Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
The Great American Slow Cooker Book (89 page)
1
Whisk the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar in the slow cooker until the brown sugar melts.
2
Stir in the shiitakes, bell pepper, scallions, and ginger. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until bubbling and hot.
3
Stir in the shrimp. Cover and continue cooking on high for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
You can use almost any size shrimp for this dish, from monsters at 10 per pound to small shrimp at around 50 per pound. Just don’t use so-called baby shrimp or salad shrimp; they’ll cook too quickly without absorbing enough flavor.
•
Try this with crawfish tail meat instead of shrimp.
•
Leave the bell peppers in ½-inch pieces, a little larger than usual, so that they don’t soften too quickly.
•
Yellow Thai curry paste can be quite fiery. Hang back a bit if you don’t yet have the hang of it for your own taste.
Serve It Up!
Rather than serving this stew over rice, try it alongside a cooling dish of shredded carrots and cucumbers, tossed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and a pinch of sugar.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
3 HOURS 20 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup frozen artichoke heart quarters, thawed
⅔ cup
pearled barley
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1¼ tsp minced garlic
1¼ tsp minced fresh dill fronds
1¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest
⅔ pound medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
½ ounce (about 2 tblsp) aged Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1½ cups frozen artichoke heart quarters, thawed
1 cup
pearled barley
¾ cup (about 1 small) chopped yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh dill fronds
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 pound medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1½ ounces (about ⅓ cup) aged Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2½ cups frozen artichoke heart quarters, thawed
1⅔ cups
pearled barley
1¼ cups chopped yellow onion
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tblsp minced fresh dill fronds
1 tblsp finely grated lemon zest
1⅔ pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 ounces (about ½ cup) aged Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
1 tsp ground black pepper
1
Stir the broth, artichoke hearts, barley, onion, garlic, dill, and lemon zest in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
2
Stir in the shrimp, cheese, and pepper. Cover and continue cooking on high for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Rice proves too gummy, so barley makes a better alternative for a slow-cooker pilaf. The barley is also a bit savory, certainly not as sweet, and so better complements the shrimp.
•
Frozen artichoke heart quarters are firmer than their jarred kin and thus better able to stand up to long cooking. That said, if you can only find the canned, use them at will.
•
You can substitute semi-pearled (or
semi-perlato
) barley and have a bit more whole-grain goodness.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
3 HOURS 20 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅓ cup moderately dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1½ tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
4 tsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground turmeric
⅛ tsp ground cloves
2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
1½ tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1½ pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
4- TO 5½-QUART
½ cup moderately dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
2 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
2½ pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
6- TO 8-QUART
¾ cup plus 1 tblsp moderately dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
3½ tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
3½ tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
2 tblsp minced garlic
½ tblsp ground cardamom
½ tblsp ground coriander
½ tblsp ground cumin
½ tblsp ground black pepper
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cloves
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
3½ tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
4 pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1
Purée the wine, ginger, jalapeño, garlic, cardamom, coriander, cumin, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, and cloves in a large blender, occasionally scraping down the inside of the canister until you get a wet, moderately smooth paste.
2
Scrape the paste into the slow cooker; stir in the onions and butter. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until bubbling and aromatic.
3
Stir in the shrimp. Cover and continue cooking on high for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
You can also use ghee, or clarified butter, for this sauce, if you prefer no milk solids in the mix (which give slightly bitter notes to the dish). That said, we liked those notes and so felt it wasn’t worth the effort to clarify any butter.
•
For a hotter sauce, don’t seed the chiles, and add some cayenne to the mix—up to 1 teaspoon for a large slow cooker.
Serve It Up!
Although often served over rice, we like this lighter shrimp version of the classic curry over mashed sweet potatoes laced with butter, salt, pepper, and perhaps a little ground cumin for a savory pop.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
3 HOURS 20 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 medium whole scallions, thinly sliced
½ medium serrano chiles, stemmed and minced
1½ tblsp red wine vinegar
1½ tblsp unsweetened apple juice
2 tsp honey
1¼ tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
¾ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 ripe medium plantains, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1½ pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 medium whole scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium serrano chiles, stemmed and minced
2 tblsp red wine vinegar
2 tblsp unsweetened apple juice
1 tblsp honey
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 ripe medium plantains, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2½ pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
6- TO 8-QUART
5 medium whole scallions, thinly sliced
1½ medium serrano chiles, stemmed and minced
3½ tblsp red wine vinegar
3½ tblsp unsweetened apple juice
2 tblsp honey
1 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1¾ tsp ground coriander
1¾ tsp dried thyme
2 tsp minced garlic
¾ tsp ground allspice
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp grated nutmeg
¾ tsp ground black pepper
4 ripe medium plantains, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large plus 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1
Place the scallions, chile, vinegar, apple juice, honey, ginger, coriander, thyme, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper in a large blender. Cover and blend until a thick paste forms, shutting off the machine occasionally to scrape down the inside of the canister with a rubber spatula.
2
Scrape the paste into the slow cooker. Stir in the plantain and onion. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the plantain bits are becoming meltingly tender.
3
Stir in the shrimp. Cover and continue cooking on high for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This spice paste is lighter and more aromatic than that used for the
Jerk Pork Shoulder
, the better to pair with the shrimp.
•
The plantains must be ripe; their skin should be deeply mottled, even black in places.
•
Feel free to substitute scrubbed littleneck clams for the shrimp. Because of the clams’ shell weight, use 25 more clams than shrimp. Or use a combination of shrimp and clams.
•
For a kick in the sauce, substitute applejack brandy for the apple juice.
Serve It Up!
Have a
Caribbean Slaw
on the side: Mix a bagged slaw mix with diced mango, pineapple, and cilantro leaves. Dress it with mayonnaise thinned with a little cider vinegar and spiked with a pinch of cayenne, as well as salt and pepper.
in coconut sauce
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
2 HOURS 50 MINUTES/5 HOURS 20 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 1
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
3½ cups drained and rinsed canned black-eyed peas
¾ cup coconut milk
¼ pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2½ tsp packed light brown sugar
2½ tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¾ pound medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4- TO 5½-QUART
5½ cups drained and rinsed canned black-eyed peas
1¼ cups coconut milk
½ pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3½ tsp packed light brown sugar
3½ tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp finely grated lemon zest
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1¼ pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
9 cups drained and rinsed canned black-eyed peas
2 cups coconut milk
¾ pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tblsp packed light brown sugar
2 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tblsp ground coriander
½ tblsp ground cumin
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
½ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1
Stir the black-eyed peas, coconut milk, tomatoes, onion, brown sugar, ginger, coriander, cumin, lemon zest, and turmeric in the slow cooker until the brown sugar dissolves. Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours or on low for 5 hours, or until the sauce is ridiculously aromatic.
2
Stir in the shrimp and cilantro. Cover, set the heat to high, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This surprising mix of ingredients adds up to a big mélange of flavors. The many herbs enhance the coconut milk and the black-eyed peas give the whole thing a mild earthiness.
•
There’s no heat here. Feel free to add up to ½ teaspoon cayenne to a large slow cooker if you want some kick. However, increase the ginger by 1 or 2 teaspoons to compensate.