Saladmaster Temperature Control Probe Magic
By “Chef” Pete Updike, Authorized Saladmaster Dealer
The automatic rice settings on your Saladmaster temperature control probe turn both your Electric Oil Core Skillet (EOC) and Multi-Purpose Roaster (MP5) into an automatic rice cooker. But that's just the tip of the potential for this amazing Saladmaster invention!
Just peek at a few more ideas that your temperature control probe rice settings can achieve:
- Automatically cook rice, vegetable and meat combinations
- Automatically cook lasagna
- Automatically cook your favorite casserole
There are two automatic rice settings on your temperature control probe. They are set by pressing the TEMP button and then pressing the down arrow (press once for Rice 1 and twice for Rice 2); you then press TEMP again to start the process. The cookbook says you can ignore the Rice 2 setting, but as you will see, there can be great value in the Rice 2 setting for many “non-rice” recipes. To get the greatest value from the Rice 1 & 2 settings, it is helpful to know how they are programmed: Rice 1 takes the temperature to 250°F/121°C, then drops and holds the temperature at 200°F/93°C for 20 minutes and then drops and holds the temperature at 150°F/ 66°C (the lowest setting) for 12 hours; Rice 2 takes the temperature initially to 265°F/129°C degrees and then drops the temperature as on Rice 1.
This may sound a lot like how your Saladmaster cookware works: you place your skillet on medium heat, wait for the Vapo-Valve™ to click, and then turn the heat to low. Well the rice settings achieve the same goal - except it does it automatically!
Just look at these recipes to see how simple this works:
Lasagna
Coat the bottom of your EOC with approximately 12 oz/340g of your choice of spaghetti sauce. Then place two layers of crisscrossed lasagna noodles. Place 8 oz/227g of ricotta cheese on top of the noodles. Add two more layers of noodles. Add 12 oz/340g spaghetti sauce. Add crisscrossed noodles. Add a layer of 8 oz/227g ricotta cheese. Add crisscrossed noodles. Add 12 oz/340g spaghetti sauce over the top. Using the Saladmaster Machine with Cone #2, grate 8 oz/227g mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.
Place lid on EOC, set the temperature control probe on Rice 1 and then simply forget it! It’s usually done in 30-40 minutes but you can leave it several hours without burning because you are cooking in a partial Saladmaster vacuum. And in case you didn’t notice, you don't have to pre-cook your noodles!
If you add a lot of meat and veggies to the sauce layers, simply set the temperature control probe to the Rice 2 setting.
Chicken/Veggies and Rice
Preheat your EOC or MP5 to 250°/121°C. Thinly slice chicken, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and brown. Turn off temperature control probe. Turn meat and pour off any grease or liquids from chicken. This first browning step is optional because the remaining cooking process cooks the chicken - you can start with just the thinly cut raw chicken strips. Pour 1 ½ cups/285g of dry brown or white rice on top of the chicken. Pour 3 cups/700mL of water over rice. Place 1 pound/ 454g frozen veggies of your choice into the pan.
Set temperature control probe to Rice 1 until done. Usually about 30-40 minutes but you can “set-and-forget” as in the lasagna recipe above. You can use Rice 2 setting if you are doubling up on the recipe. When your dish is cooked, stir the veggie/chicken/rice mixture together and serve. Add soy sauce or your favorite sauce to taste.
Casserole
Now that you've tried a couple of recipes with your temperature control probe, it's time for you to get creative and convert one of your own favorite casseroles to the set-and-forget-automatic Saladmaster method.
Select your favorite casserole dish. Layer your ingredients. Then use the Rice 1 or Rice 2 settings accordingly.
If you are using hamburger meat in your sauce, pre-cook the meat in your Saladmaster steamer unit. The steamer unit pulls more grease out of meat and helps meat retain more flavor.
Once you expand on these recipes, the sky is the limit on the culinary possibilities!