The Cook Expert is designed to simmer and cook delicate foods. It has two intermittent speeds 1 A and 2 A and position 0 which cooks without blending. But results can vary according to the ingredients used, especially meat.
A few examples:
- Bœuf bourguignon: depending on the butcher or your personal taste, you can use different cuts of meat (featherblade, leg, thick rib, etc.). However the cooking time will vary considerably according to the cut of meat chosen (featherblade will need less time to cook but will be more prone to falling apart than leg) For the same cut of meat (e.g. featherblade), the quality can vary according to where it comes from, the age of the animal, etc.
- Carrots: a spring carrot will cook more quickly than a winter carrot but will also fall apart more easily.
Magimix programmes, speeds and recipes have been developed and tested with different ingredients to offer the best possible results. However, we recommend checking and adjusting the cooking time when necessary as you would do if you were using a traditional method. Here are a few recommendations …
Three simmer speeds :
speed 0: cooking without rotation of the universal tool similar to traditional stewing
speed 1A: the universal tool turns about 5 secs every 110 secs at slow speed
speed 2A: the universal tool turns intermittently about every 11 secs at slow speed
Slow-cooked dishes:
Speed 1A is recommended (it replaces stirring in a pan).
For traditional slow-cooked dishes such as boeuf bourguignon, blanquette of veal, etc. (meat cooked in a large amount of liquid for a long time): halfway through, you can select speed 0 to stop very tender meat from falling apart. Astuce: to programme speed 0 after 30 minutes, you can select the steam programme and adjust the temperature.
For slow-cooked vegetables, tagines, sauteed dishes, etc. (shorter cooking time and less liquid): It is recommended adding liquid if you want to use speed 0. Check from time to time to make sure the food doesn’t stick to the pan.
Risotto, fried rice, etc.: As these dishes are cooked with a small amount of liquid, they have to be stirred regularly so that they don’t stick to the pan (as you would in a saucepan). In this case, speed 2A is the most appropriate. Check cooking and adjust the time if necessary (e.g. some types of rice cook very quickly so you will have to turn off the appliance before the indicated time or the rice will be overcooked and too mushy). Depending on the type of rice, liquid may need to be added. Always add delicate ingredients at the last minute.
Curried prawns, chicken cacciatore, etc. liquid preparations with delicate ingredients. Start by preparing your base (stock, slow-cooked vegetables, etc.) on speed 2A or 3, then switch to speed 0 when you add the delicate ingredients. For meat-on-the-bone, brown in a pan separately before adding to your preparation. If you add cream or milk (cow’s milk, coconut milk, etc.), do so at the last moment to stop the food sticking to the pan.