Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
The Great American Slow Cooker Book (58 page)
FOR THE STEW
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup sour cream (regular or low-fat)
2½ tblsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp poultry seasoning
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup sour cream (regular or low-fat)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp poultry seasoning
1¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
6- TO 8-QUART
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup sour cream (regular or low-fat)
7 tblsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large yellow onion, chopped
6 medium celery ribs, chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
2- TO 3½-QUART
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp
dry mustard
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tblsp plus 2 tsp milk
1 tblsp unsalted butter, melted
4- TO 5½-QUART
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp
dry mustard
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup milk
1½ tblsp unsalted butter, melted
6- TO 8-QUART
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp
dry mustard
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
½ cup milk
2 tblsp plus 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
1
Whisk the broth, sour cream, flour, and poultry seasoning in the slow cooker until the flour has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the chicken, onion, celery, and carrot until well coated.
2
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours in a small or medium slow cooker, or for 4½ hours in a large cooker.
3
Switch the cooker to high. Make the dumplings by whisking the flour, mustard, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl; stir in the milk and butter to form a sticky batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the stew, each scoop about the size of a walnut in its shell. Cover the stew evenly with the small dumplings.
4
Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, or until the dumplings are set and somewhat firm.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Since these dumplings are usually cooked over a bubbling stew, the slow cooker is the perfect tool to make this comfort food easy.
•
Chop the vegetables into ½- to 1-inch pieces so they provide some texture.
•
The dumpling batter is sticky. Coat a flatware tablespoon with nonstick spray so the gluey stuff will release better—or use your finger to thwack it onto the stew.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Poultry seasoning is a blend of dried spices, popular in Southern cooking. You can make your own, skipping any salt, MSG, or even less savory additives that are in some mixes. Combine 3 tablespoons dried sage, 1½ tablespoons dried thyme, 1 tablespoon dried marjoram, ½ tablespoon ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon ground cloves in a small bowl. Stir well, then store in a small glass jar or plastic container at room temperature in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
30 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4 HOURS/6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 4
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
¾ pound yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), quartered
2 tblsp honey
2 tblsp Dijon mustard
2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (12 ounces each)
¼ tsp mild paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tblsp olive oil
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¼ pounds yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), quartered
¼ cup honey
¼ cup Dijon mustard
4 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (12 ounces each)
½ tsp mild paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tblsp olive oil
6- TO 8-QUART
1¾ pounds yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), quartered
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup Dijon mustard
6 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (12 ounces each)
¾ tsp mild paprika
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1½ tblsp olive oil
1
Make an even layer of the potato quarters across the bottom of the slow cooker.
2
Whisk the honey and mustard in a small bowl until creamy. Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts; rub the honey-mustard mixture both under the skin (thus, onto the meat) and over the skin of each breast.
3
Sprinkle the paprika, salt, and pepper over the skin of the breasts. Set them skin side up on the potatoes, squishing them to fit in one layer.
4
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the meat of a breast without touching bone registers 165°F.
5
Position the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and turn on your broiler to warm it up. Use tongs to transfer the breasts, skin side up, onto a rimmed baking sheet.
6
Brush the olive oil over the skin. Broil the chicken breasts until brown and a bit crisp, about 3 minutes. Serve with the braised potatoes on the side.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
bone-in chicken breasts can indeed be prepared in the slow cooker, so long as you lift them up a bit off the produced fat (or submerge them in a sauce, as in some other recipes in this book).
•
Because it’s difficult to tell when these large breasts are done, you’ll need to use an instant-read meat thermometer for safety’s sake. That kitchen gadget is your best tool for avoiding most pathogens you might face from undercooked meat.
