Sunbeam PE6100 Aviva Instruction Manual page 30

Hints and Tips continued
Slow Cooking
• If you are slow cooking, you can use the
Brown menu first which allows you to sear
meat and vegetables at the beginning, but
also allows you to thicken sauces and make
gravies at the end. Browning meat prior
to slow cooking not only gives your food
great colour, it also seals in the juices and
flavours and keeps the meat tender.
• To thicken a casserole at the end of
cooking, use the Brown menu and stir
through a little cornflour combine with
water. Allow to simmer, stirring until
thickened.
• Slow Cooking is perfect for the cheaper,
tough cuts of meats, as the lengthy cooking
process tenderises these cuts.
• When in Slow Cooker mode, the unit does
not recover lost heat quickly. So only lift
the lid if necessary or if instructed to do
so in the recipe. It's a good idea to monitor
your slow cooking results throughout the
cooking cycle by quickly removing the
lid and checking, then replacing the lid.
Different cuts and thickness of meats and
vegetables can vary cooking times.
• It is not uncommon for meat to cook
faster than root vegetables. It is for this
reason that we recommend chopping all
vegetables to a similar small size. Meat
can be cut into larger chunks because if
it is cut too small, it will break up once
cooked and tenderised.
• Slow Cooking prevents evaporation,
resulting in the flavours and juices being
maintained. Keep this in mind when
creating your own recipes, as you may not
require as much liquid as you would when
using other cooking methods.
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Roasts
• You can roast a whole chicken as well as
whole pieces of meat, such as lamb, beef,
veal and pork by using the Slow Cook
menu.
• To make a sauce or gravy with the roast
juices, remove the meat and cover with foil
to keep warm. Set the Brown menu and
stir through some cornflour mixed with a
little water. Allow to simmer, stirring until
thickened. You can also add some stock or
wine to stretch the gravy a little further and
add great flavour.
• Roasting in the Slow Cooker will not brown
your meat or chicken, as roasting in an
oven does. If you want your roast to be
golden, we recommend using the Brown
menu to sear the meat first.
• Leftover roast makes great sandwiches
the next day. Try the caramelised onion or
tomato chutney recipe and make burgers
with the leftovers!