The Gourmet Slow Cooker Volume II (8 page)

Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound is one of the most beautiful places in the Pacific Northwest. At one time, the island was home to the world’s largest loganberry farm. Loganberries can now be purchased fresh or frozen in many markets, but boysenberries or blackberries would work as well. The sauce is particularly good with chicken, duck, or game hens.

Makes about 1 pint

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup loganberry wine or Pinot Noir

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2½ pounds frozen or fresh loganberries, boysenberries, or blackberries

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, just until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer the contents to the slow cooker and add the loganberry wine, vinegar, loganberries, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper flakes. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until thickened. A few minutes before serving, stir in the lemon juice and salt to taste.

Tightly covered, the sauce will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
Greenbank Farm Loganberry Wine, a good Pinot Noir, or any medium-bodied red wine with distinct berry aromas.

Apricot Preserves, Sour Cherry Chutney

The slow cooker is an excellent tool for making small batches of jams and preserves—just enough for a week’s worth of morning toast—without any fuss at all. You can use your stovetop recipes, just adjust for longer cooking times. Begin on low and end on high with the cover off, and plan on watching somewhat carefully for the last hour. Forsake the pectin and enjoy the spoonable texture of nothing but fruit.

Makes about 1 cup

8 ounces dried apricots

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

About 1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Combine the apricots, juice, and zest, in a 2½-or 3-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours, until thick and spoonable. Preserves will thicken as they cool, but if they need to thicken further, remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and cook for another hour. Refrigerate and use within one week.

This wonderful chutney can be used as an accompaniment for grilled lamb, rice pilaf, or even spicy pumpkin muffins.

Makes about 1 cup

8 ounces dried cherries

2 cups water

¼ cup dried currants

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ to ½ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon freshly grated peeled ginger

2 allspice berries, ground

Combine all the ingredients in a 2½-or 3-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook for 1 hour, until thick and spoonable. Refrigerate and use within one week.

This dish takes a bit more prep time than your average throw-everything-in-a-pot slow cooker recipe, but it’s well worth it. This luscious ragù can be served as a side for grilled steak or lamb, as a topping for pasta or rice, or as an entrée with a green salad and crunchy bread.

Serves 4

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 (12-ounce) package good-quality frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

¼ cup olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound portobello mushrooms, cut into large chunks

1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and halved

1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved

1 pound mixed shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, and morel mushrooms, trimmed and halved

4 shallots, finely minced

½ cup port, sherry, or hearty red wine

4 sprigs thyme

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the flour and salt in a resealable plastic bag. Add the artichoke hearts and shake until evenly coated.

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add some of the oil and butter. Add the artichokes and sauté for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Heat more of the oil and butter in the pan and add the portobello, button, cremini, and mixed mushrooms in batches. Sauté for 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer the mushrooms to the cooker and mix with the artichokes.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in the pan and add the shallots. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until browned. Add the port to the pan and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour the liquid and the shallots into the slow cooker and add the thyme. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours, until the flavors are blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
Something gutsy, like a New World–style Pinot from California’s Santa Rita Hills. Even a nice Cab or Merlot from Washington State would work well.

Steaming bread in the slow cooker is a terrific, hassle-free way to bake bread of all kinds. Traditionally, the batter for this brown bread was poured into coffee cans and placed in deep kettles filled with water, then hung for hours over the fire to steam. Serve it with New England Baked Beans or toasted for breakfast with cream cheese.

Serves 4

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup currants (optional)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

½ teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

2 eggs

⅔ cup molasses

2 cups buttermilk

⅓ cup honey

Remove one end from two (1-pound) coffee cans. Clean and grease thoroughly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, currants, cinnamon, and allspice, if desired. In a smaller bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then whisk in the wet ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared coffee cans. The cans should be about two-thirds full to allow for expansion during cooking. Tightly cover the top of each can with aluminum foil.

Place the cans in the slow cooker and pour water halfway up their sides. Cover and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours, until the tops of the loaves puff slightly and a knife or skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove the coffee cans from the slow cooker and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Turn the cans upside down and gently shake out the bread; it should slide out easily.

Caramelized winter fruits atop these beans make for a wonderful variation of this traditional New England side dish.

Serves 4

2 thick hickory-smoked bacon slices

1 pound dried white beans, thoroughly rinsed

4 cups water

2 cups apple cider or hard apple cider

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

½ cup molasses

½ cup maple syrup

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon dry mustard

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced

2 pears, cored and sliced

¼ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

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

Place the beans in the slow cooker and add the bacon, water, cider, onion, molasses, maple syrup, ginger, mustard, and cloves. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender. Season to taste with salt.

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the apples and pears and cook for about 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon and sauté for about 5 minutes.

When the liquid is almost evaporated from the slow cooker, place the fruit mixture on top of the beans and continue cooking for about 40 minutes, until the flavors are melded.

Divide evenly among bowls and serve at once.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A delicious hard cider from an artisan producer such as Rhyne Cyder in Sonoma County, or a fruity microbrew.

Wild Rice and Black Walnut Pilaf

So-called wild rice is actually a grain that grows in the Great Lakes region and has been harvested by the Ojibway and Cree Indians for centuries. Because of how long it takes to cook, wild rice is perfect for the slow cooker. Black walnuts, native to the central and eastern United States, have a very different flavor than English walnuts, though the garden variety English walnut can be used in a pinch.

Serves 4

1 cup wild rice, well rinsed

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 cup assorted fresh wild mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

2 celery stalks thinly sliced

3 cups chicken stock or water

¼ cup dried currants or dried cranberries

Salt

1 cup black walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup chopped green onions, green parts only, for garnish

Place the rice in the slow cooker.

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onion, mushrooms, and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the water and currants. Cover and cook on low for 2½ to 3 hours, until the rice just starts to burst open. Do not overcook or the rice will get mushy. Season to taste with salt.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the walnuts in an even layer on a baking sheet. Cook for about 10 minutes, until toasted.

Divide the pilaf among plates and serve warm, garnished with the walnuts and green onions.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A crisp, acidic, well-chilled Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or even a lighter-style Pinot Noir.

The sugar in corn begins to turn to starch as soon as it is picked. So, to get the maximum flavor for your corn pudding, use very fresh corn, preferably picked the same day, or a high-quality frozen product. Serve alongside any kind of grilled meat, especially lamb, or with a simple salad for lunch.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

4 eggs

2 cups low-fat milk, whole milk, or half-and-half

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Few drops of Tabasco sauce

½ teaspoon salt

Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Grated cheddar, for garnish

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onion and sauté for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the corn kernels and mix well. Transfer to the slow cooker.

In a blender or with a whisk, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, mustard, Tabasco sauce, and salt. Pour over the vegetables in the cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2½ hours, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook.

Allow the pudding to cool for at least 30 minutes before scooping into bowls. Garnish each portion with the chives and cheese and serve at once.

SUGGESTED
BEVERAGE:
A well-chilled Chenin Blanc or an un-oaked Chardonnay.

Braised onions with raisins and almonds is a Spanish-inspired dish from the southwestern border of the United States. It makes a sweet topping for rice or side to any barbecued meat.

Serves 4

1 cinnamon stick

8 whole cloves

6 allspice berries