•
As you lift the skin off the raw meat, be on the lookout for any blobs of fat that you can pull out and throw away. Otherwise, they’ll melt and overwhelm the potatoes below.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Bone-in chicken breasts often have a bit of rib meat hanging down off one side. For almost all recipes, this should be sliced off and discarded—or saved in a zip-closed plastic bag in the freezer for making
Chicken Stock
.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
To loosen the skin from a chicken breast, start at the pointy, narrow end of the breast and run a clean, dry finger under the line where the skin meets the meat. Run your finger back and forth, enlarging this space, fitting in a second finger and working gently until you get near the thicker end. Lift the skin off the meat without stretching it too much or tearing it loose.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
5 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
1 HOUR
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
¾ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 ounces smoked sausage, preferably Cajun andouille, cut into ½-inch pieces
1¾ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
⅓ cup chopped yellow onion
⅓ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
6 tblsp uncooked long-grain white rice
6 tblsp thinly sliced celery
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp dried sage
¼ tsp celery seeds
¼ tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
1 bay leaf
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces smoked sausage, preferably Cajun andouille, cut into ½-inch pieces
3½ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
¾ cup (about 1 small) chopped yellow onion
¾ cup (about 1 small) stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
¾ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
½ cup thinly sliced celery
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp celery seeds
½ tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
2 bay leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound smoked sausage, preferably Cajun andouille, cut into ½-inch pieces
7 cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1½ cups chopped yellow onion
1½ cups stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
1½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 tsp dried thyme
1¼ tsp dried sage
1¼ tsp celery seeds
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
3 bay leaves
1
Stir the chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, rice, celery, thyme, sage, celery seeds, hot sauce, and bay leaves.
2
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the rice is tender and the stew has thickened a bit. Discard the bay leaves before ladling the stew into bowls.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
There are actually two types of jambalaya. As a general rule, the Creole version has tomatoes, the Cajun version doesn’t. This is a streamlined, slow cooker morph of the former.
•
The rice is more of a thickener than a main component of the casserole. (We didn’t use brown rice here because it doesn’t have enough stickiness to get the job done.)
•
Add up to 1 cup frozen cut okra, thawed, with the other vegetables.
•
Substitute smoked turkey sausage for the andouille for a somewhat healthier meal.
SHORTCUTS
Omit the dried thyme, sage, and celery seeds; substitute a bottled Cajun seasoning blend: 1 teaspoon for a small slow cooker, 2 teaspoons for a medium batch, and 1½ tablespoons for a large one. If your bottled blend includes cayenne, consider omitting the hot sauce as well.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Cajun andouille sausage is a coarse-grained smoked sausage made with pork, onion, garlic, and seasonings. It should not be confused with the French andouille, made from tripe and other innards. If Cajun andouille proves hard to find, substitute smoked kielbasa.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4 HOURS 15 MINUTES/6 HOURS 15 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 5
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1½ tblsp all-fruit apricot spread
1½ tblsp diced dried apricots
¾ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
pinch cayenne
1 tblsp unsalted butter
2 bone-in skinless chicken breasts (12 ounces each), sliced in half widthwise
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tblsp dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
⅓ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
2 tblsp buttermilk
4- TO 5½-QUART
⅔ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2½ tblsp all-fruit apricot spread
2½ tblsp diced dried apricots
1¼ tsp ground turmeric
1¼ tsp ground cumin
1¼ tsp ground coriander
1¼ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp cayenne
1½ tblsp unsalted butter
4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts (12 ounces each), sliced in half widthwise
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1½ tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
⅔ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup buttermilk
6- TO 8-QUART
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup all-fruit apricot spread
¼ cup diced dried apricots
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp chili powder
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne
2 tblsp unsalted butter
6 bone-in skinless chicken breasts (12 ounces each), sliced in half widthwise
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tblsp minced garlic
6 tblsp dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 cup (about 1 medium) stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
⅓ cup buttermilk
1
Whisk the broth, apricot spread, dried apricots, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne in the slow cooker until the spread is dissolved.
2
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a few of the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook, 5 or 6 minutes, until well browned. Transfer to the slow cooker skin side up and continue browning more pieces. (If you’ll be working in several batches, divide the butter among them so that there’s always some fat in the skillet.)
3
Dump the onion into the skillet, still set over the heat; stir until translucent, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of the batch.