
amount of liquid used. Liquid
will not evaporate from the slow
cooker to the same extent as
with conventional cooking.
• Never leave uncooked food at
room temperature in the slow
cooker.
• Do not use the slow cooker to
reheat food.
• Uncooked red beans must be
soaked and boiled for at least
10 minutes to remove toxins
before use in a slow cooker.
• Insert a meat thermometer into
joints of roasts, hams, or whole
chickens to ensure they are
cooked to the desired
temperature.
Do’s and do not’s
for the ceramic pot
• Authentic stoneware is fired at
high temperatures, therefore,
the ceramic pot may have minor
surface blemishes, the glass lid
may rock slightly due to these
imperfections. Low heat
cooking does not produce
steam, so there will be little
heat loss. Due to normal wear
and tear through the product’s
life, the outer surface may start
appearing ‘crazed’.
• Do not put the ceramic pot or
glass lid in an oven, freezer,
microwave or on a
gas/electrical hob.
• Do not pre-heat before adding
ingredients.
• Do not subject the ceramic pot
to sudden changes in
temperature. Adding cold water
to a very hot pot could cause it
to crack.
• Do not allow the pot to stand in
water for a long time (you can
leave water in the pot to soak).
There is an area on the base of
the ceramic pot that has to
remain unglazed for
manufacturing purposes. This
unglazed area is porous,
therefore will soak up water, this
should be avoided.
• Do not switch the slow cooker
on when the ceramic pot is
empty or out of the base.
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48720 Rev2 15/8/08 10:31 Page 4