The Great American Slow Cooker Book (10 page)
Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
Serve It Up!
Poach, fry, or even hard-boil the eggs and then ladle this sauce over them when serving. Or bake the eggs right in the sauce—although not in the slow cooker. Ladle the sauce into a 9-inch square or 9 × 13-inch baking dish, then make wells in it with the back of a tablespoon. Crack eggs into each of these wells, then bake in a 375°F oven for about 15 minutes, until the eggs are set.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Tomatillos are like small, firm green tomatoes, sometimes sold still covered in their papery hulls. They have a slightly sour but still sweet taste and a crisp texture that softens into a rich sauce. Look for firm, vibrantly colored fruit without any mushiness (although there may still be a little stickiness on the skin).
Nothing beats applesauce that you make yourself. The fresh and tart apples are the perfect foil for the sweeteners and spices. The sauce also will be missing any unpronounceable chemicals! All these dishes pair well with plain yogurt for a morning starter. But don’t stop there. The compotes can also morph into a sophisticated dessert at the end of the day.
There’s only one rule for fruit dishes like these: pick the freshest fruits you can find. Despite all the pinching, shaking, or squeezing people do to the fruit in the grocery store or at a farmstand, there’s really only one way to pick the best out of the bin—use your nose. The fruit should smell sweet and irresistible. Otherwise, it won’t taste sweet and irresistible.
The same goes for dried fruit: it should still smell fresh and sweet, like its fresh kin. Okay, perhaps not exactly as sweet, but certainly within a small range. It should also be pliable and even sticky, with no signs of mold or brown rot anywhere in the package. If you find the dried fruit is subpar at your market, take your money and shop elsewhere. You deserve a store that offers you solid ingredients for your hard-earned cash.
With good fresh and dried fruit, the slow cooker can work its magic, slowly softening it into a luscious sauce or compote. There’s no threat of scorching these sauces, a boon to busy cooks; but there’s also no chance of its getting too thick, since every drop of tasty moisture will stay right in the cooker where it belongs.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 12
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 large apples, preferably Gala, Fuji, or Jonagold, peeled, cored, and chopped
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ 4-inch cinnamon stick
⅛ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
8 large apples, preferably Gala, Fuji, or Jonagold, peeled, cored, and chopped
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 4-inch cinnamon stick
¼ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
12 large apples, preferably Gala, Fuji, or Jonagold, peeled, cored, and chopped
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1½ 4-inch cinnamon stick
¼ tsp salt
1
Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker, stirring until the brown sugar has completely coated the apple slices.
2
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the apples are tender enough to mash.
3
Remove the cinnamon stick and mash the apples with a potato masher. Spoon into plastic or glass containers, seal, and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This thick sauce benefits from apples that break down a bit over the heat. Chop them into fairly small bits, about ½ inch each.
•
No, you don’t have to use a potato masher. Mash the apples with the back of a wooden spoon in the cooker, although the applesauce will not be as smooth and luscious. Or you can skip the mashing entirely for a chunkier sauce.
•
You can also substitute honey for the brown sugar, but the sweetener’s taste will be more pronounced. Consider using only one-half to two-thirds the amount of honey as a substitute for the sugar, depending on how sweet your apples are.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
10 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 medium nectarines or peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
⅔ cup dried apricots, halved
½ cup orange juice
⅓ cup dried cherries
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into tiny bits
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 medium nectarines or peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1½ cups dried apricots, halved
1 cup orange juice
¾ cup dried cherries
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2½ tblsp unsalted butter, cut into tiny bits
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
8 medium nectarines or peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
3½ cups dried apricots, halved
1½ cups orange juice
1¼ cups dried cherries
1¼ cups packed light brown sugar
4 tblsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into tiny bits
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1
Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker, stirring until the brown sugar coats the fruit completely.
2
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until all the fruit is soft and tender. Ladle into plastic or glass containers, seal closed, and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
You can use either California or Turkish apricots, depending on whether you prefer a tartness (the former) or a sweet mellowness (the latter).
•
To keep the butter from melting and pooling on top of the compote, make sure the pieces are submerged in the mix before you set the lid on the cooker.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Dried apricots come in two basic types: Turkish apricots, usually brown and quite sweet; and California, very orange (sometimes vibrantly so) and a little tarter. Either will do here. If a recipe is developed for a specific kind, it’ll be so noted in the ingredient list.
