The Great American Slow Cooker Book (86 page)
Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
1
Stir the broth, fennel, onion, celery, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.
2
Use a slotted spoon to remove all the solids from the broth; discard the solids. Stir in the wine, parsley, and fennel seeds. Cover and continue cooking on high for 1 hour.
3
Lay the fish in the broth. Cover and continue cooking on high for 20 minutes in a small slow cooker, 30 minutes in a medium cooker, or 40 minutes in a large cooker, until the bass flakes into meaty chunks when
scraped with a fork. Use a wide spatula to get the fish into serving bowls, then ladle the poaching liquid on top.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Feel free to use the fennel fronds here as well, especially since you’ll remove them before adding the fish.
•
Substitute skin-on snapper fillets for the bass, if desired. Score the skin on these as well.
Serve It Up!
Of course, you’ll need crunchy bread to dip in the broth. Beyond that, consider a
Salad of Grilled Radicchio
: Slice the heads in half, then oil them and grill on an outdoor grill or in a grill pan set over medium-high heat. Lay the quarters on a platter and top with a creamy dressing that’s a mixture of mayonnaise, minced dill, minced parsley leaves, a little lemon juice, and some pickle relish. Sprinkle crunchy sea salt or kosher salt over the platter.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
1 HOUR THROUGH STEP 2
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 tblsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
10 ounces russet or other baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
½ cup
red (sweet) vermouth
½ cup bottled clam juice
2 tsp mild paprika
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
1 pound Bluefish fillets, skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 tblsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1¼ pounds russet or other baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1¾ cups drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
¾ cup
red (sweet) vermouth
¾ cup bottled clam juice
3½ tsp mild paprika
3 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
1¾ pounds Bluefish fillets, skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
6- TO 8-QUART
⅓ cup olive oil
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 tblsp minced garlic
2 pounds russet or other baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2¾ cups drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1¼ cups
red (sweet) vermouth
1¼ cups bottled clam juice
2 tblsp mild paprika
5 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
2¾ pounds Bluefish fillets, skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1
Set a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then swirl in the oil. Add the onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, between 5 and 9 minutes.
2
Stir in the garlic, cook for a few seconds, and scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker. Stir in the potatoes, tomatoes, vermouth, clam juice, paprika, and thyme. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the potatoes are quite tender.
3
Gently stir in the bluefish pieces. Cover, turn the heat to high, and cook for 30 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This hearty stew would be best if you lived near the coast where you can sometimes find fresh, never-frozen bluefish at the supermarket.
•
If you’ve got leftovers, save them in the fridge, tightly covered, for a day or so, then mix in some panko breadcrumbs and form them into patties. Fry in a skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil and unsalted butter.
SHORTCUTS
This recipe is perfect for frozen chopped onions and frozen chopped bell peppers. Plus, there’s no need to thaw them. Just cook an extra minute or so in the skillet to make sure they’re hot.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Bluefish is an oily, strong-tasting fish, somewhat milder (though not very much so) than mackerel. It’s common in fish markets along the eastern U.S. coastline.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
3 HOURS 50 MINUTES TO 4 HOURS 50 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup plus 2 tblsp
pearled barley
⅓ cup thinly sliced leek (white and pale green part only), washed carefully to remove interior sand
1 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
Up to ¼ tsp saffron
5 ounces cod fillets, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 ounces bay scallops
½ ounce (about 1 tblsp) Pecorino-Romano cheese, finely grated
½ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
5¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1½ cups
pearled barley
1 cup (about ½ pound) thinly sliced leek (white and pale green part only), washed carefully to remove interior sand
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
Up to ½ tsp saffron
¾ pound cod fillets, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ pound bay scallops
1 ounce (about 2 tblsp) Pecorino-Romano cheese, finely grated
¾ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups plus 2 tblsp
pearled barley
1¼ cups thinly sliced leek (white and pale green part only), washed carefully to remove interior sand
1 tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
Up to ¾ tsp saffron
1 pound cod fillets, cut into ½-inch pieces
10 ounces bay scallops
1½ ounces (about 3 tblsp) Pecorino-Romano cheese, finely grated
1 tsp ground black pepper
1
Combine the broth, barley, leek, thyme, and saffron in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3½ hours in a small slow cooker, 4 hours in a medium cooker, or 4½ hours in a large one, or until the barley is almost tender and much of the liquid has been absorbed.
2
Gently stir in the cod pieces and scallops. Cover, set the temperature to high, and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Stir in the cheese and pepper before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Yes, there’s a mix of seafood and shellfish here. You can’t make a good seafood risotto without that combo!
•
Tiny bay scallops can be hard to locate. If you can only find the larger sea scallops, cut them in half or even quarters to match the size of the cod pieces.
Serve It Up!
