Slow Cooked: 200 exciting, new recipes for your slow cooker (12 page)
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Authors: Miss South
The first thing I really got to grips with cooking in the slow cooker was a whole chicken and it remains a firm favourite of mine. Chicken, turkey and duck all work brilliantly in the slow cooker, especially if you cook the meat on the bone. Cuts like chicken breast don’t handle the long cooking well, becoming woolly and tasteless, so take the chance to try thighs, legs and drumsticks, which are much cheaper anyway.
A whole chicken is a great way to get to know how hot or cold your slow cooker is and how evenly it cooks. Pot roast it very simply and find your slow-cooking feet as you go. You can enjoy the leftovers and make stock from it in the slow cooker, making it even more frugal and easy.
I usually only brown the skin on poultry if I’m planning to eat it, like on a whole roast bird or chicken wings. It’s definitely not necessary if you are removing the skin. Less washing up and more time eating!
One thing to bear in mind is that poultry cooks much more quickly than meat in the slow cooker, so if there is any danger of you not being ready to eat it at the end of the cooking time, leave your portions whole rather than cutting them into small chunks to give yourself a bit of wiggle room. Don’t add too much liquid either and your poultry will be perfection.
Duck Legs with Diced Root Vegetables
Spiced Chicken with Green Figs
If you want to know how to cook turkey, ask an American. This native bird is practically a religion in the US and they keep them moist by brining the bird before cooking. This simple step involves marinating the turkey in a salt and sugar solution that adds both flavour and moisture by plumping up the meat through osmosis. It’s best to do this for about 24 hours and then slow cook the turkey crown or breast for amazingly juicy meat. This is a stress-free Christmas meal and gives you the best leftovers possible.
SERVES 4–6 WITH LEFTOVERS
30g sugar
75g table salt
2 star anise
2 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 litres cold water
250ml vermouth
60ml white wine or cider vinegar
turkey crown or rolled breast joint, up to 3kg
25g butter and a drizzle of oil (optional)
You’ll need to start this recipe at least 36 hours before you need it, but don’t panic, there’s very little actual work involved. The meat needs to brine for 24 hours in a sealed container in a cool place, so make sure any frozen meat is properly defrosted before you start the brining.
Start by making the brine. Add the sugar, salt, spices and fresh herbs to a large pan and pour in the cold water. Bring to the boil so the sugar and salt dissolve and the flavours infuse. Add the vermouth and the vinegar. Turn the heat off and allow the brine to cool down.
Put the turkey into the pan or container you are using and then pour the cooled brine over it. It should be completely submerged. Allow to infuse for up to 24 hours, turning once to make sure it is evenly covered. Remove from the brine after 24 hours and set onto kitchen roll to absorb any excess liquid. You can dispose of the brine at this stage. I often reserve the herbs to use in the cooking.
If you are using a turkey crown, I like to brown the skin before slow cooking it to make it look attractive at the table. Heat the butter and a drizzle of oil in a pan and seal the crown for about 2–3 minutes on all sides. If you are using a rolled breast joint, this isn’t necessary as it usually comes in a net to hold the shape, which you can just leave on for ease of handling.
To cook the turkey joint, place in the slow-cooker crock, breast down if using the crown, and add the reserved rosemary and bay leaves. Cook the joint on low for 8–10 hours or 6 hours on high. You will end up with beautifully moist turkey meat and clear, flavoursome juices that make the perfect gravy.
To serve the turkey, remove from the slow cooker, carve and serve with your Christmas dinner trimmings of choice.
Have you ever wanted to be one of those people who can just effortlessly throw a stylish meal together from the contents of your fridge, rather than trying to identify the ends of things in the vegetable drawer? Here’s your chance.
Confit is a style of cooking that uses slow cooking in fat to preserve meat or other ingredients. I’ve done it with peppers and tomatoes, but its spirit animal is definitely duck. The bird’s own fat renders it soft and silky and tender and allows it to be stored in the fridge indefinitely until needed to whip up a fabulous meal like a cassoulet (see
here
), warm salad or something with white beans.
You’ll often find jars or cans of duck fat reduced in price around Christmas and Easter and it keeps very well in the fridge. Its longevity makes it much better value than you think.
SERVES 2
2 duck legs
2 tablespoons sea salt, crushed
3 cloves of garlic, left whole
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
500ml duck fat
Place the duck legs on a plate and sprinkle the sea salt over the skin of the duck. Cover the plate with cling film. Leave in the fridge overnight to cure. Some moisture will come out of the meat, but this is normal. It is similar in action to brining the turkey
here
.
