Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
The Great American Slow Cooker Book (51 page)
1
Toss the cut-up lamb, leeks, scallions, soy sauce, sherry, chile oil, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and pepper in the slow cooker until the meat is coated in the liquids and aromatics.
2
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the stew is irresistibly aromatic.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This Hunan dish is, yes, spicy, but it’s actually far more fragrant thanks to all those cumin seeds. Believe it or not, we’ve actually held back on their number to accommodate American palates. If you want an even more authentic taste, add up to 50 percent more.
•
Why leeks and scallions? leeks add a subtle, slightly dull sweetness, while scallions offer a bright springtime spark.
•
Pass extra chile oil or
sambal oelek
at the table, to spice things up even more.
with red wine, carrots, and prunes
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
2 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ tblsp olive oil
1 pound bone-in lamb shoulder chops, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
2 large shallots, peeled and halved
¾ cup full-bodied dry red wine, such as Côtes-du-Rhône or Cabernet Franc
6 baby carrots
2 pitted prunes, halved
1 4-inch rosemary sprigs
1 fresh thyme sprigs
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 tblsp olive oil
2 pounds bone-in lamb shoulder chops, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4 large shallots, peeled and halved
1½ cups full-bodied dry red wine, such as Côtes-du-Rhône or Cabernet Franc
10 baby carrots
4 pitted prunes, halved
2 4-inch rosemary sprigs
1 fresh thyme sprigs
6- TO 8-QUART
2 tblsp olive oil
4 pounds bone-in lamb shoulder chops, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
8 large shallots, peeled and halved
3 cups full-bodied dry red wine, such as Côtes-du-Rhône or Cabernet Franc
16 baby carrots
8 pitted prunes, halved
4 4-inch rosemary sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1
Heat a large skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then swirl in the oil. Season the lamb chunks with salt and pepper,
then set enough of them in the skillet that they can brown properly without overcrowding. Turn after 2 or 3 minutes, and continue browning on the other side. Transfer the browned chops to the slow cooker.
2
Place the shallots in the skillet, still set over medium heat. Cook until browned, turning only occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the shallots to the slow cooker.
3
Pour the wine into the hot skillet, still over the heat. Bring to a full boil, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Scrape and pour its contents into the slow cooker.
4
Stir in the carrots and prunes; toss well. Tuck the rosemary and thyme sprigs into the mixture.
5
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat is quite tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Red wine, carrots, and prunes are a classic combination in French cooking—and a good match to savory lamb.
•
You can use peeled regular carrots, but cut them into segments about as long and wide as baby carrots.
•
For a richer and more complex preparation, substitute unsalted butter or even walnut oil for the olive oil.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Thyme sprigs are always a bit of a problem, given how wispy they are. A sprig is actually not just one of the tendril-like threads but instead a group of those threads with the harder stem at the bottom. If you’ve only got wispy threads on hand, double or triple the amount to match what would be on the sprigs.
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
40 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 9
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 tblsp unsalted butter
1 pound boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
½ small chopped yellow onion
5 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
⅓ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 fresh tarragon sprigs
1 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tsp potato starch
4- TO 5½-QUART
1½ tblsp unsalted butter
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small chopped yellow onion
10 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
⅔ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 fresh tarragon sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tsp potato starch
6- TO 8-QUART
2 tblsp unsalted butter
3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium chopped yellow onion
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
3 fresh tarragon sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tblsp potato starch
1
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Slip some lamb chunks into the skillet—as many as will fit without crowding. Brown on all sides, giving them only a slight beige color, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the cubes to the slow cooker, adding more to keep going through the whole batch.
2
Dump the onion into the skillet, still set over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until softened and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.
3
Stir in the carrots, turnips, wine, salt, and pepper. Tuck the tarragon and thyme sprigs into the sauce.
4
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.
5
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lamb and vegetables to a big bowl. Cover the cooker and set it to high. Defat the sauce in the cooker, either by skimming it with a flatware spoon or pouring it into a fat strainer. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the sauce with the potato starch in a small bowl, then whisk this mixture back into the slow cooker. Stir into the meat and vegetables.
6
Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened a bit.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
A
navarin
is a French stew, usually made with turnips (
navet
in French). If there are other vegetables in the mix (as here), it’s really a
navarin printanier
.