You’ll want a fairly simple salad to go with this more complex dish. Mix toasted walnut or pecan pieces with thinly sliced and cored apple and chopped romaine, then dress it with an emulsion of two parts white wine vinegar to five parts olive oil, plus a pinch of sugar and a very little bit of minced ginger, as well as some salt and ground black pepper.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Pecorino is the name for a range of cheeses, all made from sheep’s milk. Pecorino Romano is the most common form found in North America, and the mildest of the bunch. All also come in soft and semi-soft varieties, but you’re looking for the hard grating type for all of these recipes.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
30 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS THROUGH STEP 1
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
¾ cup moderately dry white wine, such as Viognier
6 ounces
fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped
⅔ cup bottled clam juice
1 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp
Herbes de Provence
pinch saffron
10 ounces
thick white fish fillets, skin removed
¼ pound sea scallops
¼ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 cups drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1¾ cups moderately dry white wine, such as Viognier
10 ounces
fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped
1⅓ cups bottled clam juice
2 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tblsp
Herbes de Provence
⅛ tsp saffron
18 ounces (1 pound 2 ounces)
thick white fish fillets, skin removed
½ pound sea scallops
½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
6- TO 8-QUART
3 cups drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
2½ cups moderately dry white wine, such as Viognier
1 pound
fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped
2 cups bottled clam juice
3 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1 tblsp minced garlic
2½ tsp
Herbes de Provence
)
¼ tsp saffron
1¾ pounds
thick white fish fillets, skin removed
¾ pound sea scallops
¾ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1
Mix the tomatoes, wine, fennel, clam juice, tomato paste, garlic, herbes de Provence, and saffron in the slow cooker until the tomato paste dissolves. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
2
Add the fish, scallops, and shrimp, submerging them in the sauce. Cover and continue cooking on high for 30 minutes.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This recipe won’t win any authenticity awards, but it is a quick way to get an aromatic and satisfying fish stew on the table.
•
Bottled clam juice is a less than perfect necessity in the absence of good fish stock in our supermarkets. If you find the latter, by all means use it, or make
your own stock
.
Serve It Up!
A proper bouillabaisse is always topped with a rouille (
roo-EE
), a thick sauce. To make your own, crush a garlic clove or two through a garlic press and into a large bowl, then whisk in a couple of large egg yolks as well as some salt, ground black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Now begin whisking in olive oil in the thinnest drizzle, whisking all the while, adding up to 1 cup oil (maybe a little more or less depending on the day’s humidity and temperature) until you have a thick sauce, the consistency of mayonnaise. Frankly, we often forgo the rouille and grind up a mixture of fresh breadcrumbs, toasted and skinned hazelnuts, and celery leaves, ladling the soup in the bowls over this and topping it with a little
Aïoli
.
Without a doubt, we’ve come to America’s favorite seafood. We gulp down over a billion pounds of shrimp a year, not to mention the legions of crabs, lobsters, scallops, mussels, clams, and oysters that make it to our tables. And no wonder: shellfish of all sorts is easy to prepare. Shrimp may well be the boneless, skinless chicken breasts of the ocean.
Although many sorts of shellfish cost no more than fish fillets, they do pair more easily with bigger flavors. You’ll notice that many of these recipes tilt toward the spicy or bold, partly because the naturally sweet flavors of shrimp and the rest can withstand a greater punch than tilapia or even pork. Consider
Shrimp with Jalapeños and Thyme
or
Red Curry Mussels
.
However, we’ve got the same problem here that we’ve got with fish fillets: almost all these shellfish, mollusks, and their oceanic kin cook in no time. You can’t put a pound of shelled shrimp in the slow cooker and head off to work for 8 hours. But just as you did with fish recipes, you can build a fairly complex sauce that will cook the shrimp in a matter of minutes. In fact, the slow cooker sauce will often be better than the one prepared on the stove because it will have had hours to blend and balance, providing a more complex palette for your favorite seafood.
As to buying various sorts of shellfish, keep this in mind: except for exceedingly rare occasions, almost all the shrimp sold in the United States have been frozen at harvest. Those lying on the ice at your supermarket may look fresh, but the chances are that they’ve been thawed in the back. So do what your fishmonger did: head to the freezer case and buy the more economical bags of frozen shrimp or scallops. You’ll save money and end up with meals ahead when you stock up on a freezer sale.
To thaw shrimp, scallops, crab legs, and lobster tails, take out as many as you need, put them in a bowl, and store them in the fridge overnight. If you’re really in a rush, thaw them on the counter in a bowl of cold water, changing the water for more cold (never warm!) water every 15 minutes until they’re ready to go.
Never
put frozen or even half-frozen shrimp in the slow cooker. The gradual rise in temperature also gives rise to food safety issues. Your stomach will thank you for being careful.
As to mussels and clams, you’ll need to buy them from a reputable fish counter. Here’s the most important rule: if the place smells like fish (or if it smells of cleaning products, particularly ammonia), turn around and walk out. You buy bivalves live and you cook them live because they’re prone to quick deaths and even quicker rot. We’ll have some specific tips in the recipes ahead; for now, suffice it to say that buying mussels, clams, or oysters requires a level of trust between you and your supplier.
We’ve got a lot of shellfish to eat if we want to keep up with our annual quota. Let’s get cracking.
