Cuisinart CSSC-400C Instruction And Recipe Booklet page 6

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If using frozen foods, thaw completely before adding to Slow Cooker.
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For some recipes, you can assemble the ingredients, combine them in the ceramic
pot, cover and refrigerate the fi lled pot overnight. Place it in the cold Slow Cooker,
and add 30 minutes to your projected cooking time. If your recipe calls for brown-
ing or sautéing ingredients, do your browning and sautéing ahead, but refrigerate
the ingredients separately. Combine before slow cooking.
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To cut the fat from recipes, remove as much of the visible fat as possible from
meats and poultry. Cook and drain all ground meats. Remove skin from poultry.
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Dried beans should be soaked overnight, then rinsed, drained and rinsed again be-
fore cooking. Do not add salt or any acid to beans when cooking, as it will prevent
them from softening completely. Dried beans can be cooked ahead, drained and
frozen. Thaw before adding to your favourite recipes.
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The Slow Cooker is perfect for foods that require long, slow simmering, such as
soups, stocks, stews, and dried beans.
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The Slow Cooker is the perfect way to cook items that require a "bain marie,"
or water bath. We recommend starting out with hot water and cooking on High
for most of these recipes.
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Cooking ground meats in the Slow Cooker without browning them fi rst is not
recommended, as ground meat has a high incidence of bacterial contamination.
Ground meats used in the Slow Cooker should be browned fi rst. We strongly
advise against cooking a meatloaf in the Slow Cooker.
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Most of the recipes in this book are cooked on Low using the timer function, to al-
low you maximum freedom to go on to do other tasks. Most meats are better when
cooked on Low (slower) than on High, and the recipes are written as such. If you
prefer to slow cook on High, cut the cooking time in half.
To adapt your own recipes to the Slow Cooker:
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For most recipes, reduce the cooking liquid by at least 50% (soups are the
exception). Liquids do not evaporate as they do in traditional cooking, and you
often will end up with more liquid than when you began.
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In most cases, all ingredients can go in the Slow Cooker at once and can cook all
day on Low setting. While it is not necessary to brown or sauté vegetables (onions,
carrots, celery, peppers, etc.), it may add to the fl avour. Browning meats adds to
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their taste and visual appeal, and helps to remove fat.
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Certain cuts of meat are more appropriate for Slow Cooker cooking: brisket, tip
roast, chuck or rump roast, beef bottom round, pork shoulder or Boston butt,
lamb shoulder, venison, chicken legs and thighs. Particularly lean cuts such as
boneless, skinless chicken breast or "new generation" pork loin or tenderloin may
seem dry when prepared in a Slow Cooker. See list of meats that are best in Slow
Cooker (page 12).
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Dairy products (milk, sour cream, some cheeses) will break down and curdle
during slow cooking. Substitute canned evaporated milk or nonfat dry milk, or
add dairy products during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
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When making soups, add solid ingredients to Slow Cooker and then liquid to
cover. If a thinner soup is desired, add more liquid to taste.
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If your recipe calls for precooked pasta – UNDERCOOK it.
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Add cooked rice to recipes during last hour of cooking.
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