Can I Make The Carbonnade A La Flamande In A Slow Cooker?

Our answer

Nigella's Carbonnade A La Flamande (from KITCHEN) is a beef stew that is flavoured with dark Belgian beer and smoked bacon. "Flamande" means "Flemish", or from Flanders in Belgium. The stew is cooked in a low oven until the meat is tender.

It would be possible to cook the stew in a slow cooker as most models mimic the gentle heat of an oven. Model types vary but it is likely to take between 6 and 8 hours for the beef to become tender. You will need to do steps 1-5 in a large frying pan (possibly in batches), if your slow cooker pot is not suitable for direct heat on top of the stove. Transfer to the slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients and then cover and cook on high until the beef is tender. Slow cookers do not experience the slight evaporation of liquid that you would see if the stew was cooked in a casserole dish in the oven, but it is difficult to estimate how much the liquid would need to be reduced by as slow cooker models vary so much. Instead, we would suggest using the same amount of liquid, as the sauce itself is quite delicious anyway. If you like you can transfer some of the liquid after cooking to a large saucepan, boil to reduce it and then add it back to the stew before serving or chilling.