The Great American Slow Cooker Book (61 page)
Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
As a hearty meal with nonetheless bright flavors, you might consider this for your next Memorial Day picnic. Just drag the slow cooker right out to the deck. Take that, barbecue mavens!
•
Leaving the meat on the bone will give the chicken a texture more reminiscent of a roasted dish, less like a braised casserole. There’s no extra liquid here, so the chicken thighs become glazed in the sauce.
•
If you can find only chicken thighs with the skin still attached, you’ll need to skin each before adding it to the slow cooker, as well as removing any globs of fat.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
1½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 pound medium sweet potatoes, each peeled and cut into 6 spears
3 ounces (about 1 cup) white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 large shallots, peeled and halved
6 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup dry vermouth
1 tblsp all-purpose flour
½ tblsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
2½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes, each peeled and cut into 6 spears
7 ounces (about 2 cups) white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 large shallots, peeled and halved
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup dry vermouth
2 tblsp all-purpose flour
1 tblsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
4 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
3 pounds medium sweet potatoes, each peeled and cut into 6 spears
10 ounces (about 3 cups) white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
10 large shallots, peeled and halved
20 garlic cloves, peeled
1¾ cups dry vermouth
3 tblsp all-purpose flour
1½ tblsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1
Combine the chicken, sweet potato spears, mushrooms, shallots, and garlic cloves in the slow cooker, tossing a few times.
2
Whisk the vermouth, flour, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl until the flour dissolves; pour over the chicken and vegetables.
3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the stew is very fragrant.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
In this easy stew, the sweet potatoes stay firmer because they’re in large pieces, a good match with the thighs.
•
Sweet potatoes and mushrooms are a fine pairing—sweet with earthy; bright with a mild
umami
presence.
•
The shallots and garlic will soften until creamy, a real treat when smeared on a piece of crunchy bread.
with celery root and sour cream
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
30 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
5½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 5
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 thin bacon slices, chopped
1¼ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 small yellow onion, chopped
½ pound
celery root
, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch sections
2 tsp minced garlic
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup moderately dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tblsp coarse-grained mustard
1 bay leaf
2 tblsp sour cream (regular or low-fat)
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 thin bacon slices, chopped
2½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 pound
celery root
, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch sections
1 tblsp minced garlic
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1¾ cups moderately dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 tblsp coarse-grained mustard
2 bay leaves
¼ cup sour cream (regular or low-fat)
6- TO 8-QUART
7 thin bacon slices, chopped
4 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1⅔ pounds
celery root
, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch sections
4 tsp minced garlic
6 fresh thyme sprigs
3 cups moderately dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
3 tblsp coarse-grained mustard
3 bay leaves
⅓ cup sour cream (regular or low-fat)
1
Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, stirring occasionally, between 3 and 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon bits to the slow cooker.
2
Brown the thighs in the rendered bacon fat, adding as many as will fit comfortably in the skillet, about 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer the thighs to the cooker and continue browning more as necessary.
3
Keep the skillet over the heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, between 3 and 5 minutes. Either use the slotted spoon to transfer the onion bits to the cooker or scrape the contents (fat and all) from the skillet into the cooker.
4
Stir in the celery root, carrot, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Whisk the wine and mustard in a medium bowl, pour into the cooker, and tuck the bay leaves into the sauce.
5
Cover and cook on low for 5½ hours, or until the chicken is tender but not yet falling off the bone.
6
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the thighs to a big bowl. Stir the sour cream into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the thighs to the sauce and cook on high for 10 minutes to bring everything up to serving
temperature. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Bacon, wine, mustard, thyme, sour cream—this dish is like a European countryside classic amped up with more assertive American proportions.
•
Cut the celery root and carrot into slightly larger pieces so they’ve got better texture after the long cooking.
with plantains
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
12 HOURS 20 MINUTES (INCLUDES MARINATING THE CHICKEN)
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 9
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 medium whole scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
½ tblsp honey
1 tsp bottled ginger juice
Up to ½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
1½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 large ripe plantains, peeled and sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 tblsp frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 medium whole scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp honey
2 tsp bottled ginger juice
Up to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp grated nutmeg
3 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
2 large ripe plantains, peeled and sliced into 2-inch pieces
2 tblsp frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
6- TO 8-QUART
5 medium whole scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3½ tblsp balsamic vinegar
2 tblsp honey
1 tblsp bottled ginger juice
Up to ½ tblsp red pepper flakes
½ tblsp ground coriander
½ tblsp dried thyme
½ tblsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground allspice
¾ tsp grated nutmeg
4½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
3 large ripe plantains, peeled and sliced into 2-inch pieces
3 tblsp frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1
Place the scallions, garlic, vinegar, honey, ginger juice, red pepper flakes, coriander, thyme, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Cover and process, scraping down the inside of the canister once or twice, until a coarse paste comes together.
2
Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Scrape the spice paste into the bowl; toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours, tossing at least one more time.
3
Set the chicken thighs in the slow cooker; scrape every drop from the bowl into the cooker as well. Dump in the plantain, pour in the apple juice concentrate, and stir well.
4
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the thighs are tender, especially at the ends where there’s plenty of cartilage near the bone.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This dish is a riff on Jamaican jerk chicken, made with a fresh, fiery rub rather than a bottled sauce.
•
Consider making a double quantity of this rub, saving the remainder in a sealed plastic container in the fridge for up to 4 months.
•
The amounts of spices and aromatics for a small slow-cooker version may well be too small for some food processors to grind properly. Use a mini food processor or a large spice grinder.
•
The peels of ripe plantains are mottled with many brown patches, even soft in some places. There certainly shouldn’t be green anywhere—or even any large, unbroken patch of yellow.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
Bottled ginger juice is available in almost every supermarket. However, you can make your own by pressing chopped peeled fresh ginger through a garlic press.
Serve It Up!
For a side dish for four people, stem and shred green cabbage, then toss it into a wok set over medium-high heat with some olive oil. Stir until the cabbage wilts, then add drained and rinsed canned kidney beans as well as a healthy splash of vegetable broth. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and perhaps more red pepper flakes for an even more fiery dinner.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4 HOURS/7 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅔ cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
⅔ cup drained and rinsed canned chickpeas
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 tblsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
½ tsp mild smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground cloves
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp saffron
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
½ tblsp minced fresh oregano leaves
½ tblsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp salt
1½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¼ cups drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1¼ cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas
¾ cup (1 small) chopped yellow onion
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp mild smoked paprika
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp saffron
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tblsp minced fresh oregano leaves
1 tblsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
3 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ cups drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
2½ cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas
1¼ cups chopped yellow onion
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tsp mild smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp saffron
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 tblsp minced fresh oregano leaves
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
6 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1
Stir the tomatoes, chickpeas, onion, parsley, paprika, cloves, cinnamon, saffron, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2
Mix the oregano, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl; smear this paste over the chicken thighs. Set them into the cooker so they’re submerged about halfway.
3
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours, or until the meat is almost falling off the bone.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Half curry, half tagine, and with a little Italian flair (and fresh oregano) thrown in for good measure, this stew is a melting pot of flavors.
•
Stemming parsley leaves (as well as rosemary, thyme, and cilantro) can be a pain; however, those stems, if even slightly fibrous, may not get tender in the long haul.
•
Mince the oregano so that it is small enough to help form the herb paste. If desired, use kosher or sea salt for even more flavor and texture.