Serve It Up!
A compote like this is great when served on top of plain yogurt for breakfast, or save it for dessert and offer some crunchy gingersnap cookies on the side.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
10 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 12
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups water
6 tblsp sugar
¼ cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling or Spätlese
¼ tsp salt
2 cups dried mission figs, stemmed and quartered
2 cups dried Turkish figs, stemmed and quartered
1 tblsp finely grated lemon zest
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 cups water
¾ cup sugar
½ cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling or Spätlese
½ tsp salt
4 cups dried mission figs, stemmed and quartered
4 cups dried Turkish figs, stemmed and quartered
1½ tblsp finely grated lemon zest
6- TO 8-QUART
6 cups water
1 cup plus 2 tblsp sugar
¾ cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling or Spätlese
¾ tsp salt
6 cups dried mission figs, stemmed and quartered
6 cups dried Turkish figs, stemmed and quartered
2 tblsp finely grated lemon zest
1
Whisk the water, sugar, wine, and salt in the slow cooker until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
2
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the figs are tender, the syrup is thick, and much of it has been absorbed.
3
Spoon any leftovers into a plastic or glass container, seal, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This one is probably for the adults. For one thing, the alcohol will not cook away. (It never does in any dish, by the way, but it’s more concentrated here.) For another, the fig flavor is intense, like the best fig cookie filling ever. To that end, those dried figs should be luscious and soft, not dry or crumbly.
•
Grate the lemon zest as fine as possible, preferably by using a microplane. You want the bits of zest to melt into the compote over time.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
There are several varieties of dried figs available in supermarkets. mission figs—sometimes called
Black mission figs
—are dark blue or almost black, small and quite sweet, and prized for their ethereal aroma. dried Turkish figs—sometimes called
dried Adriatic figs
—are brown and wrinkled, quite sticky as well, often used to make pastes and confections. If you can’t find Turkish figs, substitute the more common dried Calimyrna fig, a greenish-beige fruit that’s not so sweet as the Turkish figs but is a North American descendant of the Smyrna fig of the Middle East.
Serve It Up!
Beyond breakfast, layer the cooled compote with vanilla custard in wine glasses; or with lady fingers, mandarin orange segments, and vanilla custard in a glass serving bowl; top with whipped cream and chill for a couple of hours to make an easy trifle. Or crush some vanilla meringues and mix a little compote with them and lots of whipped cream (otherwise known as an
Eton Mess
). Or make figgy short cakes by splitting open some biscuits and topping them with the compote and whipped cream.
dried fruit compote
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
10 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 cups roughly chopped pitted dried fruits, preferably apples, peaches, prunes, pears, and/or nectarines
1 4-inch cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
2 green cardamom pods
1 star anise
2⅓ cups water
1 cup sugar
⅛ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
4½ cups roughly chopped pitted dried fruits, preferably apples, peaches, prunes, pears, and/or nectarines
1½ 4-inch cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
3 green cardamom pods
1 star anise
3½ cups water
1½ cups sugar
¼ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
8 cups roughly chopped pitted dried fruits, preferably apples, peaches, prunes, pears, and/or nectarines
2 4-inch cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
5 green cardamom pods
2 star anise
6¼ cups water
2⅓ cups sugar
½ tsp salt
1
Combine the fruit and spices in the slow cooker.
2
Whisk the water, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the fruit.
3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the dried fruit is tender and luscious, the syrup is thick, and much of the liquid has been absorbed.
4
Remove the cinnamon sticks and star anise before ladling the compote into glass or plastic containers, sealing shut, and storing in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This compote uses only dried fruit to make a very rich, sumptuous mélange. If possible, have at least three different kinds of fruit in the mix.
•
Chunk the dried fruit into fairly large pieces, about 2 inches each. (Pitted prunes, for example, can be left whole.)
•
We leave the cloves and cardamom pods in the compote because they continue to flavor it in storage—and we’re quite partial to them. Remove them in Step 4 for a milder flavor—or before you dish up the compote if you want to avoid big hits of flavor in individual spoonfuls.
