Maximising Efficiency and Flavour with Commercial Slow Cooking Techniques

In the fast-paced world of commercial kitchens, efficiency and flavour are paramount. While domestic slow cookers are popular for home use, professional kitchens can leverage similar slow cooking techniques with specialised equipment to achieve exceptional results.

Prior preparation for service frees up valuable time in a busy kitchen. The dish is ready to be served as soon as it is ordered, keeping waiting times low while still retaining quality. Slow cookers aren't generally manufactured for the commercial market in the same manner as those seen in the domestic arena; however, slow cooking techniques can be employed using equipment such as rice cookers, sous vide machines, cook and hold ovens and pressure cookers.

What once used to create bland, one-dimensional dishes can now provide meals full of flavour with a new depth achieved with modern pieces of equipment. Experimenting with flavours will guarantee delicious dishes every time they emerge from the cooking equipment.

• Use lots of aromatics such as garlic and onions.
• Instead of grinding peppercorns, crush them so that they release flavour more slowly.
• Crush cumin, fennel and coriander before adding.
• Use fresh rosemary and thyme – throw in the whole stem, complete with leaves. The stem cooks slowly, adding flavour and keeping the dish seasoned.
• At the end of cooking, add extra spices such as fresh chillies. Cook them just long enough for the flavours to be released.

Offering precise temperature control for extended cooking, sous vide machines are ideal for tenderising tough cuts of meat and achieving consistent results. Vacuum packing foods and slowly cooking in a water bath is a great way to pre-prepare dishes and achieve succulent results and depth of flavours. 

Read more about Sous Vide Cooking and how restaurants are embracing the cooking technique.

A commercial rice cooker is a surprising dark horse in the kitchen. A rice cooker can do more than the name Implies, giving an added layer of versatility to commercial cooking.

Obviously, as the name suggests, rice cookers are primarily used in restaurants where rice is heavily featured on the menu. However, there are many alternative uses for this piece of equipment. From preparing side dishes and main dishes to snacks and desserts, a rice cooker can be beneficial in many different ways, as demonstrated here.

• Side Dishes: Vegetables and Dumplings; A rice cooker effectively steams produce that is placed in the internal basket. Vegetables are much healthier and tastier when they are steamed as opposed to being boiled. Generally, the standard vegetables, e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and carrots, can be steamed to perfection in under 10 minutes with only approximately ½ cup of water. Other vegetables will require differing amounts of water and may take a little longer steaming time. Dumplings are just as easily steamed. Although the majority of people enjoy dumplings, try adding something a little extra as an alternative. Consider incorporating a flavoured dumpling into your menu, e.g. chicken and mushroom dumplings.
• Main Dishes: Seafood; Steamed fish or a quick and simple jambalaya will all be perfectly prepared in a rice cooker. Experiment with other seafood ingredients to invent a tasty, healthy menu item.
• Desserts: Flans; Most people will not believe that a flan can be cooked in a rice cooker, but it can, and it will taste delicious—toy with different complementary flavours to create something different and individual for your menu.
• Snacks: Wraps; The ingredients for your wraps should be prepared as usual, using the steaming rice cooker as required. The residual steam can then be used to soften and gently warm your tortilla wraps, ready for the final assembly of your delicious snack.

Cook and hold ovens maintain consistent low temperatures for long periods, making them perfect for slow roasting and braising large quantities of food. What’s more, when the cooking process is complete and desired results have been achieved, the oven smoothly transitions to a holding oven, keeping dishes at optimum temperatures until service.

While not strictly "slow" cooking, commercial pressure cookers can achieve similar tenderising results in a fraction of the time, which is beneficial for busy kitchens.

By utilising these commercial-grade tools and techniques, restaurants and caterers can elevate their menus with flavorful, slow-cooked dishes while maintaining efficiency and consistency.