Using a dishwasher to cook meals has become an increasingly popular
cooking technique, and the results are reportedly surprisingly
good.
Italian food writer Lisa Casali has said that food can be cooked
within a normal dishwasher cycle as long as it is tightly
sealed.
According to Casali if the food is contained in a vacuum packed bag
or an airtight container it will not be touched by the dishwasher
tablets or dirt from the crockery.
She says that the method is enviromentally friendly because it
enables you to clean your dishes while cooking at the same
time.
Casali has herself written a book about the idea called "Cucinare
in lavastoviglie" translated as "Cooking in the dishwasher” and
posted several videos of her demonstrating the technique
online.
Watch video
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMqU5eMn7GU
According to the Telegraph's Xanthe Clay, the best food to cook in
the dishwasher is fish because it steams in the heat of the
water.
The dishwasher works similarly to a steam oven, and while some
foods can be cooked on an 'eco setting', most will need more heat
to cook properly.
Salmon requires a relatively low temperature to cook through but
raw meat, such as medium rare beef, needs to get to a temperature
of nearly 50 degrees.
This would make a dish like lasagne, a popular choice for
dishwasher cooks, more difficult to get right.
Plenty of amateur cooks have tried it however, as the increasing
number of dishwasher recipes posted online show.
Casali's own recipes for dishwasher dishes include couscous, veal,
sea bass and apple pie.