The Gourmet Slow Cooker Volume II (4 page)

Using a potato masher, coarsely mash the potatoes until the soup is somewhat thickened but still lumpy. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, garnished with the chives and a dollop of crème fraîche if desired.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A delicious Oregon microbrew, or something from your own local brewpub.

Although Walla Walla, Washington, is home to more than sixty wineries, it is also famous for the Walla Walla onion—a big sweetie similar to a Vidalia or a Maui onion. Legend has it that a French soldier found the seeds of a large, sweet onion on the island of Corsica and brought it to Walla Walla. The onion owes its yummy flavor to a high water and low sulfur content, and makes the sweetest of onion soups. For an extra treat, top the soup with a crouton of French bread covered with melted Gruyère cheese.

Serves 4

4 pounds Walla Walla or any large, sweet onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons quick-mixing flour (such as Wondra)

1 cup dry red or white wine

5 cups beef stock or water

2 tablespoons port

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Combine the onions and butter in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then decrease the heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 hours, until the onions are evenly browned. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Add the wine and stock and cook on low for 2 hours, allowing the flavors to meld. Stir in the port and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve at once.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A Washington state microbrew or a medium-to full-bodied red wine from the Walla Walla Valley.

San Francisco Cioppino

The word
cioppino
means “fish stew” in the Ligurian dialect. Like all classic fishermen stews, the recipe isn’t written in stone. Traditionally, the contents of the dish depend on the catch of the day. At Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, you can count on crab being the main attraction; crab cioppino has been a favorite in the Bay Area for many years. The soup can cook all day if you so desire, but for best results the seafood should really be tossed in at the last minute. Serve it with crusty sourdough bread to sop up the juices.

Serves 4

¼ cup olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 (16-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, undrained

2 cups fish or chicken stock, or water

Dash of Tabasco sauce

1 cup hearty red wine

3 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

1 bay leaf

½ pound shrimp, raw, unpeeled

1 small cooked crab, cut into serving pieces

6 or 8 small clams

½ pound red snapper, halibut, or other white fish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker and add the tomatoes, stock, Tabasco sauce, wine, basil, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (though it could be left on for 8 hours if necessary), until the stock is rich and hot, ready for the fish.

About 30 minutes before serving, add the shrimp, crab, clams, and fish. Cover and cook on high for about 30 minutes, until the fish turns opaque. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with a sprinkling of the parsley.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A full-bodied red wine; Zinfandel or Syrah would do nicely.

Apples were one of the first tree crops to be planted in America and were originally used to make hard cider. The flavor of this soup is predominantly of squash with just a hint of apple for extra sweetness and a touch of acidity.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup sliced celery stalks and leaves

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

1 small apple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks

6 cups chicken stock or water

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

6 allspice berries

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onion and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.

Place the squash and apple in the slow cooker. Add the onion and celery and the stock.

Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, until the squash and apples are quite tender. Combine the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a coffee mill or using a mortar and pestle and grind to a coarse powder. Half an hour before serving, add the spices to the cooker.

Using a handheld blender, carefully purée the soup until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and serve warm, garnished with the chives and a dollop of sour cream.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
An un-oaked Chardonnay or a Gewürztraminer.

The earliest American recipes for chowder called for fish rather than clams or shellfish and were prepared by layering the fish, salt pork, and biscuits (all shipboard staples) in a pot and cooking them for hours over a fire. This recipe calls for canned clams simply because those are the most easily accessible, but you can cook and use fresh clams as well.

Serves 4

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups clam juice, fish or chicken stock, or water

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 leek, white and light green parts only, thoroughly washed, thinly sliced

2 small inner celery stalks, sliced

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces, or 1 pound red potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 sprig thyme

3 thick-cut bacon slices or pancetta slices

3 cups half-and-half or milk

3 (6½-ounce) cans clams, coarsely chopped

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Combine 3 tablespoons of butter and the flour in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until the butter begins to froth and brown lightly. Slowly add the water or stock, stirring constantly to ensure smooth blending, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the onion, leek, and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes, until just translucent.

Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker and add the potatoes and thyme. Pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, until the potatoes are tender.

Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning, until crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and then dice.

Stir the half-and-half, bacon, and clams into the chowder and continue to cook for 30 minutes, until heated through.

Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with the parsley.

VARIATIONS:
To make a good vegetarian chowder, omit the clams and bacon and add 3 cups of fresh or frozen corn or mixed vegetables.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
Hard cider, beer, or ale would be the best, but a crisp Gewürztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or other light-to-medium white wine would also go well.

Iowa is the country’s largest producer of corn, with more than 12,000 acres planted to the crop and nearly 2 million bushels harvested annually. Sadly, much of it is now genetically modified, so if you want to avoid genetically modified foods, buy organic.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

4 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water

2 cups heavy whipping cream or half-and-half

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

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 to the slow cooker and add 2 cups of the corn and the water. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the chowder is rich and sweet.

Using a handheld blender, carefully purée the soup until smooth. Add the cream and remaining 1 cup corn and stir well. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with the chives.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc from one of Iowa’s forty-four licensed wineries.

Hearty winter root vegetables take well to long hours in the slow cooker. Turnips or rutabagas can be substituted for the parsnips in this easy slow-cooker classic. For a richer flavor, treat yourself to a bit of cream.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or unsalted butter

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 small parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

½ yellow onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic

5 cups chicken stock or water

Salt

½ cup cream or whole milk (optional)

Chopped fresh chervil, parsley, or chives, for garnish

Put the butter or oil in the slow cooker. Add the carrots, parsnips, onion, and garlic and cook on low for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables begin to brown. (The slight caramelization of the vegetables adds an extra flavor dimension to this soup, but you can leave this step out if you’re pressed for time: omit the butter or oil and add the vegetables and water to the slow cooker all at once.)

Pour in the water and cook on low for 4 hours, until the vegetables are very tender.

Using a handheld blender, purée the vegetables in the slow cooker.

Season with salt and add the cream, if using.

Serve at once, garnished with chervil, parsley, or chives, or a combination of all three.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A hearty red, such as a Zinfandel or Syrah, or a rosé.

Basque Lamb Shanks

Spanish Basque immigrants first arrived in the United States in the mid-1800s. This recipe contains typical ingredients found in a Basque lamb stew, which is often served at traditional family-style restaurants in the Basque communities that can still be found throughout the Pacific Northwest and West. I suggest you cook it until the meat is just about to fall off the bone.

Serves 4

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 small lamb shanks

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup dried white beans

6 cloves garlic

1 cup chicken or beef stock, or water

1 cup red wine

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

½ butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1½-inch cubes

½ cup pitted black olives

2 sprigs thyme

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the flour and salt in a resealable plastic bag. One at a time, add the lamb shanks and shake until evenly coated.

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the lamb and cook, turning, for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned on all sides.

Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker. Add the beans, garlic, water, wine, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours. Add the squash and cook on low for another 3 hours, until the lamb and squash are very tender. (In a pinch, the squash can be added at the beginning of cooking and left in the entire time.)