Steaming stuff

[Workingman]

I just bought a two tier steamer for this new cooking programme I am following.

Tonight was chicken breast, carrots, parsnips, swede, cauli and broccoli florets.

I did the chicken, carrots, swede and parsnips in the top tier and the cauli and broccoli in the bottom tier.

The top tier cooked fine. The chicken was done and the veg had a bit of a bite. The stuff in the bottom tier - cauli and broccoli - was mush.

Don't get me wrong, it was all edible, but I would have preferred the cauli and broccoli to still look like florets instead of mush.

Any ideas?

Debih?

Help!

[debih]

Put the broccoli and cauliflower on much later than the other stuff.

It needs 10 minutes max.

And I would do it in the top tier - that way you can just take the lid off and plonk the top tier on.

But he very careful - I burnt myself quite badly on steam from my steamer.

[tonicha]

I steam all my veg - I have a 3 tier thingy.

And always put Grumpy's veg in earlier, as he likes mush, I prefer bite.

And yes, take it all out carefully, I've not burnt myself - yet

[Gal]

I usually only do potatoes in the bottom, main pan. Next two tiers are for root veg (carrots, swede) and top tier for small things like broccoli florets/cauli/green beans etc. Less steam reaches these so they cook more slowly, IME.

I cook a meal in mine, taters in the bottom, salmon steaks in the next one with seasoning and a drizzle of lime juice, and green beans and broccoli in the top

[Workingman]

It looks like I got everything upside down, as you lot have said.

Becky came round, she uses a steamer, and it was 'No dad, that goes in here, that goes in there, make sure those are not touching each other, and turn those round so that they are head-to-toe'.

It all came out cooked through but with a 'bite' to it - no mush anywhere.

All I need to do now is repeat it without her bending my ear at every step.