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The luxury of slow-cooking
Slow and easy dishes put the enjoyment back into cooking
Slow-cooked casseroles are far from the stuff of modish restaurants where speed is of the essence. They are perfect for home cooking, though – especially in the colder months when we crave warming, hearty food. Once everything is in the oven, all you have to do is wait while appetite-whetting aromas gradually fill the house. It’s luxury cooking. It’s comfort food at its most satisfying and the perfect cooking method for entertaining friends. You can sit round having a chat or even go out for a walk, safe in the knowledge that all you have to do is make sure the liquid in the casserole doesn’t run dry.
The slow-cooking method has been popular for centuries – once man discovered fire, the next stage was to put a cauldron on top of it and cook up the catch or kill of the day. And each cuisine has its favourite standbys – from cassoulets and coq au vin in France, to spicy, creamy curries of India and the Far East to couscous dishes and tagines in North Africa.
Slow-cooking lends itself to using cheaper cuts of meat as the long time spent in the oven allows the meat to tenderise and take on the flavours of the spices, herbs and seasonal vegetables cooked with it. Add some liquid, such as wine or stock, and you can conjure meals with all the magic of traditional flavour.
As with any cooking method, however, there are a few golden rules to ensure success every time.
- Always brown meat or chicken for a few minutes before placing it in the oven, so that it seals and doesn’t become tough and rubbery. Make sure the oil is really hot and add the meat or chicken in batches otherwise it will not brown well. Browning the meat first will also give more depth of flavour to the cooked dish.
- If you are slow-cooking chicken, try to use a corn-fed, organic or free-range bird. Not only does it taste much better, the meat also has a slightly coarser texture, which is ideal for slow cooking.
- When you brown vegetables such as onions, garlic, peppers and carrots, add quicker-cooking vegetables last or they will become too mushy.
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