We have also tried slow cooking in the oven with varying degrees of success. The first attempt was on the one really hot weekend we had at the end of August.
With family to stay, we cooked a spatchcock chicken with lemon and garlic with roast potatoes on the Saturday night. The chicken took about 40 minutes under foil and then about 15 minutes uncovered to brown. It was absolutely gorgeous! This time we par-boiled the roast potatoes first. I can honestly say that every roast potato I have had out of an ordinary oven since has been really disappointing.
After we finished cooking we kept the fire going until about 10pm and then put the door on. Following a Claudia Roden recipe for Stifado, we had braising steak marinating overnight and when we put the assembled casserole in the oven the next morning it was still just over 100C. We were cooking from raw so left the pot in the oven from about 9am to 6pm. To our complete surprise it was hot, cooked and tasted great!
The next time was also for guests. Again we kept the fire going the night before but this time we started the French inspired beef casserole off on the hob first. I think it tasted a little better and also didn't take so long to cook, only about 6 hours.
Our last attempt wasn't so successful............ We think the oven wasn't hot enough when we closed it and the weather was distinctly colder and damper than on the previous attempts.
I think we'll leave it until Spring to try again!
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