IT’S WHAT ?
“Not exactly a pot and not particularly Norwegian!” » enthuses Raphaële Vidaling, author of “Norwegian Marmite, the magic of low-tech cooking” (Tana éditions). This device is an ecological and economical method of cooking which dates back to the dawn of time, but which returns in every difficult period of history (crisis, war, famine, inflation, etc.) to cook without consuming energy. It mainly allows you to make simmered dishes (ratatouille, curry, dahl, soups, compotes, etc.) but also yogurts, breads, cakes, etc. using steam cooking or a bain-marie. Its limit? Dishes that need to be seared to a crispy finish.
HOW IT WORKS ?
Bring a stewpan, a saucepan or a casserole dish with a lid to the boil before turning off the heat and burying it very hot – several hours depending on the dish – in an insulating box (cardboard, basket, etc.) to allow the dish to finish. its cooking off the heat. To avoid heat loss and allow stewing in complete safety, seal the space with cushions, a blanket, etc. (be careful of contact of the casserole dish with synthetic fabrics).
SLOW AND GENTLE COOKING
“Cooking by inertia reduces the cooking time to a quarter of the usual time, and we multiply the total time by two,” explains Raphaële Vidaling. We increase the boiling time of a dish that would have cooked in 1 hour on the fire to 15 minutes and we then leave it in the insulation for 2 hours. We thus save 75% of energy, not counting the energy not consumed by not reheating the dish and not using the electric hood with this odorless cooking, and the water savings of more complicated dishes. ‘a gratinated dish.
UNSUPERVISED COOKING
“No more stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom or boiling over! » All you have to do is bring the food to a boil before putting it in a Norwegian pot, propping it up with cushions, or even adding “a splash of broth before serving, for safety, if the passive cooking time has been extended” . This allows you to forget about your dish for several hours. When it’s time to sit down at the table, you have to remove your hot dish from the bottom of the basket or the sofa cushions, which you unwrap like a gift. “Magic effect!” »
