I can cook again!
A friendly neighbour has loaned me a Remoska, the strange Czech device mentioned earlier.
I was not sure about it, and to be honest, I accepted the offer out of politeness, as saying no too often just seemed ungrateful.
Remoskas look slightly clunky and old fashioned. It's a non stick pan with a thick lid, and the whole thing sits in a simple steel frame. Imagine a non stick cake tin, with a thick lid that contains a heating element. The heat comes from above, but it's not an open element, like a grill.
Taking a scientific approach, I decided to choose a sort of neutral foodstuff, just to observe how it worked. There was no plan to create something special, just a sample of something that showed me exactly how the pan could possible do all the things that a rather evangelical set of converts promise.
I sliced four potatoes penny thin, and having tossed them in a little oil, I layered them in the pan, as for a gratin. I plugged it in, and after 45 minutes, I checked the results. I was concerned that I might find a rather crispy top, the potato wet and undercooked below.
Surprisingly, both top and bottom were evenly gold and crusty.
I will experiment further.
