Cuisinart Combo Steam/Convection Oven (Part 3)

[curls]

Got some stones for my CSO and tried baking one of the bread recipes in the CSO manual. Lessons learned:

- only use one stone so that the bread has more room to expand

- preheat the stone before baking. If you don't preheat the stone, it keeps the bottom of the loaf from baking as quickly at the rest of the loaf.

- deploy a foil shield to keep the top of the bread from burning

- if you turn a loaf of bread upside down to bake the bottom of the loaf it may cause the loaf to collapse

- even if it isn't pretty it will probably taste good

 

I'm looking forward to trying this recipe again but with a few tweaks. Nice soft and tasty loaf of bread. Looking forward to baking this one again when the tomatoes are in season.

 

 

[Kim Shook]

I found a wonderful use for the CSO Super Steam function.  I had some really old vanilla beans - impossible to cut, they just shattered.  I steamed them at 325F for 8 minutes and they were soft and flexible and easy to get the caviar out.  

[ElsieD]

23 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I found a wonderful use for the CSO Super Steam function.  I had some really old vanilla beans - impossible to cut, they just shattered.  I steamed them at 325F for 8 minutes and they were soft and flexible and easy to get the caviar out.  

 

Thanks for a great tip.  I too have some very brittle vanilla beans so this is really good to know.

[rotuts]

@Kim Shook 

 

what a fine tip !

 

do you think this same effect can be done at a lower temp ?

 

i roast my own coffee from green beans.

 

Ive noted in that situation , you want a gender that does not heat pf the beans

 

as the flavors thus saved , are in Your Cup , and not lost

 

so  what do you tink about a steam at a lower temp ?

 

and its true 

 

Ive had a small glass of a new Tj's red

 

while my Idaho's age baking in the CSO

 

and , for me ,  a very fine treat 

 

a 1/2 lbs of a very nice RocheBro ground beef , " 85 "

 

in the pan w some demiglas

 

and maybe a bit more Red !

 

nice for me these days.

[Kim Shook]

29 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Kim Shook 

 

what a fine tip !

 

do you think this same effect can be done at a lower temp ?

 

i roast my own coffee from green beans.

 

Ive noted in that situation , you want a gender that does not heat pf the beans

 

as the flavors thus saved , are in Your Cup , and not lost

 

so  what do you tink about a steam at a lower temp ?

 

and its true 

 

Ive had a small glass of a new Tj's red

 

while my Idaho's age baking in the CSO

 

and , for me ,  a very fine treat 

 

a 1/2 lbs of a very nice RocheBro ground beef , " 85 "

 

in the pan w some demiglas

 

and maybe a bit more Red !

 

nice for me these days.

I'm sure it could  be done at a lower temp.  I really just picked 325F at random.

[Csb]

Hadn't seen anything about whole lobsters in the thread -  $4.99/pound at Market Basket today in Massachusetts.  They were selling them prepackaged at the front of the store in bags of five 11/4 pounders, like bouquets of flowers, but if you have local knowledge you go to the back counter and nicely ask for the big boys.  I turned down a ten pounder (yikes!), not sure if I would feel safe in my home.  Settled on two 3 1/2 pounders.  When I got home I remembered my big pot was elsewhere; CSO to the rescue!  Did a little research, shoved'm into the oven one at a time and steamed them (210) for 30 minutes, checked the tails with a Thermopen looking for >160.  Heavenly.  Just the wife and I, second one broken down for a total of 400g meat, hello lobster rolls.

[rotuts]

@Csb 

 

Welcome !

 

Its about time Id say.

[kayb]

$4.99 a pound lobsters (plus Democrats) is just about enough to get me packing my bags and headed northeast.

 

Brilliant thought to steam them in the CSO, though.

[Okanagancook]

On 3/20/2020 at 12:47 PM, curls said:

Since I made beef short ribs (https://forums.egullet.org/topic/160121-dinner-2020/?do=findComment&comment=2238895) and had plenty of leftovers and drippings/beef fat I wanted to try making Yorkshire puddings. Wanted to practice first before introducing my husband to Yorkshire pudding and found a one egg recipe that looked promising. So, yesterday's lunch was short ribs and Yorkshire puddings. Since I loved the way they came out, this will also most likely be tonight's dinner along with a salad or other vegetables. I had some small ramekins from those pre-packaged bake & eat desserts that you can get at Costco/ BJs that worked quite well for individual puddings. For the dinner version I will make more and will use a metal muffin tin and the regular oven.

 

Drippings for the pre-heat...

 

 

Will they rise? What fun to watch! Had to turn down the heat a bit towards the end of the cook.

 

 

Lunch is ready -- leftover beef short rib with Yorkshire puddings. Why yes, I did enjoy both of those puddings in one sitting.  🙂

 

Hi @curls I am just updating the CSO Spreadsheet and wanted to add your Yorkies.  The Food52 recipe calls for baking at 450F for 20 minutes.  Do you happen to remember what you baked these at?  Possibly Convection Bake at 425F for 20 minutes???

Thanks.

[curls]

1 hour ago, Okanagancook said:

Hi @curls I am just updating the CSO Spreadsheet and wanted to add your Yorkies.  The Food52 recipe calls for baking at 450F for 20 minutes.  Do you happen to remember what you baked these at?  Possibly Convection Bake at 425F for 20 minutes???

