The Gourmet Slow Cooker Volume II (3 page)
Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro and sour cream.
SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
“Fire and ice” is often used to refer to the pairing of spicy foods with a cooling, white wine. This concept might work well here. Try a cold, un-oaked Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc.
Virginia historians claim that the original Brunswick Stew was created in Brunswick County, Virginia, in 1828 by a camp cook for a member of the Virginia State Legislature. The original recipe called for squirrel rather than chicken, but most Yankees nowadays pass on the squirrel.
Serves 4
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 chicken, skinned and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
2 smoked or regular pork chops
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock or water
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen lima beans, thawed
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Combine the flour, salt, paprika, and thyme in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake until evenly coated.
Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning, for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on all sides. Place the chicken and the pork chops in the slow cooker.
Add the onion to the pan over medium-high heat and sauté in the oil and meat drippings for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned. Place the onion on top of the meat in the cooker.
Mix the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce into the tomatoes and pour over the chicken. Add the water. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, until the chicken is tender. Add the bell pepper, lima beans, and corn and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt to taste.
Remove the chicken and pork from the cooker. Tear the meat off the bones, discard the bones, and return the meat to the stew. Stir in the parsley just before serving.
SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
This is a versatile dish in terms of wine choices. I’d probably prefer a lighter red wine like a Pinot Noir or Sangiovese, or even a good microbrew.
Like much of the world’s good cooking, Creole and Cajun dishes are often whipped up on the spur of the moment using what’s on hand. Gumbo’s hallmark seasoning is filé powder (pronounced “fee-LAY”), made from dried, ground sassafras leaves, which provide both flavoring and thickening. Filé powder is traditionally added at the very end of the cooking time so it does not lose its flavor or aroma.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
6 chicken legs, skinned
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
½ cup uncooked aromatic brown rice
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and diced
1 cup frozen sliced okra
4 cups chicken stock or water
1 bay leaf
Salt
2 bacon slices
⅓ pound shrimp, raw, unpeeled
⅓ pound scallops, raw
⅓ pound cooked crabmeat
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 to 2 teaspoons filé powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning, for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion and celery to the pan and sauté in the chicken drippings for about 10 minutes, until they are just beginning to color.
Spread the rice evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker and add the chicken, onion, and celery. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, okra, stock, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the meat is very tender. Season to taste with salt.
Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning, until crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and chop coarsely.
Add the bacon, shrimp, scallops, crab, and thyme to the slow cooker and continue to cook for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the filé powder. Cover and let the gumbo sit for another 15 minutes, just until the shrimp turns pink and the scallops are opaque.
Ladle the gumbo into bowls and serve hot, garnished with the parsley.
SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
Zinfandel seems like the right pairing for gumbo.
Peanuts reached the American South through a rather circuitous route: Although they were first brought to the United States from Africa in the 1700s, they appear to have originated in South America. The Incas used peanuts in trade, and jars filled with them have been found in ancient Inca graves. This recipe, which may have first come from George Washington Carver’s pot, makes an unusual but surprisingly tasty soup.
Serves 4
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or peanut or vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
½ cup diced carrot
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup uncooked rice
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ green bell pepper, diced
1 cup coarsely ground peanuts
Salt
¼ cup chopped fresh chives or green onions, white and light green parts only, for garnish
Combine the peanut butter and 2 cups of the water in a blender and process until smooth.
Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the carrot and celery, cover the pan, and sweat for about 10 minutes, until softened.
Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker and add the rice. Add the peanut butter mixture and the remaining 4 cups water. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, until the rice is tender. Add the pepper flakes, bell pepper, and peanuts and cook for 1 hour, until the flavors have deepened according to taste. Season to taste with salt.
Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with the chives.
SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A beer or a dry white wine.
White Bean Chili
White chili is usually made with white beans and fresh green chiles rather than the usual red or pink beans and dried red chiles. The bit of cream gives it a very rich mouthfeel. White chili is a wonderful change of pace on a cold winter evening by the fire.
Serves 4
2 cups dried white beans, thoroughly rinsed
6 cups chicken stock or water
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil or cold-pressed corn oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 (4-ounce) can diced roasted green chiles
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
½ cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
3 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, for garnish
Combine the beans, water, and wine in the slow cooker.
Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 5 minutes more.
In a coffee mill or using a mortar and pestle, crush the cumin and coriander seeds and add them to the pan. Stir well.
Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker and add the chiles. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the oregano, half-and-half, and basil and season to taste with salt.
Ladle into bowls and serve at once, garnished with the cilantro.
SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A good southwestern or Mexican beer, or a hearty red wine from Arizona or New Mexico.
Ham with redeye gravy is a southern classic. A cuppa coffee is used to deglaze the pan, and the resulting slurry is poured over the ham slices. I’d bet my buttons that somebody has thrown coffee into the stew for added flavor!
Serves 4
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2½ pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of fat
6 small or 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into large pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into 8 slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 cup strong brewed coffee
2 cups water, beer, or wine of any kind
1 cup frozen peas
Combine the flour and salt in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the meat in batches and shake until evenly coated.
Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Working in batches, add the meat and cook, turning, for 15 minutes, until brown on all sides. Place the meat in the slow cooker and add the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme.
Remove the sauté pan from the heat and pour the coffee into the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour the coffee into the cooker and add the water. Cover and cook on low for 5½ to 7½ hours, until the meat is very tender. Add the peas and cook for about 30 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A flavorful, full-bodied beer or a glass of hearty red wine.
Several species of salmon can be found on the Pacific Northwest coast, and morel mushrooms and lemony sorrel are plentiful in the inland woods. They make a nice combination with a good wild rice blend. Serve the soup with crusty bread.
Serves 4
½ ounce dried morel mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces button mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
1 leek, white and light green parts only, thoroughly rinsed, thinly sliced
½ cup wild rice blend
4 cups water
⅓ pound boneless skinless salmon steak or fillet
1 cup fresh sorrel or baby spinach leaves, cut into chiffonade
2 cups heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
About 2 tablespoons quick-mixing flour (such as Wondra)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, cover the morels with hot tap water and let stand until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, and coarsely chop. Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add all the fresh mushrooms and the leek and sauté for 10 minutes, until just beginning to color.
Transfer all of the mushrooms, the reserved soaking liquid, and leek to the slow cooker and add the rice and water. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours, until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Add the salmon, sorrel, cream, and dill. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes, until the salmon is just opaque.
Break the salmon into pieces and stir it into the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and serve at once.
SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A luscious Oregon Pinot Noir.
Tillamook cheddar cheese is made by a farmer-owned cooperative in Tillamook County, Oregon, that was founded in 1909 by dairy farmers to establish quality control over their product. Today the Tillamook co-op ownership is 150 families strong. And the Portland-based Oregon Brewers Guild, which boasts that Oregon is home to more microbreweries per person than just about anyplace on earth, currently has forty-one small, independent brewing members scattered throughout the state. I can think of fewer toothsome marriages than that of a good, sharp cheddar and a full-flavored beer.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced
1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup full-bodied beer
¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup chopped fresh chives, for garnish
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
Transfer the onion to the slow cooker and add the celery, potato, stock, and beer. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Add the Tabasco, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and stir well.