Serve It Up!
For a great breakfast, ladle this compote into bowls, then add a splash of cream as well as some plain granola for crunch.
Call this chapter your own private bonanza—or at least the makings of it. You’ll soon find yourself in the enviable position of happening upon a horde of delicious soups, all in your own freezer.
If there’s ever a chapter in our slow cooker
oeuvre
that’s made for the big-batch, large-capacity models, it’s this one. Let’s face it: a vat of soup makes a lovely meal for the evening; and the leftovers are a prize for the nights when you stumble home too tired to cook. Imagine pulling out a frozen quart of
French Onion Soup
,
Lentil Soup
, or
Steak and Potato Soup
, setting it to warm up while you get into more comfortable gear, anticipating a hot meal at the ready.
Better yet, these recipes are among the most forgiving in the book. What happens when we call for 1½ cups of diced peeled sweet potato and you have only 1 cup—or perhaps 2 cups? Not much—toss it all in. Sure, you may cross the line between a soup and a stew, but no one’s looking.
That line is difficult to figure out, anyway; we tend to think of soups more as weighted toward the broth than the other ingredients. But then we think of a full bowl of vegetables, noodles, and chicken, all held together by a modest amount of broth, and we still call it
Chicken Noodle Soup
. In the end, we make the distinction on the dish’s overall consistency at the end of cooking. A stew has a thickened broth, almost like a sauce; a soup has a thinner one, with room to spare between the ingredients.
Writing that brings us to the topic of broths. We’ve got plenty of warnings in this book about the dangers of canned broth. (Too much salt! Too much onion! Too much water!) Yes, there’s a wide range of broths on the supermarket shelves. You should do a taste test, sipping each on a spoon. You’ll soon discover which fits your fare. And if you really want to take a soup over the top, consider making your own stock. We end this chapter with
six recipes for stock
, and we encourage you to try one on some Sunday afternoon when you have a little time around the house. Making your own stock is a bit of a chore, but the slow cooker takes the edge off the work. Get it going and walk away; when you’re done, strain the stock, throw some chopped quick-cooking vegetables in it for soup that night, and store the rest in the freezer.
And that brings us back to your own private bonanza. If you’re going to get into soups, invest in a supply of those plastic 1-quart containers familiar from Chinese take-out soups. Ladle in what you’ve got, seal, label, and put away for a future date. It’s better to store soup in discrete quantities rather than large batches. You never know when you’re going to want a peaceful lunch by yourself: no crush of kids, no jangling phones, no harried schedule. The hope for those moments of peace may be the very best reason to make soup and have it ready in the freezer.
Yep, we started with these—not with chicken soup, not with shellfish bisque, and certainly not with stock. We started here because, if you’re going to eat your vegetables, we bet you’re going to eat them in a soup. We have a good friend, a real meat-and-potatoes guy, who pushes the green stuff to the edge of his plate at almost every meal. Yet he’ll eat kale or Brussels sprouts when they’ve come to him in a bowl of warm soup. We’ve even watched him cross the beet barrier!
So here are soups that rely heavily on sweet potatoes, lentils, leeks, zucchini, mushrooms, or chard. Fear not: there’s meat in this section, too. Who but the most committed vegetarians could resist a bean soup with a chunk of ham in it? That said, any meat used in these soups is more a flavoring agent. And yes, there’s vegetarian fare here, too. In fact, quite a bit—even vegan choices. And of course, in those instances where we call for chicken broth, you can substitute vegetable broth, provided you understand you’ll lose a little body in the final dish. Among the store-bought broths, none is more insipid than vegetable broth; most tastes like water steeped with a vegetable-colored crayon. You’re best off if you make your own
vegetable stock
, or search for the brands with the best flavor.
One more thing before we get started. We steer clear of a lot of frozen vegetables, not because we want the freshest taste (we do) but mostly because we want the best texture. Yes, we use some canned tomatoes now and again; and yes, frozen vegetables can sometimes taste better than even their fresh kin. But fresh vegetables win big on the texture score: most remain firm and toothsome longer in the slow cooker than their frozen compatriots. And since soup is awash in liquid, a little texture counts for a lot. We hope it’s enough to get the veggie-phobes in your life to dig in.