Slow cooker feasts

In this week’s post, local Nelson chef and guest Blogger, Grant Dicker is taking things slowly… Check out his recipe for corned beef cooked in the slow cooker. Take it away, Grant…

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A roast is always welcome in our house after a cool Autumn day. But, when you get home from work, there isn’t always the time or motivation to start cooking a big meal from scratch. For this reason, I love our slow cooker. You can prepare the ingredients beforehand, drop them into the slow cooker, and then come home to a house full of delicious cooking aromas. I like to cook the beef and serve it with creamy mashed potatoes. But, for an even easier meal, you could cook the potatoes in the slow cooker while the beef is cooking. Being autumn, broccoli and cauliflower would be an excellent seasonal accompaniment for this dish, perhaps with a bechamel sauce. This is slow cooker comfort food!

Slow cooker corned beef:

• One kg corned beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 medium carrots
• 1/2 a leek chopped into rounds
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 cups of water
• A few peppercorns
• 1/2 cup white vinegar

Wash the marinade off the outside of the beef and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the water and vinegar into a slow cooker, and drop in the thyme and peppercorns.

Peel and cut the onion into quarters. Peel and crush the garlic clove, add both to the slow cooker. Slice the carrots and leeks and add to the pot, then sprinkle in the brown sugar.

Lastly, place the meat into the slow cooker, cover with the lid, set to low and leave for seven hours.

When you come home from work or play the beef should be cooked to perfection.

Serve with mashed potatoes, and dig into a hearty slow cooked meal.

Sour cream and chive mash:

• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives
• 800g Agria potatoes
• 100 ml milk
• 100g sour cream
• 2 tablespoons butter

Boil a pot of salted water. Peel the potatoes and chop into medium sized pieces. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes, drain and let them steam out for a few minutes.

In a small saucepan heat, the butter and milk over a low heat until the butter is melted. Using a potato masher or electric beater, slowly blend the milk mixture into the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Don’t forget to head to Fresh Choice Nelson for all your slow cooker feast ingredients!