Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
The Great American Slow Cooker Book (63 page)
•
What’s left in the cooker isn’t very good as a side sauce on mashed potatoes or such. However, you can pour it into a saucepan and boil it down over medium-high heat to a barbecue-sauce-like glaze for the drumsticks.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Molasses can be extracted from either young or mature sugarcane. The young sugarcane is doped with sulfur dioxide, a preservative; the older canes don’t receive (or need) such treatment and so the molasses is labeled
unsulphured
—our preference. There are three grades of molasses: mild (sometimes called
Barbados molasses
), dark (sometimes called
second molasses
), and the dense, dank
blackstrap
molasses
. Either of the first two will work in all of these recipes. (You can also substitute black treacle or dark sorghum syrup for molasses in most braising and stewing recipes.)
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
1½ pounds skinless chicken drumsticks
1 tblsp olive oil
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 tblsp dry vermouth
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 pounds skinless chicken drumsticks
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tblsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp ground black pepper
¾ tsp salt
16 whole garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup dry vermouth
6- TO 8-QUART
4½ pounds skinless chicken drumsticks
3 tblsp olive oil
1½ tblsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1½ tblsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tblsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
24 whole garlic cloves, peeled
6 tblsp dry vermouth
1
Rub the chicken drumsticks with the olive oil. Mix the rosemary, lemon zest, pepper, and salt in a bowl; sprinkle evenly over the legs.
2
Lay the chicken legs in the slow cooker; sprinkle the garlic cloves around them. Drizzle the vermouth slowly over the top, taking care not to disturb the herb and zest rub.
3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is fork-tender and the garlic cloves are soft and spreadable.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
A slow-cooker variation on the theme of chicken with forty cloves of garlic, this braise is rich and aromatic, best on a wintry evening.
•
Even dry white wine is a tad too sweet here; we prefer the more herbaceous dry vermouth.
•
If you want to skip the alcohol-laced liquids, substitute reduced-sodium chicken broth but also add ½ teaspoon sugar to a small slow cooker, 1 teaspoon sugar to a medium model, or 1 teaspoon to a large.
•
The garlic cloves, once softened in the cooker, can be spread on bread like butter. Or beat a few into mashed potatoes with plenty of sour cream. Any you don’t eat can be saved back for a spread in wraps or on sandwiches the next day.
with mushrooms and leeks
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS 10 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS THROUGH STEP 3
•
SERVES:
3 TO 9
2- TO 3½-QUART
6 ounces (about 2 cups) cremini or brown button mushrooms, sliced
¾ pound (about 1¼ cups) Leeks (white and green part only), halved lengthwise, washed, and thinly sliced
1½ tblsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp minced fresh sage leaves
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds skinned chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
⅓ cup dry white wine, such as white Burgundy or Chardonnay
⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tblsp heavy cream
4- TO 5½-QUART
13 ounces (about 4 cups) cremini or brown button mushrooms, sliced
1¼ pounds (about 2¾ cups) Leeks (white and green part only), halved lengthwise, washed, and thinly sliced
2½ tblsp all-purpose flour
1½ tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
1½ tblsp minced fresh sage leaves
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
3 pounds skinned chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
⅔ cup dry white wine, such as white Burgundy or Chardonnay
⅔ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tblsp heavy cream
6- TO 8-QUART
1 pound 3 ounces (about 6 cups) cremini or brown button mushrooms, sliced
2 pounds (about 4 cups) Leeks (white and green part only), halved lengthwise, washed, and thinly sliced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
2 tblsp minced fresh sage leaves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
4½ pounds skinned chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
1 cup dry white wine, such as white Burgundy or Chardonnay
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
5 tblsp heavy cream
1
Mix the mushrooms, leeks, flour, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker until the flour coats the vegetables completely.
2
Nestle the chicken into the vegetables; pour the wine and broth over and around them.
3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is falling off the bone.
4
Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter; turn the cooker to high. Skim off the sauce for any surface fat with a flatware spoon, then stir in the cream. Return the chicken to the cooker and cook on high for 10 minutes to heat thoroughly.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This braise is modeled on a classic French dish,
poulet grand-mère
, but here enriched with cream to pair with the mushrooms and thyme. We’ve also added sage as a twist to give the sauce a savory edge.
•
With a dish this rich, every ingredient should be at its best. If you’ve made your own
chicken stock
, by all means use it here!
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Chicken leg quarters are the thigh and leg of the bird—the whole swath of dark meat. They are sometimes called
whole chicken legs
, since the leg would naturally include the thigh. They can be tricky to skin. Follow the
procedure for skinning chicken legs
, then continue peeling the skin off the larger thigh. Or ask the butcher at your supermarket to do the task for you.
