Using a slow cooker in hot weather

How about a piece of gammon? Cover with water and a few peppercorns, then take out when cooked and leave in fridge overnight in the cooking liquid. Can be cold with salad and new potatoes (again!)or as a sandwich filling at lunchtime.

Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Korma, Pho.

Do what hot countries do!

We've never been seasonal eaters. Had beautiful lamb shanks done in the slow cooker a couple of days ago.

And the beauty of a slow cooker is that you can even stick it outside if you want to keep the temperature down in the house. I have done that several times in the past, though this year, although I have coped really well with the heat in general, I simply haven't fancied eating that type of meal, so the slow cooker has stayed in the cupboard.

I know this is probably a silly question, merlot but it is genuine. How do you roast a chicken in a slow cooker? I have always cooked with a lot of liquid in mine.

I hardly add any liquid at all when slow cooking meats. It simply isn't needed for better cuts. I regularly cook a leg of lamb or a joint of beef that way and I just put in enough liquid to cover the bottom and create a little steam.

Greyduster, I brown the breast of the chicken first on the hob then turn it the right way up, add some herbs and an onion and a splash of water and that's it. A medium chicken takes about 3 hours on high.

When it was done I removed the legs and prepared the ingredients for chicken chasseur which I added to the stock already in the slow cooker. The rest of the chicken went in the fridge to use over the weekend.

It turned out to be a good move because no sooner was it ready than we had a power cut so at least dinner was done.

Thankyou for that, merlot, and mamacaz too. I will give it a go.

I cooked a joint of rolled brisket in mine at the beginning of country week. I put carrots and onion in the bottom, with enough stock to cover them, and put the meat on top. We had a roast dinner that day and had it cold with salad the next day.

Country!!! This week.

When using our slow cooker I sit it on a tray out in the garage as it keeps the smells as well as the heat out of the house and especially when making stock.

Put a piece of pork – whatever cut you like – in the slow cooker. Fill the rest of the space with peeled, cored and sliced apples, add 4 tablespoons water and let it simmer away gently for as long as you like. You can add whatever herbs or spices you like best. Sage is always good with pork.

I'll give that a go when our apples are ripe, absent. The trees are groaning with the weight of them this year. Aldi's pork shoulder (cheap and very tender) will do the trick nicely.