Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Kitchen Natter => Topic started by: Springlands on November 09, 2014, 17:20
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I like to sear meat before I put it into the slow cooker which means having to use a pot or frying pan. I gave been looking at the new sear and cook slow cookers where the pot can be used on the hob before acting as a slow cooker. Has anyone used one of these and what did you think of it.
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there are the 8 in 1 pots normally £69 saw one the other day at Dunelm for £49 they slow cook as well as fry , and other stuff .
chrissie b
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Thank you Chrissie - will have to check those out. :)
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My mother swears by hers - I'm not sure it fries hot enough to caramelise the sugars, but as she is a better cook than me, maybe I am being un-necessarily picky.
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I have one and used it several times.
I like to get the pot very hot to sear the meat and the bottom has bulged at the bottom and no longer sits flat on the hob.
The metal inner also gets very hot and I have burned myself picking it up. You need a thick tea towel to pick it up.
I don't think I would replace it if it stopped working. It would not be on the top of my must have kitchen gadgets.
I tend to start off the meat in a heavy based frying pan then transfer it to the slow cooker.
Although in all honesty I prefer to use the cruset casseroles on the hob.
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My dad wants to fob off on me a gadget that does everything - fries, roasts, slow cooks - I might take him up on the offer as I always brown off meat before slow cooking too :D
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sounds like one of those by Morphy Richards I think that's the name .
where hubby works they have one he says has a grill in the lid its j m l and more expencive though
chrissie b
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Thank you everyone - I think that I will get one just a case of deciding which one now. Decisions, decisions. :D
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Hi thinking of getting one as well. Interested in the comments.
Cheers
Aled
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I would love to get one but have 2 slow cookers and no where to put it ha ha
chrissie b
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I love my slow cooker but when friends say they have bought one I always say ' cook your onions first, don't do what recipes say and put them in raw'.
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Wighty - that would be the advantage of the sear and cook type, you can pre- cook the onions and meat in the same pot that you then use as a slow cooker. Saves on washing up. :D
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I agree about the onions much better when pre cooked if im browning meat usually throw the veg in after to pick up all the flavours .
chrissie b
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We bought a sear and cook slow cooker recently and have put the old crock one away, this one is soo much better. Yes the pan gets hot but so did the inner part of the crock one.
We got the larger size (because we'd already got a small crock one) but we might go and buy a small one as well.
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I have just ordered mine - will let you all know what I think when I have used it a couple of times.
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keep us up to date Springlands i am interested. ;)
Cheers
Aled
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Will do Aled. :)
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Used my new sear and cook slowcooker today. Really pleased with it. The cooking pot is not very thick so it could not be used on a very high heat but it is fine for the job that I want it to do. :)
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Nice one, is the pan thick enough to generate enough heat to brown meat and soften onions???
Thanks
Aled
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Yes Alad it is but I think that it would not be a good idea to try to caramelize anything - it would not take a really high heat.
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Thanks
Aled
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I thought I'd try red onion marmalade in the slow cooker this year as
had no time was lazy, but I did a quick fry in butter on the hob in the new ceramic frying pan (wonderful- so much better than teflon) then chucked them in on high with the wine. balsamic & sugar. It came out really well.
I can't say I'm too bothered about the extra washing up of the le'cruzet I cooked the meat in, well not enough to change my huge 6lt slow cooker which I use 2 or 3 times a week.
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Hmmmm - I have a few red onions hanging about - might try making marmalade with them in the slow cooker.
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if you havedt decided or bought as yet lidl have one coming up for 39.99 check out the web site also one of those soup makers , they are not the big brand names but the one they allways use , hope t helps .
chrissie b
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Ok all nearly 12 months after I contributed to this topic guess what I bought this week for £21.59p from Argos. A sea and stew 3.5litre slow cooker!
Cheers
Aled
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Im so excited after many a subtle hint to my hubby the last being leaving the ad for 8 in 1 cooker i have one at last today so just deciding what to cook in it first, its huge .
chrissie b
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Nice one Chrisse let us know how it goes.
Cheers
Aled
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I was thrilled and he got it at a great price of 39.00 with an extra 20% off carnt grumble at that , just trying to decide what to cook first , i thouht maybe some small sponge puds for the freezer .
chrissie b
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I wanted to make sausage casserole but my wife told me she doesn't like it!
Start again. SIGH!
Cheers
Aled
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Love sausage cassarole must have loads of onions though , we deciced on lamb stakes with onions tomatoe and lots of sliced potatoes found some in the freezer .
chrissie b
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Sounds great Chrissie. I would love to be able to get myself a wild rabbit, it would slow cook very well. But there are very few in my part of West Wales, sadly.
Cheers
Aled
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Do the but hers not sell them , im using mine now its alot better than my old one as the lid isnt rattling and its ot spitting out liquid my stuffs almost done so ive knocked it down to the lowest setting till tea time .
chrissie b
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Probably Chrissie B, but I quite like the idea of being a hunter gatherer. I never buy trout (catch my own) so I feel I need to catch my own rabbit. Really fancy cooking one with some of my home grown veg.
Cheers
Aled
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Sounds nice hope you catch that rabbit one day
chrissie b
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Seems strange that a species which was once numerous in my part of Wales is no conspicuous by its absence!
Cheers
Aled
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There are loads in our part of Wales - edge of Snowdonia!
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Yep I have a friend who spent a year eating only meat & fish he had caught/killed himself. The rabbits he had from your part of the Wales, and what he made with them was pretty impressive. I was quite envious!
Cheers
Aled
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You need a road trip with your mate to get some .
Chrissie b ;)
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Yes i'll invite him down to fish with me next year then hope for a return visit in September.... :D
Cheers
Aled
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Now then using my sear and stew cooker to make a chicken casserole tomorrow! Looking forward to it. ;)
Also a friend of mine has provided me with a rabbit so its looking good!
Cheers
Aled
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Just did a leg of lamb on sunday it was fab and did curry with the leftovers yum.
chrissie b
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Nice one Chrisse B.
Seared the chicken and softened the onions, added some carrots and leeks, plus some stock, put it on medium heat and left it to it! Lets see what its like when I get home tonight.
Cheers
Aled
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Well it was OK, but on "wow", my stock was a bit watery, however I could not thicken it with flour as my wife is gluten intolerant. However I have some gluten free options which I will use next time. Going to do a curry next week. Its a start.
Cheers
Aled
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We all get caught out with that one when we first use a slow cooker. :nowink: Dont beat yourself up. It is hard to believe how little stock you need. Another option to thicken it is to stir in some red lentils or pearl barley for the last half hour or so. They take up the liquid and dont take long to cook. Or cornflour in the last 10 minutes - will your wife tolerate that?
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Thanks madcat, cornflour is one of the best options. Will add Less fluid next time.
Cheers
Aled
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Right gluten free Chicken Korma in the slow cooker put it in just before I left for work, will be ready when I get home. Less fluid in this time! Lets hope it tastes good!
Cheers
Aled
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Yum yum
chrissie b
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It was very good, but it tasted even better for lunch today!
Cheers
Aled