The Australian Women’s Weekly — August 2017

AUGUST 2017FOODTOLOVE.COM.AU 151

FOOD PREPARATION BY AMAL WEBSTER AND ANGELA DEVLIN.

[Slow cooker]

Wonderful winter

condiments are easy

to prepare when made

in a slow cooker. There’s

no need to hover over

the pan with this gentle

heat cooking method.

Orange marmalade

Test Kitchen tip

●Many new slow cookers have a

function called “reduce” or “simmer”.

If your slow cooker doesn’t have this

function, transfer the mixture to a

saucepan and boil it, uncovered, until

it is ready. It will take less time than

the slow cooker, so check it sooner.

Bacon jam

MAKES 5 CUPS PREP AND COOK TIME7 HOURS

1kg rindless bacon slices, sliced thinly,

excess fat trimmed

3 (450g) brown onions, sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

⅔ cup (160ml) cider vinegar

⅔ cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar

⅔ cup (160ml) pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

⅓ cup (80ml) warm water

1 Heat a large frying pan over medium-

high heat. Cook bacon, in batches, until

browned lightly. Drain on paper towel.

2 Transfer bacon to a 4.5-litre (18-cup)

slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, vinegar,

sugar, syrup, mustard, thyme, coffee

and the water. Cook, covered, on High,

for 6 hours. Discard thyme; skim excess

fat. Season with pepper.

3 Process bacon mixture until finely

chopped, but notpuréed. Spoon hot jam

into hot sterilised jars (see overleaf); seal

immediately. Label and date jars when cold.

Serve on toast with roasted tomatoes,

fried egg and baby spinach leaves.

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable

to microwave.

Orange marmalade

MAKES4 CUPSPREP AND COOK TIME3 HOURS

30 MINUTES

1kg oranges

1 litre (4 cups) water

1kg (4½ cups) white sugar, approximately

1 Peel the oranges, removing rind and

white pith separately. Slice rind thinly;

reserve half the pith. Quarter oranges;

slice flesh thinly. Reserve any seeds.

Tie the reserved pith and seeds in muslin.

2 Combine rind, flesh, muslin bag and the

water in a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker.

Cook, covered, on High, for 2 hours.

Discard the muslin bag.

3 Measure fruit mixture; allow 1 cup sugar

for each cup of fruit mixture. Return the

orangemixtureandsugartoslowcooker.

Increase heat to Reduce on High (see

Test Kitchen tip); boil, uncovered, for

40 minutes or until marmalade jells

when tested (see box, overleaf).

4 Pour hot marmalade into hot sterilised

jars (see box, overleaf); seal immediately.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave.