Cooking on an Aga

[BigJonMcQuimm]

hi

Looking for tips and words of wisdom from those who have cooked on an Aga.

How hard is it to get to grips with? Unfortunately my first time needs to be spot on as I have a dinner party to cook for.

If the PH massive can guide me with tips and tricks, along with some fnacy recipes I would be greatful!

thanks

BJM

[funinthesun]

easy. Its vitually impossible to burn anythng in an aga- unless you leave it in there for a week or two then it just morphs into charcoal...

aga toast is the best in the world...


but be warned , prolonged use with the lids up can drop the oven temperate considerable - so be careful if you have a roast in etc-

id go for a stew - pop it in the baking oven first thing in the morning, remove 20 mins befor edinner - job done.

also you cant really get th ehot plates super hot - so if you are planning anyhting that needs a high heat - stir fry etc - use a gas burner.

enjoy..

[okgo]

I wouldn't risk the first one on there

When we moved into our place, it was near enough xmas and the first xmas dinner was going to be on the Aga. We used the normal oven first time round then just got used to it as time went by.

Once you have got the hang of Aga's you will never go back. And Aga toast is the best.

And those greaseproof bits of paper you can just put straight on the top and fry with are AWESOME

[funinthesun]

try the aga sunday breakfast -

get a good nonstick tray, put in a few saussages, cook for 15 mns in top oven, then add bacon, toms, mushrooms and crack a few eggs over the whole thing, back in the oven for 15 mins and enjoy...

[okgo]

funinthesun said:

try the aga sunday breakfast -

get a good nonstick tray, put in a few saussages, cook for 15 mns in top oven, then add bacon, toms, mushrooms and crack a few eggs over the whole thing, back in the oven for 15 mins and enjoy...

Oliver did a similar thing on his early programs, called the midnight pan fry, which is the same principle

Lush.

[Mrs Fish]

Its pretty easy to get to grips with. Is it a two oven or 4 oven aga?

If its 4 oven the top right is the roasting oven, bottom right baking oven, top left is great for keeping things warm (well ready to eat hot) like casseroles, chillis etc, bottom left is perfect for meringues and warming plates

Left hand plate is the hottest for bringing things to boil, the right hand plate is for simmering and again the middle of both is the hotest so you just move the pan to the edge if things are boiling too much

Aga toast is the best, it is also good for cooking rice and potatoes in the oven rather than on the top. If you are doing a dinner party wack the heat up a bit on it a couple of days before, because if you are using all the ovens and the tops the heat drops quite dramatically. Found this out a couple of years ago during Xmas dinner. Went to put the roast potatoes in and they took forever to cook, everything else was done half an hour before the potatoes. It is also great for keeping things warm as you are dishing up too

[Mrs Fish]

Any particular questions ask away and I'll try to help

[Wadeski]

Agas....are fine....so long as you love the kind of food Baldrick usually served up in the trenches.

[BigJonMcQuimm]

Hi

Many thanks all...

I can cook pretty well.. hence how this all started (more to the story but schtum for now!)

I am hving dinner with a potential new boss... not ideal but spices it up a little.

So.... I have been designing a menu that should be reasonably easy to do on the Aga.

Starters

I was thinking of

Crab and ginger saffron ravioli with a lobster bisque sauce

- The advantage of this is I can prepare this off site. I have the machine etc at home. I did toy with a nice fillet of pan fried mullet or similar - but was concerned with getting sufficient heat into the pan

- I have not tried this classic dish with ginger before - any thoughts?

For main

Roast pheasant with chestnut mash and honeyed parsnips. Maybe some roast spuds with duck fat?

I would make a stock with the legs and carcass - roasted with tomatoes, onions, thyme. Mix with red wine and reduce

The breasts will be cooked on the bone, probably about 10-12 mins and left to rest. I have no idea on timings - so will probably get an extra bird (and use a doggy bag!)

Desert

I like the pear idea. It is seasonal - and hopefully a throw it together and forget dish. By this stage I would imagine a resonable amount of wine would have flowed :-)


Any comments, thoughts, suggestions?

A cheese board is being supplied by the host :-)

thanks

[trooperiziz]

You don't cook on an Aga, you live with an Aga, the food that comes out of it is just a by-product

[madala]

......my partner has an Aga in her house.....she loves it...I detest it....not a problem at present as I still have my own place....I love to cook but not on an Aga....the way forward is still under discussion....lol....but I want a big gas range with perhaps an electric convector oven.