On The Bone Chicken & Slow Cookers?

Bossyboots

leonie wrote:

Well I decided I needed a slow cooker and its cooking me my first meal as we speak, a lovely beef casserole.

But what I want to check is this: We love a Sunday roast chicken. Is it really ok to just wash the chicken and chuck it in the Slow cooker without any water or anything? Dont these things explode or crack without liquid?

I'm not bothered that the skin wont be brown and crispy as I cut it up before serving at the table, just concerned about using a dry pot. Please reassure me its ok!

I put a chicken in my slow cooker on Saturday, as usual with no other liquid. By the time it came out 8 hours later there was a good inch or more of fluid in the bottom of the crock pot.

My cooker recipe book also allows for jacket potatoes to be done dry so it might be worth looking at your manual again to see what it says.

leonie_2

Many thanks everyone.

Look at the differences though, some manuals say dont use them dry, whilst others say you can do jacket potatoes in them!

I checked out my manual, its just the argos cookworks SC and theres no mention of it not being able to run dry.

Good point about and inch of juices. I think what I may do is add an onion and few carrots at the bottom, like a platform for the chicken to stand on. then add half an inch of water, just to keep it going until the juices lubricate the pot.

I want to do this before I go to bed on Saturday night so I have a lovely chicken for with my Sunday dinner, thats why im worried as I wont be able to check on it whilst im sleeping.

halloweenqueen_2

Great idea with the breast of lamb, just got 2 and will use the slow cooker for them.
When I cooked my gammon I washed it off and then put just enough water to cover the very bottom of the crock pot and it was the best gammon we've had. We are going to do this regularly and use for sandwiches rather than buying the plastic ham.

arkonite_babe

Just on the subject of meat on the bone. I bought a half leg of lamb from Iceland tonight. Now it says to cook from frozen, is there anyway I can do it in the slow cooker to make it lovely and tender, or should I just stick to recommended instructions??

Becles

I bought some Tesco value stewing beef because it was reduced to £1.50 on it's use by date. Due to the price, the meat was as tough as old boots!

It's been in the slow cooker all day, and I put it out for the family this evening. Nobody noticed it was cheap meat, as it was just as tender as more expensive beef.

Worth buying cheap if you're going to slow cook it!

kingfisher1961

My favourite tea is Chicken thighs done in the SC with vegetables and chicken stock. I take the skin off first as I don't like it too fatty but it makes a lovely chicken casserole and the meat just falls off the bone. My DH would only eat boneless portions before but even he enjoys this. Hope your chicken turns out well.

Bossyboots

arkonite_babe wrote:

Just on the subject of meat on the bone. I bought a half leg of lamb from Iceland tonight. Now it says to cook from frozen, is there anyway I can do it in the slow cooker to make it lovely and tender, or should I just stick to recommended instructions??

Defrost it and cook it in the slow cooker. It will be fine. I would recommend cooking from frozen if you wanted to cook it as described on the pack but there will be no problem with putting it in the SC once it has thawed.

PoshPaws_3

Okay, I've got the drift about what to do and what not to do - but how long would a medium sized chicken take? We're aiming to eat at about 5pm and my SC is one with the Low/Med/High temperature settings. I'm tempted to put it on now (10am) on Low ... but I don't want it done by lunchtime! lol

ladygrey_2

it's the slow cooker posts that led me to martins site originally, I too buy cheaper cuts to go in my slow cooker, they taste great

Bossyboots

PoshPaws wrote:

Okay, I've got the drift about what to do and what not to do - but how long would a medium sized chicken take? We're aiming to eat at about 5pm and my SC is one with the Low/Med/High temperature settings. I'm tempted to put it on now (10am) on Low ... but I don't want it done by lunchtime! lol

You should get that into the cooker now and cook on high until about 4.30. You can then take it out to rest before carving.

I am now going to say SNAP, because we are having exactly the same thing tonight and mine is already in the SC.