The Great American Slow Cooker Book (104 page)
Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
1
Separate the onion half-moons into individual half-rings. Stir the onions, butter, and salt in the slow cooker.
2
Cover and cook on low for 12 hours in a small slow cooker, 14 hours in a medium cooker, or 16 hours in a large cooker, or until the onions are incredibly soft, sweet, and even mahogany brown.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
If you want to make softened onions for just about any sauce or condiment, look no further for the ultimate recipe. Not only will the onions caramelize but the butter will also brown a bit, adding a nutty, earthy flavor to the sweetened onions.
•
Set the onion halves cut side down on your cutting board and slice them as thin as possible. And make sure the individual strips have separated from the slices for even cooking.
Serve It Up!
These are great on burgers or hot dogs, with grilled brats or kielbasa, in omelets or on eggs of all kinds, in baked potatoes, or alongside roasted just-about-anything. They’re also a good sandwich spread. Mix them with sour cream and mayonnaise for a dip. Or pump up store-bought hummus by stirring some in. Or stuff them into trout or whole fish before grilling.
with cranberries and walnuts
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
12 TO 14 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
5 medium white onions, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
½ tblsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
9 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp salt
1
Stir the onions, olive oil, cranberries, walnuts, and salt in the slow cooker.
2
Cover and cook on low for 12 hours in a small slow cooker, 13 hours in a medium one, or 14 hours in a large cooker, or until the onions have become dark, thick, and rich.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This may well be the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish for the roast turkey. Or just ladle these onions onto a baked potato with some sour cream.
•
For more flavor, toast the walnut pieces in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until very aromatic and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 15 minutes before chopping into small bits.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
30 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 medium white onions
2 cups cooked white rice
½ cup finely chopped cremini or brown button mushrooms
¼ cup stemmed, seeded, and minced red bell pepper
½ ounce (about 2 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
½ tsp dried marjoram
⅛ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 medium white onions
3 cups cooked white rice
¾ cup finely chopped cremini or brown button mushrooms
6 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced red bell pepper
¾ ounce (about 3 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
¾ tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp dried thyme
¾ tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
¾ tsp dried marjoram
¼ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
8 medium white onions
4 cups cooked white rice
1 cup finely chopped cremini or brown button mushrooms
½ cup stemmed, seeded, and minced red bell pepper
1 ounce (about ¼ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp salt
1
Cut the top quarters of the onions off the root ends and discard the tops. Peel the papery skins off the onions, then slice a small bit off the root ends, just so the onions will stand up on a flat surface.
2
Use a melon baller or an apple corer to remove the cores of the onions, taking care to leave plenty of support (and layers) around their walls and making sure you don’t break through the bottoms.
3
Dab some olive oil on a paper towel and grease the inside of the slow cooker. Brush the outside of each onion with olive oil.
4
Mix the rice, mushrooms, bell pepper, cheese, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and salt in a small bowl. Stuff this mixture into the hollows of each onion; stand them up in the slow cooker.
5
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the onions are very soft and lightly golden. Remove them from the slow cooker with a large slotted spoon.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
These stuffed onions can be a side dish to almost any meat—lamb to pork, beef to turkey.
•
The mushrooms need to be very finely chopped. An easy way to do that is to drop them into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground but not yet a paste. Likewise, the bell pepper should be minced, no single piece bigger than a grain of cooked rice.
SHORTCUTS
Omit the oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and salt; instead, use a bottled Italian seasoning blend: 2 teaspoons for a small batch, 1 tablespoon for a medium batch, and 1½ tablespoons for a large batch. If the blend includes salt, omit the additional salt from the recipe.
in browned butter
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
2½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 pound whole cauliflower
3 tblsp unsalted butter
2 tblsp sliced almonds
¼ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¾ pounds whole cauliflower
6 tblsp unsalted butter
3 tblsp sliced almonds
½ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ pounds whole cauliflower
8 tblsp unsalted butter
¼ cup sliced almonds
1 tsp salt
1
Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, then slice the head in half stem to top. Cut out the stem as well as the hard core from each half. Chunk the cauliflower into large pieces, 2 inches each, and set these in the slow cooker.
2
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and salt; cook until the nuts are golden, stirring often, between 2 and 4 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet over the cauliflower chunks.
