The Great American Slow Cooker Book (71 page)

1
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the turkey thighs with salt and pepper and slip several pieces, skin side down, into the skillet. Cook until nicely browned but without turning, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to the slow cooker and continue browning until finished. (Consider dividing the amount of butter in half or even thirds for large batches of turkey thighs.)

2
Once all the thighs are in the cooker, pour the brandy into the skillet and quickly scrape up any browned bits on the hot surface. (Take care: the brandy may well ignite. Have a skillet lid close at hand; cover the skillet and set off the heat for a couple of minutes if the stuff goes up in flames.) Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.

3
Sprinkle the onions, carrots, potatoes, lemon zest, and allspice over and around the thighs. Tuck the thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the vegetables. Pour the broth into the slow cooker.

4
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves before ladling the braise into bowls.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Move over, beef! Turkey thighs can make a fine pot roast, provided you brighten the flavors a bit with lemon zest and shift the herbs to a lighter palette.

•
Substitute peeled and cubed turnips or rutabaga for the potatoes.

SHORTCUTS
If you wish, omit the brandy (and thus all of step 2). The flavors won’t be as intense (you’ll miss all the browned bits in the skillet), but you’ll have less of a chance of setting your kitchen on fire.

1
Spread the turkey wing pieces on a large baking sheet in one layer. Stir the liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl, then rub the mixture onto the wings.

2
Mix the brown sugar, paprika, thyme, salt, onion powder, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl; sprinkle this mixture evenly over both sides of the wing pieces. Pile them into the slow cooker.

3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
This dry roast achieves a moist barbecue. That’s what the slow cooker does best when there isn’t a stew or braise involved.

•
Slice the wings exactly as you would chicken wings. See
this page
for a fuller explanation.

•
Some of those turkey wings will sit down in the accumulating liquid as they cook. Consider rearranging their position after the first three hours so some don’t sit in the juices the whole time.

•
If you want a crisp skin on those wings, transfer them to a large rimmed baking sheet when done and broil for 3 to 4 minutes per side 4 to 6 inches from a heated element.

Serve It Up!
Toss brown rice with a little lime juice and toasted sesame oil for an easy side dish.

1
Mix the broth, beans, rice, onion, celery, bell pepper, orange zest, sage, thyme, celery seeds, allspice, and hot sauce in the slow cooker. Nestle the wings in the mixture.

2
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the rice is tender and the meat can fall off the bones.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
You’ll need smoked turkey wings for this one-pot meal—and you’ll need them to fit your slow cooker’s size and shape. Slice them at the joint, pulling them open before dividing them with a heavy, sharp knife.

•
If the smoked turkey wings still have the long flappers attached, don’t throw these out. Add them for flavor to the mix!

•
If you can’t find smoked turkey wings, slice turkey wings into sections, brown them in a bit of butter over medium heat, and coat them lightly with smoked paprika before adding them to the cooker. The flavor will be far less intense, but we wouldn’t want you to miss out on this meal!

SHORTCUTS
Skip the dried sage, dried thyme, celery seeds, ground allspice, and bottled hot sauce, and instead use a bottled Cajun seasoning blend: 2½ teaspoons for a small slow cooker, 1 tablespoon for a medium one, or 5 teaspoons for a large cooker.

Serve It Up!
While that slow cooker is going, make
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
in the same amount of time. Cut plum tomatoes in half lengthwise, then season their cut sides with a mixture of equal parts sugar and olive oil, plus salt, dried basil, and ground black pepper. Roast on an oiled rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 225°F oven for about 5 hours, until tender and a bit shriveled.

1
Warm a large skillet over medium heat, then pour in the oil. Slip in several of the wing pieces and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and continue browning the rest of the lot.

2
Use a fork to mash the cherry preserves, bell pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small bowl until it’s a thick, sticky paste. Smear—nay, massage—the mixture on the turkey wings.

3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the meat is fork-tender, particularly in the thick bits of the drumlets.

4
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the wings to a serving platter. Skim the sauce in the cooker of its surface fat, then pour the sauce into a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring often. Stir in the lime juice and boil for 1 or 2 minutes, until just slightly thickened. Drizzle the sauce over the wings before serving.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
These sweet-and-spicy turkey wings would be a welcome addition to the half-time show during the game.

•
Cherry preserves will have bits of cherries in them—which will then end up in the sauce. If you want a smoother drizzle, use cherry jam.

Serve It Up!
Have crunchy kale chips on the side. Stem kale leaves and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Lay them on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, add salt, and toss well. Spread them out again in a single layer, then bake in a 275°F oven for 20 minutes, turning once, or until crunchy. Cool on a wire rack a few moments before removing from the tray and serving.