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In years gone by, food cooked in large pots and
allowed to simmer for hours was full of flavour, moist
and tender. The Breville Avance Programmable Meal
Maker is designed to produce these same results,
whilst leaving you the time to do other things,
making it perfect for today’s busy lifestyles.
Here is a guide to help simplify the process of slow
cooking, allowing you to obtain maximum satisfaction
from your Meal Maker:
It’s all in the timing
Always allow sufficient time for the food to cook.
It is almost impossible to overcook in the Meal Maker
particularly when using the Low setting.
Most of the recipes contained within this book can
be cooked on the High or Low setting, however the
cooking times will vary accordingly. Each recipe will
give specific instructions indicating the appropriate
setting and suggested cooking times.
Adapting cooking times
Your favourite traditional recipes can be adapted
easily by halving the amount of liquid and increasing
the cooking time considerably. The following is a
guide to adjusting your favourite recipes:
Traditional recipe time Meal Maker recipe time
15-30 minutes 4-6 hours on Low setting
60 minutes 6-8 hours on Low setting
1-3 hours 8-12 hours on Low setting
These times are approximate. Times can vary
depending on ingredients and quantities in recipes.
Note
Reducing Quantities
Recipes in this instruction booklet have been
developed to take full advantage of the large 4.2 litre
capacity of the Meal Maker. Quantities can be reduced
but the removable crockery bowl should not be less
than half full. Cooking times should be recalculated
and changed accordingly.
High humidity, altitude, cold tap water and
ingredients and minor fluctuations may slightly
affect the cooking times in the Meal Maker.
That’s the idea
Adapting liquid amounts
When food is cooking in your Meal Maker, most
moisture is retained. To allow for this when using
traditional recipes it is advisable to halve the
liquid content.
However, after cooking if the liquid quantity is
excessive, remove the lid and operate the Meal
Maker on the High setting for 30-45 minutes or until
the liquid reduces by the desired amount.
Alternatively, the liquid can be thickened by adding a
mixture of cornflour and water.
Stirring the food
Little or no stirring is required when using the Low
setting. However, occasionally stirring the food when
using the High setting ensures even flavour
distribution.
A beginners guide to slow cooking
10
Preparing meat and poultry
Select the leanest cuts when purchasing meat. Trim
the meat or poultry of any visible fat. If possible,
purchase chicken portions without the skin.
Otherwise, the slow cooking process will result in
extra liquid from the fat.
For casserole-type recipes, cut the meat into cubes,
approximately 2.5cm to 3cm. Slow cooking allows
less tender cuts of meat to be used.
Suitable meat cuts for slow cooking
Beef Beef chuck, skirt, round steak,
boneless shin (gravy) beef, bone-in shin
(Osso Bucco).
Lamb Lamb shanks, drumsticks,
(Frenched Shanks) neck chops, best neck
chops, boned out forequarter or shoulder.
Veal Diced leg, shoulder/forequarter chops
and steaks, neck chops, knuckle
(Osso Bucco).
Pork Leg steaks, diced belly, diced shoulder,
boneless loin chops.
Poultry Skinless pieces (legs, thighs, Maryland).
Browning before slow cooking
Pre-browning meat and poultry, prior to slow cooking,
seals in the moisture, intensifies the flavour and
provides more tender results, whilst producing richer
flavours in other food, such as onions, capsicums and
leeks. Pre-browning may take a little extra time, and
whilst not strictly necessary, the rewards are evident
in the end results. Use a non-stick pan to reduce the
amount of oil required.
Roasting
Roasting meats in the Meal Maker creates tender,
flavoursome results that are easy to slice. The long,
slow, covered cooking process breaks down and
softens the connective and muscle tissue within the
meat. Cheaper cuts of meat can be used to provide
perfect results cooked by this method.
Meat will not brown during the roasting process, so
for browner results seal in a frypan before roasting.
Whole chickens roasted by this method will release a
large amount of fat and liquid.
The addition of liquid is not required for roasting.
Elevate the meat to be roasted on an inverted,
heatproof saucer or plate. This will assist in keeping
the surface of the meat dry and free from any fat
released throughout the cooking process.
Suitable cuts for roasting
Beef Blade, rump, rib roast, sirloin,
fresh silverside, topside.
Lamb Leg, mid loin, rack, crown roast,
shank, shoulder, mini roasts.
Veal Leg, loin, rack, shoulder/forequarter.
Pork Loin, neck, leg (remove skin and fat),
racks.