•
Boneless lamb shoulder is our preferred cut for this dish because the flavor will be milder and sweeter than the same cuts with bits of bone in them.
•
Sear the lamb in the skillet, but don’t get carried away. You want a delicate flavor, not deep or complicated.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Potato starch is an old-fashioned thickener; it’s the fluffy starch extracted from potatoes, prized for the silky texture it brings to sauces and less gummy than cornstarch. Look for potato starch in the baking aisle.
Serve It Up!
While mashed potatoes seem a given, try this stew over
homemade croutons
or even over whole-grain grits (which have a more rustic texture than standard polenta).
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
7 TO 9 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
1½ pounds boneless leg of lamb, tied into a roast
1 medium garlic cloves, thinly slivered
½ tsp crushed juniper berries
2 tsp olive oil
⅔ cup thinly sliced yellow onion
⅓ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tblsp gin
⅓ cup stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced green or red bell pepper
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
4- TO 5½-QUART
2½ pounds boneless leg of lamb, tied into a roast
2 medium garlic cloves, thinly slivered
1 tsp crushed juniper berries
1 tblsp olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup gin
½ cup stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced green or red bell pepper
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
4½ pounds boneless leg of lamb, tied into a roast
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly slivered
½ tblsp crushed juniper berries
2 tblsp olive oil
1¾ cups thinly sliced yellow onion
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup gin
¾ cup stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced green or red bell pepper
¾ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
7 fresh thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
1
Use a paring knife to make small slits across the meat; fill each slit with a garlic sliver or a piece of a juniper berry.
2
Heat a large skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then pour in the oil. Swirl the skillet to coat the hot surface, then add the leg of lamb and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side, taking care to get fairly dark spots mottled across the meat. Transfer the leg of lamb to the slow cooker.
3
Pour the onion into the skillet, still set over medium heat with the lamb fat in the pan.
Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Spread the onion over and around the leg of lamb. Add the broth, gin, pepper strips, and porcini; tuck the thyme and bay leaves into the liquid.
4
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours in a small slow cooker, 8 hours in a medium cooker, and 9 hours in a large cooker, or until the meat is quite tender although still capable of being sliced into pieces that don’t shred or fall apart.
5
Transfer the meat to a cutting board; let stand for 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves; skim the surface fat off the sauce with a spoon.
Carve the meat against the grain
; serve with the sauce on the side.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
A bone-in leg of lamb will not necessarily fit in a slow cooker, no matter the appliance’s size; but a boneless leg will fit almost every time. Buy these roasts already tied at almost all supermarkets, or ask the butcher to bone a leg of lamb and tie the meat into a compact roast.
•
Gin is an amazing braising medium—sweet, even a little sticky, and fantastically aromatic. Use a moderately high-quality gin. (No amount of aromatics can cover the taste of cheap booze.)
Serve It Up!
For an elegant side dish, roast whole shallots with plenty of olive oil in a covered pan in a 350°F oven for 25 minutes. Quarter radicchio heads through the root, then add them to the pan with a bit more olive oil, tossing everything well. Uncover the pan and roast about 20 more minutes, tossing occasionally, until the radicchio is lightly browned. Let the vegetables cool, then chop them and toss in a large bowl with balsamic vinegar and salt.
with tons of garlic
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
7 TO 9 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 12
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ tblsp olive oil
1¼ pounds boneless leg of lamb, tied into a roast
¼ cup moderately sweet white wine, such as Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc
10 whole garlic cloves (still in their husks)
2 4-inch fresh rosemary sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 tblsp olive oil
2½ pounds boneless leg of lamb, tied into a roast
½ cup moderately sweet white wine, such as Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc
20 whole garlic cloves (still in their husks)
4 4-inch fresh rosemary sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
4 bay leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
2 tblsp olive oil
5 pounds boneless leg of lamb, tied into a roast
1 cup moderately sweet white wine, such as Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc
40 whole garlic cloves (still in their husks)
8 4-inch fresh rosemary sprigs
8 fresh thyme sprigs
8 bay leaves
2 tsp ground black pepper
1½ tsp salt
1
Heat a large skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then swirl in the oil. Set the leg of lamb in the skillet and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per side, taking care to get good brown bits all over the meat. Transfer to the slow cooker.