Thanks.

Okanagancook, I checked my notes and apparently I cooked them at 400° F for 20 minutes on convention bake. Wow, I had forgotten that I made these!

[Okanagancook]

Excellent. I will add these and include a link to the recipe.  I will send the updated spread sheet to @Smithy.

They look so good...one could make them in the pm for breakfast in the am😘

[Anna N]

As bizarre as it may sound the CSO did a fantastic job on reheating a sausage McMuffin with egg! 325°F for eight minutes, steam bake, rack in the toaster position and muffin placed directly on the rack.  Who knew?

[dtremit]

54 minutes ago, Anna N said:

As bizarre as it may sound the CSO did a fantastic job on reheating a sausage McMuffin with egg! 325°F for eight minutes, steam bake, rack in the toaster position and muffin placed directly on the rack.  Who knew?

 

That kind of makes sense to me -- I feel like McMuffins are always better when they've had a chance to steam in the wrapper a little bit and the cheese melts everything together.

 

(And now I want a McMuffin!)

[kayb]

I've found a new use for the CSO. I got to craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As you all know, such a sandwich must be enjoyed on a soft, Wonder bread-ish bread. But I have fallen off the gluten free wagon a bit too often of late, and my digestive tract is telling me about it. So I turned to my loaf of Rudi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread, which I pick up t the grocery in the freezer case and keep in the freezer at home, prying off slices when I want a sandwich. Generally I want my sandwiches on toast. I did not want my PBJ on toast.

 

I put the bread in the CSO for five minutes at 300 on steam bake. Perfecto.

[rotuts]

@kayb 

 

one has to do 

 

what one has to do.

 

congratulations for solving your problem.

 

I hope the jelly was Classic Welch's grape

 

and either Jiff or Skippy's  PB

 

chunky or smooth , up to you

 

none of that Organic C**Ap

 

that stuff ruins PB&J

[kayb]

In fact, it WAS Welch's Grape, which I bought for the specific purpose of PBJs (the other highest and best use being on a biscuit with a breakfast sausage patty). PB was Kroger brand crunchy, which tastes close to Skippy.

[Kim Shook]

Well, damn.  Not two hours after dinner and I had to go get a snack:

Jif on toast.  And, @kayb, you and my momma are the only people I've ever known who put Welch's on their sausage biscuits!  

 

 

Thurday night/Friday morning I could NOT sleep, so at 2:30AM I came downstairs and started roasting a bunch of chicken/turkey bones I’d had in the fridge to make stock in the CSO:

 

Ended up with 6 quarts in the freezer:

 

Dinner on Friday was roast chicken in the CSO.  It was lovely, even though I missed one entire step and slightly overcooked it!  I was using @Shelby's method and completely forgot that it was supposed to be brined for two days.  So, in the morning, it went straight to the sitting out uncovered in the fridge.  I salted it to enhance the drying and loosened the skin and  rubbed butter under it.  Bake/steam at 450F for about 40 minutes and I ended up with this:

Breast temp was 175F, but it was still incredibly juicy:

Usual CSO pale sides and I am deficient at wing tucking, so I just put foil on the tips. 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Kim Shook (log)

[KennethT]

Has anyone made a potato galette in the CSO?  If so, can you share your method?

[KennethT]

I'm really happy using the CSO to steam whole fish. Today I had one steaming for 20 minutes, but when it was finished I hadn't finished the sauce or vegetable yet so I started a steam cycle at 120F and the fish sat that way for over 10 minutes... The result? Perfect! Not overcooked and super moist as if it had just finished.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, KennethT said:

I'm really happy using the CSO to steam whole fish. Today I had one steaming for 20 minutes, but when it was finished I hadn't finished the sauce or vegetable yet so I started a steam cycle at 120F and the fish sat that way for over 10 minutes... The result? Perfect! Not overcooked and super moist as if it had just finished.

 

I've steamed whole fish in the CSO with good results.  The problem is the oven is a little small, that or my fish are a little large.

 

[KennethT]

6 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I've steamed whole fish in the CSO with good results.  The problem is the oven is a little small, that or my fish are a little large.

 

I steam the fish on a plate rather than the baking sheet. Most of the time the fish goes in diagonally -but I also clip the tail fin

[kayb]

I discovered steam bake is not the ideal function for cooking Hasselbach potatoes. I'll need to try convection next time.

[KennethT]

25 minutes ago, kayb said:

I discovered steam bake is not the ideal function for cooking Hasselbach potatoes. I'll need to try convection next time.

what temp did you use?

[rotuts]

@kayb 

 

I do russets in the CSO all the time , looking for very very crispy skin

 

crackling crispy

 

I start off @ 400 steam bake , say 40 - 45 min, then carefully open the door

 

and then finish on dry bake , 425 f or so for 10 minutes until very crispy

 

I might do it all on dry bake , but steam bake  get the initial baking done faster.

Edited July 5, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[kayb]

3 hours ago, KennethT said:

what temp did you use?

 

350, about an hour. BIG russet bakers. Next time, I think I'll steam-bake for 45 minutes or so, then finish up with 15 minutes of convection to make them a bit more crispy.