The Great American Slow Cooker Book (65 page)

1
Put the chicken pieces in the slow cooker, layering them so that as much of each piece as possible will be in the sauce.

2
Whisk the tomatoes, peanuts, onion, chipotle, allspice, cloves, salt, and pepper in a bowl; pour over the chicken pieces. Tuck in the cinnamon stick.

3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender at the bone. Discard the cinnamon stick before serving.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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This aromatic stew works best if there’s a mix of white and dark meat chicken. That way, it won’t be too oily—and will please everyone!

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For a thick stew to be spooned over cooked rice, remove the chicken pieces, cool in a colander set in the sink for a few minutes, then shred the meat from the bones and stir it back into the slow cooker. Maintain the slow cooker’s low heat while you’re working with the chicken, then cook on high for 10 minutes to heat through.

1
Warm a large skillet over medium heat, then swirl in the oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add a few to the skillet to brown them on both sides, about 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer to the slow cooker and continue browning more as necessary.

2
Pour the onions into the skillet; brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Pour them into the slow cooker.

3
Stir the tomatoes, okra, corn, bell pepper strips, tomato paste, sage, oregano, and garlic in a bowl until the tomato paste coats almost everything. Dump the mixture into the slow cooker and toss well.

4
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is fork-tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Brunswick stew, a Southern tradition, is often made with rather obscure meats. Squirrel, anyone? We simplified things a bit, added a few veggies, and dropped the spicy heat. You can pass the hot pepper sauce at the table.

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Make sure you brown that chicken well, since the skin is going right into the stew. The more color, the more flavor—and the less rendered fat that will actually make it into the final dish.

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Use any color of bell pepper you like—or a variety for more color in the dish.

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Large sage leaves can have a fibrous stem. Remove this before mincing.

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For a more authentic presentation, remove the meat from the cooker and cool a bit, then debone and chop the meat and stir it back into the stew. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes to heat through.

SHORTCUT
Feel free to use frozen bell pepper strips. They must be completely thawed. And they must not include any added spices or sauce.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Some of these recipes call for the pieces of a whole chicken. A bird usually is cut into eight or nine pieces (two legs, two thighs, two breasts, two wings, and a back—or other permutations, depending on the knife technique). You can buy the chicken cut up, or you can do it yourself. That said, a small slow cooker will not take a whole chicken—more like half a whole one: a leg, a thigh, a breast, a wing. If you’re working with a small slow cooker, save the rest of the meat for another dish.

Serve It Up!
Brunswick stew is often thickened with bread. Replicate that by putting a mixture of finely ground fresh breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in the serving bowls before dishing up the stew. Drizzle the bowls with high-quality olive oil as a finishing touch.

1
Set a large skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then swirl in the oil. Add the pancetta pieces; cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move the pancetta to the slow cooker.

2
Slip a few pieces of chicken at a time into the skillet and brown them, turning once, about 6 minutes. Move them to the slow cooker and continue browning more pieces as needed.

3
Add the mushrooms, onion, fennel, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. Toss well to coat the meat in the tomato paste.

4
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is meltingly tender at the bone.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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This Italian-inspired stew is fairly delicately flavored, a good match for an Easter dinner.

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Although we’re fans of chicken skin, it proved too assertive and oily for this rather delicate, dramatic stew.

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Substitute skinless bone-in chicken thighs, if desired.

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Leave the vegetables in fairly large chunks, at least ½ inch. There needs to be plenty of body and texture in the sauce.

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To make a light ragù to serve over polenta or spaghetti, cool the stew, then bone and chop the chicken meat. Stir it back into the sauce, cook on high for 20 minutes to heat through, then dish it up!

1
Arrange the parsnips, tomatoes, and thyme as a single layer in the bottom of the slow cooker.

2
Mix the lemon pepper and paprika in a small bowl; rub all over the chicken, even in the cavity. Set on top of the parsnip mixture.

3
Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, depending on the size of chicken, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F.

4
Unplug the appliance, uncover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a carving board; slice into eight or nine pieces. Discard the thyme sprigs before serving the parsnips and tomatoes.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Yes, you can roast a whole chicken in a slow cooker—just not in a small model, or even a medium model, for that matter. However, if you find a small chicken and can get it comfortably inside a medium cooker without squeezing it tight against the sides, then go for it. But there must be breathing space around the bird in the insert.

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Lemon pepper usually includes salt in the mixture. If the one you have is salt-free, add up to 1 teaspoon salt to the seasoning blend.

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The parsnips and tomatoes become wonderfully rich after sitting in the chicken fat. If you want to make this a healthier meal, skin the bird
after
you cook it (but not before).

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There’s only one way to know if a bird is cooked through: an instant-read meat thermometer.

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Letting the bird rest in the cooker for 10 minutes both reincorporates the juices and lets the joints firm up, so the bird doesn’t fall to pieces when you try to lift it out of the cooker. The best tool for getting a whole bird out of a cooker is a pair of oven-safe silicone baking mitts.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
To make lemon pepper seasoning, position the rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 175°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Use a microplane to grate the zest from 5 medium lemons; mix with ⅓ cup crushed black peppercorns. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake until very dried, between 1 and 1½ hours, stirring once. Cool completely on a wire rack, then process in a mini food processor with ¼ cup kosher salt until the consistency of coarse sand. (You can also grind the mixture with the salt in batches in a spice grinder.) Store in a sealed glass jar or plastic container for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 6 months.