Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (4 page)

Many students ask about the difference between stock and broth. The easiest way to differentiate between stock and broth is that stock is made from browning the elements before simmering them for a long period of time to reduce and concentrate the flavors. Broth is made by simmering the elements for a shorter period of time, without browning the ingredients before adding the liquid. The resulting broth is not as deeply colored or as full-flavored as stock. Beef stock in the slow cooker is a two-step process. First, the bones and vegetables are slathered with a paste, then browned in a hot oven. The contents of the roasting pan is then added to the slow cooker along with more vegetables, herbs, and liquid to simmer all day. Once strained, this deeply colored and flavorful beef stock can be used in any preparation, from reduction sauces to old-fashioned soups. Once again, the slow cooker saves you the hassle of watching and stirring. Just set it and forget it.

¼ cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

3 large sweet onions, coarsely chopped

4 large carrots, coarsely chopped

1½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 pounds meaty beef bones, sawed in a few pieces (your butcher can do this for you)

4 cups water

preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking liner or aluminum foil.

stir together the tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and sage in a large mixing bowl. Put the vegetables, meat, and bones in the bowl and rub the paste over them until they are coated.

spread the mixture out on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning the pieces once during the cooking process. Transfer the mixture with any liquid to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the water and stir to blend.

cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the solids from the stock, then strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Allow the stock to cool, and skim off the fat from the surface.

refrigerate the stock for 3 days or freeze for up to 8 weeks. The meat from the stock may be frozen separately and used in soups, stews, or chilies.

makes about 6 cups

I teach a lot of Thanksgiving classes. At the end of each class, after the students have tasted the Thanksgiving dinner and we are looking at the naked turkey carcass, I tell my pupils that if they can’t stand to make turkey soup after the Thanksgiving meal, to put the carcass in a two-gallon zipper-top plastic bag and freeze it. When they are ready to make turkey soup, they can just defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and put it in the slow cooker the next day. Once you have turkey stock in the freezer, you can make soup, casseroles, and all manner of sauces. This same formula can be used for chicken as well, but if you are only using one chicken, cut the ingredients in half.

1 turkey carcass, broken up into pieces

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

3 medium stalks celery with leaves, coarsely chopped

8 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

1 bay leaf

4 whole black peppercorns

Salt

put all the ingredients except the salt in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.

season with salt. Strain the broth through a colander to remove the large solids, then strain again through a finemesh sieve.

cool the stock to room temperature, then store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

makes about 8 cups

slow-cooker savvy

I generally don’t save the meat from this stock. It doesn’t freeze well, and since it’s now been cooked twice, it’s pretty soft and not very appetizing.

The word
minestrone
in Italian means “without stock,” so it is essentially a vegetarian soup that uses the juices of the vegetables as its stock. This soup is terrific in the slow cooker. Even though there doesn’t seem to be enough liquid for the soup at first glance, the vegetables will add a lot of liquid to the pot as they cook. For a strictly vegan soup, omit the cheese rind.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion

1 cup coarsely chopped carrots

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

One 14- to 15-ounce can plum tomatoes, with their juice

¼ cup dry white wine

2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch rounds

One 14- to 15-ounce can small white beans, drained and rinsed

1 head escarole or Savoy cabbage, cut into small pieces

8 ounces green beans, ends snipped, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

Rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces, plus ½ to 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnishing

2 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces cooked small pasta (shells, ditalini, or other short tubular pasta)

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

add the tomatoes and wine and allow some of the liquid to evaporate in the pan.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the zucchini, white beans, cabbage, green beans, cauliflower, Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, broth, salt, and pepper.

cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

stir in the cooked pasta at the end of the cooking time, cover, and set on warm until ready to serve.

serve the soup garnished with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

serves 8

Miso soup is not only good for you but also terrific for a warm-up on a cold day. This soup is enriched with bok choy and shiitake mushrooms, making it a hearty vegetable soup to serve anytime.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced

4 small baby bok choy, stem ends removed and chopped into ½-inch pieces (see savvy)

¼ cup light miso paste (see savvy)

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 teaspoons soy sauce

6 green onions, finely chopped using the white and tender green parts

1 pound firm tofu, drained and cut into

½-inch cubes

heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

add the garlic and ginger and sauté, about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and toss to combine.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5-quart slow cooker and add the bok choy. Stir in the miso paste, broth, and soy sauce.

cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours.

remove the cover and stir in the green onions and tofu.

serve the soup from the slow cooker.

Serves 6–8

bok choy savvy

If bok choy is very expensive, as it can be, chopped napa cabbage may be substituted. You should have about 2 cups.

miso savvy

Miso is found in the Asian section of your supermarket.

Three different types of mushrooms slow cook in a bacon-and-sage broth to deliver a delicious soup to serve as a main course or starter. Make sure to check the expiration date on your dried mushrooms; if they are old, chances are they will take away from the flavor of the soup.

8 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch dice

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crushed in the palm of your hand

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

¼ cup soy sauce

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup snipped fresh chives for garnishing

saute the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and remove it from the pan to drain.

add the onion and sage to the pan and sauté until the onion is softened. Add the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and toss until the mixture is combined.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the porcini mushrooms, soy sauce, broth, and bacon.

cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours. At the end of the cooking time, add the cream and stir to combine.

serve the soup garnished with the chives.

serves 8

slow-cooker savvy

If you would like a smooth soup, purée with an immersion blender.

When I was a teenager, I watched Julia Child prepare French onion soup on her TV program, and I was never the same. Although I grew up in an Italian home where there was never store-bought bread or canned soup, Julia brought French food into my life and I have been hooked ever since. Chances are the French onion soup you have had is a poor imitation of the real McCoy. This slow-cooker method delivers a creamier soup with lots of onions that melt during the cooking process. I recommend using a soup base or demi-glace to get full flavor, but you can still use beef broth if you prefer.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

½ cup white wine (see savvy)

5 cups beef stock (see savvy)

1½ cups finely shredded Gruyère cheese for garnishing

turn a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker on high, add the butter and oil to the insert, cover until the butter is melted.

remove the cover and add the onions, sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir the onions until they are coated with the butter and seasonings.

cover and cook on high for 7 to 8 hours, until they are caramelized to a deep golden brown.

remove the cover and add the wine and beef stock. Cover and cook the soup on high for an additional 30 minutes or on low for an additional 1 hour.

remove the bay leaf before serving and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Gruyère cheese.

serves 8

white wine savvy

One of Julia’s tricks was to use white vermouth if you don’t have any leftover white wine. It makes a good substitute and keeps in the pantry for months.

beef stock savvy

I recommend Superior Touch “Better than Bouillon” brand soup base (available in supermarkets or at www.superiortouch.com) or reconstituted “More than Gourmet” brand Glace de Viande Gold, which is a classic reduced brown stock (available in gourmet stores or at
www.morethangourmet.com
.)