Serve It Up!
Separate the thighs from the legs for those who want less meat. White rice or noodles may be the classic medium for this dish, but also consider a bed of cooked and drained wheatberries, rye berries, triticale berries, or farro.
with tomatoes and basil
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
30 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 9
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1½ pounds skinless chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
1½ tblsp olive oil
½ cup full-bodied rosé wine, such as Grenache rosé
¾ cup no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup thinly sliced pitted black olives
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2½ tblsp diced red onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tblsp minced fresh basil leaves
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
3 pounds skinless chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
3 tblsp olive oil
1 cup full-bodied rosé wine, such as Grenache rosé
1½ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup thinly sliced pitted black olives
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
⅓ cup diced red onion
2 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup minced fresh basil leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tblsp salt
1 tblsp ground black pepper
4½ pounds skinless chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
⅓ cup olive oil
1½ cups full-bodied rosé wine, such as Grenache rosé
2½ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
¾ cup thinly sliced pitted black olives
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
½ cup (about 1 small) diced red onion
1 tblsp minced garlic
6 tblsp minced fresh basil leaves
1
Mix the flour, salt, and pepper on a large plate, then dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, coating all sides.
2
Set a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then pour in the oil. Tilt the skillet so the oil coats the hot surface. Slip the several dredged chicken pieces into the skillet,
as many as will fit without crowding; brown well, about 6 minutes, turning only after you’ve achieved a fairly dark color. Use tongs to move the browned pieces to a plate and soldier on, dredging and browning more as needed.
3
Add some of the seasoned flour to the skillet, still set over medium heat: 1 tablespoon for a small slow cooker, 2 tablespoons for a medium one, or 3 tablespoons for a large cooker. Stir until the flour begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir until the flour dissolves, the browned bits come up off the bottom of the skillet, and the mixture thickens a bit to create a sauce. Pour the sauce into the cooker.
4
Stir the tomatoes, olives, parsley, onion, and garlic into the slow cooker. Tuck the browned chicken pieces into the cooker, stacking them if possible so that some of the pieces are in the sauce.
5
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is wonderfully tender. Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter, skim the sauce for surface fat, and stir in the basil. Serve the sauce on the side.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
The rosé wine adds a light touch to this stew.
•
Remove as much fat from the chicken pieces as possible when you skin them. (You can also make this dish with skinless bone-in chicken thighs. Use the stated amount by weight.)
•
Coat the chicken evenly but thoroughly in the seasoned flour. Every surface counts! And don’t skimp on the browning step. Not only will it add flavor, but the crust will also dissolve in the sauce to thicken it.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
The secret to browning the chicken, skin on or off, is to leave it alone; only then can the natural sugars caramelize and the proteins tighten, causing the meat or skin to brown. Once the chemical reaction is well under way, the pieces can almost be popped off the skillet’s hot surface with a spatula, rather than pried off and torn up.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
7 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus additional as necessary
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tblsp oyster sauce
2 tblsp dry sherry
2 medium whole scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic cloves, slivered
1 tblsp peanut oil
2 pounds skin-on chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
4- TO 5½-QUART
3½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus additional as necessary
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup oyster sauce
¼ cup dry sherry
3 medium whole scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup minced peeled fresh ginger
2 medium garlic cloves, slivered
2 tblsp peanut oil
3½ pounds skin-on chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
6- TO 8-QUART
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus additional as necessary
¾ cup plus 2 tblsp soy sauce
⅓ cup oyster sauce
½ cup dry sherry
4 medium whole scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
⅓ cup minced peeled fresh ginger
4 medium garlic cloves, slivered
3 tblsp peanut oil
5 pounds skin-on chicken leg-and-thigh quarters
1
Mix the measured amount of broth plus the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sherry in the slow cooker. Stir in the scallions, ginger, and garlic.
2
Set a large skillet over medium heat; after a couple of minutes, swirl in the oil. Slip a couple of the leg quarters skin side down into the skillet; cook on one side until well browned, about 4 minutes. Without turning, transfer the quarters skin side up to the slow cooker; continue browning more quarters as necessary.
3
Check to make sure the liquid covers the chicken at least halfway, if not three-fourths of the way; add more broth as necessary. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the chicken is quite tender, particularly in the joint.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This is a traditional Chinese technique, a salty but aromatic broth that slowly poaches the chicken to tenderness.
•
Soy sauce mellows as it cooks, but you will also immediately notice the quality of the brand you’ve used, so buy smart. Better brands have a brewed, slightly fermented taste, not at all like salty water. These more complex flavors will shine in a dish like this.
