Thread: Slow cookers

Are they worth it? Am thinking about asking for one for (whisper) Christmas!

And if they are, do you have to brown the meat before putting it in?

I love mine i've had it for donkeys years,only gets used in the winter months really though ! best thing i do in it is a liver,bacon and tomato casserole ,and the girls like a lemon chicken done in it. you can brown the meat first it does make it look better.

I 2nd that!! I love mine too well worth having one.

I only brown off sausages if I am putting them in otehrwise they look awful !!

I use mine at least once a week in the winter, often more. Usually I brown the meat first, which also releases excess fat and water. Would love a recipe for lemon chicken, pretty please !

I 2nd that Lizs - I'd love the recipe for lemon chicken too.

I use mine loads during the winter.

Hm sounding more and more like a plan - or a request for a Christmas pressie!

Although if you are putting stuff in in the morning before eg. work, isn't it a pain to brown the meat first?

I never brown the meat never felt the need to do so, the only thing i'd brown was sausages as dsw said it's more a looks thing than taste.
I do all sorts of things in mine tonight for tea we had a beef stew and the left overs will do me and dh tomorrow for lunch, one of my favourite things to cook init is homemade rice pudding tastes amazing.

i'd also the lemon chicken receipe as well please.

I rarely bother browning the meat before it goes in the slow cooker. Jamie says you don't have too

It's only a simple recipe but here it is

3-4 lb chicken
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic (if you want)
small amount of water (just to cover bottom of slow cooker)
pinch of salt

put water in,cut lemon in half squeezing a bit over the chicken then place the lemon inside the chicken.Put garlic in the pot.Cook for about 6-8 hrs.You can put it in the oven for a few minutes to brown if you want.

I always have to be carefull taking the chicken out of the s'cooker as it's usually so well cooked the meat falls off the bones

I only really brown sausages, it does depend a bit on the recipe I always brown the beef before the fragrant curry one we do, and once or twice a week it's used in winter in this house too. spag bol, chilli, curry, stews, sausage casserole which is ds1's favourite, lamb shanks. Am definitely going to do the lemon chicken too
have recently thought about upgrading to somehting with a more sophisticated timer as mine has on or off!