3
Cover and cook on low for 2½ hours, or until the butter has browned and the cauliflower is tender. Transfer to plates by the spoonful, get-ting some buttery sauce with each serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
As butter browns, it takes on a nutty, slightly bitter flavor, a perfect match for cauliflower.
•
In order to make sure the cauliflower has some firmness after cooking, cut into larger chunks rather than florets.
•
Check the cauliflower occasionally, sticking a toothpick or cake tester into a piece to make sure you still meet some resistance. It should be tender, not mushy.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
10 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
3 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
1 HOUR
•
SERVES:
4 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 medium
fennel bulbs
, trimmed and cut into 4-inch long chunks
⅔ cup dry vermouth
2 fresh oregano sprigs
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tblsp olive oil
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 large
fennel bulbs
, trimmed and cut into 4-inch long chunks
1 cup dry vermouth
3 fresh oregano sprigs
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
2 tblsp olive oil
6- TO 8-QUART
6 large
fennel bulbs
, trimmed and cut into 4-inch long chunks
2 cups dry vermouth
5 fresh oregano sprigs
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tblsp olive oil
1
Place the fennel chunks in the slow cooker; pour the vermouth over them. Tuck the oregano sprigs and garlic cloves among the chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.
2
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the fennel is crisp-tender. Lift the fennel out of the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and discard the poaching liquid.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
You can use large fennel bulbs cut into quarters, medium bulbs cut in halves, or small bulbs left whole.
•
The liquid in the slow cooker isn’t a good sauce—but don’t miss those softened garlic cloves, especially if you can spread them on a slice of crunchy bread.
•
For more fennel flavor in the poaching liquid, add some of the feathery fennel fronds to the mix. One warning: they may well glom onto the fennel chunks.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
2½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
3 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅔ cup olive oil
3 tblsp thinly sliced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 4-inch pieces
½ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 cup olive oil
¼ cup thinly sliced garlic
½ tblsp red pepper flakes
2 pounds broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 4-inch pieces
1 tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
2¼ cups olive oil
⅓ cup thinly sliced garlic
2 tsp red pepper flakes
3½ pounds broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 4-inch pieces
½ tblsp salt
1
Pour the olive oil into a skillet. Heat slowly for 3 or 4 minutes over low heat. Add the garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned around the edges and even a little blistered, about 4 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2
With the skillet still over low heat, add the red pepper flakes and cook until aromatic, 20 to 30 seconds. Scrape into the slow cooker. Add the broccoli rabe and salt; toss well.
3
Cover and cook on high, stirring twice, for 2½ hours, or until the broccoli rabe is tender. Remove the vegetables from the slow cooker with tongs, leaving the oil behind. Slice the browned garlic into small bits and serve with the rabe.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Look no further for the ultimate side dish for your next Italian-themed supper or dinner party. The olive oil here will give the broccoli rabe a velvety sheen and texture, a luxury indeed.
•
Some broccoli rabe, particularly organic selections or those from farmers’ markets, may have grit adhering to the heads. Wash them well and dry completely before adding to the oil. There should not be a drop of water anywhere.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Broccoli rabe—also called
rapini
or
broccoletti
—is a prized vegetable in southern European and even Chinese cooking. A member of the mustard family, high in vitamins A and C as well as potassium and iron, broccoli rabe has a spiky, peppery flavor. Each stem has a number of curly leaves that surround a small head of buds that somewhat resemble broccoli.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
1 HOUR
•
SERVES:
4 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 medium artichokes
2 lemons, halved
1 4-inch rosemary sprigs
½ cup moderately dry white wine, such as a French Chablis
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 medium artichokes
3 lemons, halved
2 4-inch rosemary sprigs
¾ cup moderately dry white wine, such as a French Chablis
6- TO 8-QUART
10 medium artichokes
5 lemons, halved
3 4-inch rosemary sprigs
1¼ cups moderately dry white wine, such as a French Chablis
1
Trim each artichoke by first removing the stem, then cutting off the top third, thereby removing many of the thorny leaf tips. Pull off the very fibrous outer leaves, then pry open the vegetable and scrape out the hairy, thistle bits that cover the heart. Rub the artichoke all over with a cut lemon, then set it in the slow cooker and continue trimming and preparing the remainder, placing them in one layer, preferably cut side down.