Next day, brush the salt off the duck but don’t rinse it. Place the duck legs in the crock, skin side up, and add the garlic, peppercorns and thyme. Dollop the duck fat over the meat and put the lid on the slow cooker.
Cook the duck legs on low for 6 hours. The solid duck fat will become liquid and cover the meat completely. The meat will become so incredibly tender, but remain firm enough to lift out of the fat easily.
Sterilise a wide glass jar like a Kilner jar (see
here
) and put the duck legs into it on their side. Cover them with at least 2.5cm of the duck fat to form a seal, which means the duck will stay fresh indefinitely. I strain the fat to keep it fresher. Don’t include the garlic or the herbs in the jar. The duck will keep for at least 6 months in the fridge.
Strain the rest of the duck fat and pour it back into the jar it came from. You can reuse for more confit or the best roast potatoes around.
When you are ready to serve the confit duck, take it out from under the layer of duck fat and crisp up the skin in a hot pan for 3–4 minutes. You can eat the duck hot or cold.
Duck legs are one of those things that seem too expensive to buy full price, but often crop up in the reduced section of the supermarket and suddenly become excellent value because there is so much more meat on them than a chicken leg. Don’t be put off by the fact duck is quite a fatty meat because this dish uses the fat to great effect and flavour. It’s the kind of dish that takes no effort, but feels special enough to serve to people when they come round for dinner. This recipe is a firm favourite in my house!
SERVES 2–4
2–4 duck legs (one per person)
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
2 medium potatoes, finely diced
2 sweet potatoes, finely diced
½ swede or celeriac, finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
150ml water
salt and pepper
It’s important to seal the duck before you add it to the slow cooker. Season the skin with salt and pepper, add the duck, skin side down, to a cold frying pan and bring the temperature up until the skin starts to sizzle. Using the cold pan renders the fat and keeps the skin crisp. Cook the duck for about a minute and a half on either side. Lift the duck out of the pan, reserve the fat and set both aside until needed.
Add the vegetables to the slow-cooker crock, mixing them well with your hands to combine them evenly. Add the thyme and a little more salt and pepper. Pour the rendered duck fat over them all and stir to coat them well. Pour the water over the vegetables.
Place the duck legs on top of the vegetables, skin side up, and put the lid on the slow cooker. Cook the duck and vegetables on low for 7–8 hours.
The delicious, silky duck fat will render out of the duck and into the vegetables, which become soft and flavoursome while the meat becomes beautifully tender. All you need to do is serve both together and ponder whether you’re having a glass of red wine with it. It’s just that simple!
CHICKEN
There are few more frugal ways to eat than cooking a whole chicken and the slow cooker is the perfect way to do this with a minimum of effort and the most tender meat possible. Whether you roast your chicken or poach it in the slow cooker, you’ll also be able to cook the leftover carcass again to create a stunning chicken stock. Using the slow cooker allows you to use every ounce of the chicken and prepare home-cooked meals that taste incredibly luxurious.
Who doesn’t love a roast chicken? It’s the perfect Sunday lunch or economical way to feed several people over a week and few things work better in the slow cooker. You can pop your chook in the crock to slow cook while you go out for a walk before lunch or when you don’t want to heat the kitchen up, but fancy cold chicken leftovers. It also creates wonderful roasting juices that make the best gravy I’ve ever made. All without rummaging in the cupboard for the right-sized roasting dish…
SERVES 4
1 whole chicken, approximately 1.5–1.7kg in weight
1 lemon
25g butter
salt and pepper
Remove your chicken from any packaging about an hour before you want to cook it. A chicken will always roast best from room temperature, but it’s also advisable to take it out of the packaging and allow the skin to dry off slightly. I often pat mine down with some kitchen paper and then leave unwrapped. This will let the skin crisp up better, especially since it won’t get just as burnished in the slow cooker as the oven.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, cut the lemon in half and put both halves inside the cavity. Rub the butter over the skin, not forgetting the tip of the legs and the wings. Sprinkle the bird generously with salt and pepper.
Place breast down in the slow-cooker crock and season the base of the bird too. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours. I like to turn the chicken after 4 hours if I can, to evenly colour the skin.
The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear at the thickest part of the leg when pierced with a skewer. If you are unsure, cook for a further 30–45 minutes, especially if the chicken wasn’t room temperature to begin with. Carefully lift the chicken out and place on a plate to rest.
While the chicken is resting, pour the wonderful juices the chicken has created into a saucepan via a measuring jug to make Chicken Gravy (see
here
).
