In my slow cooker today...

sarahpenny wrote: »

Very interested in buying a slow cooker...but do you always have to brown meat off first? If you just bunged in a chicken (as someone did a few posts back) would it come out all peely-wally? Also, if you do have to fry things first, could you do that the night before? (so NOT a morning person!!)
Thanks for any info

With you there! I;m not a morning person either, so I genreally fry stuff off the night before, and never had a problem with it.

I've also put meat in without frying it off first:

Chicken without skin on it, and diced pork, I haven't found it makes any difference either way.

Beef always seems best browned off first, but can get away with it if diced in a 'dark' sauce.

Minced beef is NASTY unless you brown it first!

I've never bothered trying to brown turkey drumsticks or whole chickens - if I want the skin crisped up I pop them under the grill after cooking!

HTH,

FE

Thanks all. Just one last question. Do you think I can get away with buying a cheapy one? Asda has a very reasonable one or should I spend a bit more and get one from a 'name'? (and help them with their advertsing budget??)

sarahpenny wrote: »

Thanks all. Just one last question. Do you think I can get away with buying a cheapy one? Asda has a very reasonable one or should I spend a bit more and get one from a 'name'? (and help them with their advertsing budget??)

In most cases they are made by the same company. I have a Durabrand and a Tefal, and they are identical.

donny-gal wrote: »

I have a bread and butter pudding in mine!
DG

Oooooh can I have your recipe please :j ?

I love making rice pudding in mine - so easy - makes around 5 or 6 portions.

See the recipe I have on my blog:
http://savingsnow.blogspot.com/

Then for added yummyness, sprinkle on some brown sugar and place under a grill for a few minutes... :T

well I have been a bit sceptical about my SC but gave it another whirl today. I had a couple of lovely big lamb loin chops from a new farm box I'm trying out, and my veggie box was due today so I planned to do irish stew. But when I popped home at lunchtime, the veg hadn't arrived so I had to improvise.

So I browned the chops and an onion, threw a tin of cannellini beans in the slow cooker. Got the chops going nicely and transferred them into the sc with the onions. Added enough hot water to cover the beans, a splash of concentrated beef stock and loads of seasoning and put it on high. At this point the veg box arrived but I decided to stick with the new plan. Home again with DD2 after school - the lamb was still quite tough so I left it high and got some chunky chips going in the remoska.

About 5 hours cooking in the end and the lamb was gorgeous. Chips were too soft - think I overfilled the remoska, but I served them mixed with the beans and casserole juice and they were pretty good. Did some peas as well. Very nice. Even my reluctant meat eater DD1 cleared her plate.