It’s simple and easy to adapt
A haybox is simply a slow-cooker in which you can make anything that would otherwise be boiled, stewed or pot roasted, including casseroles, soups, porridge and rice pudding.
Cheaper cuts of meat can be used as they become tender and delicious when cooked slowly over a long period and it’s great for enhancing the flavour of vegetarian dishes too.
How does it work?
The haybox works by storing heat from your cooking pot and using it to slow-cook your food. Every dish you make will start off on a conventional stove or wood fire and will be transferred to the haybox for several hours to complete cooking.
The hay or straw packed around the cooking pot inside the box acts as an insulator and, because there is a tight- fitting lid and no air is allowed in, there is no danger of combustion.
BUT you do need to observe some simple rules.
- Use a Dixie or stock pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Always start by bringing your dish to the boil, either on gas, electric stove or open fire. Transfer the pot to the haybox when the food is at boiling point.
- For cooking times, observe the THREE RULE: cook the food first for roughly ONE THIRD the time it would have taken on a conventional stove; then leave it in the haybox for around THREE TIMES AS LONG as the total cooking time. If it is left in the box for longer, or overnight, it won’t spoil and usually tastes better but you will probably need to reheat before serving.
- If you are using an open fire, check that no pieces of charcoal or wood are sticking to the pot when you put it in the haybox.
- Once the pot is in its nest, close the bag and replace the lid as quickly as possible. Do not be tempted to open the box until just before the food is needed.