The Great American Slow Cooker Book (59 page)

4
Stir in the ginger and garlic, cook for a few seconds, then pour in the wine. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the cooker over the breasts. Sprinkle the bell pepper over everything.

5
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest piece of chicken breast without touching bone registers 165°F.

6
Transfer the chicken breasts to a serving bowl or platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Stir the buttermilk into the sauce in the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes to heat through.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
This dish is actually modeled on a South African curry, which is sweet, sour, and spicy. The buttermilk adds a tangy finish.

•
Here’s a trade-off: soften the onion for sweetness; don’t soften the bell pepper for a peppery bite. They balance each other in this rather rich and heavily spiced sauce.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Chickens have only one breast in the barnyard—that is, the large, meaty chest above their legs. However, in the kitchen we divide the breast into two sections or lobes, each on one side of the breast bone; we then refer to each of these as a “breast.” It would be far more accurate, however, to say “chicken breast halves.”

1
Mix the tomatoes, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chile powder, mustard, and cloves in the slow cooker until the tomato paste dissolves and the spices are evenly blended throughout. Add the chicken, onion, and garlic; toss well to coat.

2
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until the meat is beyond tender, truly falling apart. Use two forks to shred the chicken into threads right in the cooker; stir well to mix with the sauce.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
We love the glories of pulled pork; however, by altering spices to consider the somewhat more savory flavor of chicken and adjusting liquids to account for its slightly drier texture, we can make a fine (and more economical) version with chicken thighs.

•
Even boneless skinless chicken thighs may have some fat clinging to the meat. Trim this off for a healthier meal. (Given how the slow cooker makes all meat luxuriously moist, you won’t notice the difference.)

Serve It Up!
We prefer toasted whole wheat buns—or even slices of toasted multigrain bread—for this pulled chicken. Pickled jalapeño rings and deli mustard would make great condiments. Since the sandwiches are messy, cut children’s sandwiches into tiny bites or wrap the sections in wax paper to catch the drips.

1
Stem and seed the chiles, removing any bits of membrane that attach the seeds to the skin. Mince that skin and put the tiny bits in a big blender.

2
Add the tomatoes, onion, chipotle, chili powder, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Cover and blend until smooth, scraping down the inside of the canister occasionally.

3
Set the chicken in the slow cooker, squishing them to fit in one layer. Pour the sauce
from the blender over and around them, scraping every last drop out of that blender.

4
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours, or until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Mole rojo
is a nonchocolate version of the famed Oaxacan sauce, thick with tomatoes and aromatics. It’s also a great braising medium for bone-in chicken breasts.

•
The chiles are not soaked in this version but instead used dry. The best way to mince the skin is with a pair of kitchen shears, working over the blender as you snip off tiny bits.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
While the threat of salmonella need not be sensationalized, a good cook takes a few precautions:

• Never rinse chicken before cooking: doing so can cause cross-contamination through random splatters or run-off in your sink. (Besides, bacteria are killed by heat, not water.)

• After working with raw poultry, wash your hands with soap under very warm water for 10 seconds.

• Wash all cutting boards and utensils with hot soapy water, preferably in the dishwasher.

• Wash all kitchen surfaces with a bleach-based cleaner.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
A cultivar of the Anaheim chile, the New Mexican chile is prized in Southwestern cooking for its bright, slightly sour pop and contrasting, sweet burn. Look for these chiles dried in bags at most supermarkets, often in the produce section, or in more copious supply, often fresh, at Latin American markets. The dried chiles should be pliable and red, not desiccated or dusty brown; they should have an earthy, fruity aroma.

1
Bring a pan of water to a boil over high heat. Stem the chiles and scrape out the seeds, as well as any desiccated bits of the pale white membranes. Tear the cleaned chiles into smaller bits, place these in a large bowl, and
fill the bowl about halfway with boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes.

2
Meanwhile, toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, between 4 and 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the almonds into a large food processor or a large blender.

3
Drain the plumped-up chiles in a colander set in the sink, discarding the soaking liquid, and add them to the processor or blender. Also dump in the tomatoes, tomato paste, sesame seeds, figs, chocolate, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, and salt. Cover and process or blend until a smooth puree, scraping down the inside of the canister a few times to make sure every bit of those chiles gets mushed up.

4
Place the chicken breasts in the cooker as evenly as possible; pour the sauce over and around them.

5
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours, or until the chicken is very tender, certainly falling off the bone.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
If you can’t already tell, we’re nuts about
mole negro
, the famed Oaxacan chile sauce, and this is a fairly authentic presentation.

•
For the best flavor, use bone-in chicken breasts. However, there’s no need for the skin—it’ll just turn gummy. Better to coat them in that luxurious sauce and let them get tender in their naked state.

•
Grate the chocolate with a microplane so that it’s in the finest possible threads.

•
The total amount of sauce made for a large slow cooker may well override the capacity for a large food processor. Work in batches to avoid messy cleanups.

Serve It Up!
For a bed in the bowls, try
Mashed Plantains
, a Latin American favorite: Cut unpeeled semi-ripe (no brown spotting) plantains into 3-inch sections and boil them in water for 30 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel, then mash the plantains with a potato masher or a fork. Mince some garlic and cook until lightly browned in plenty of olive oil over medium-low heat. Stir this mixture into the mashed plantains and season with salt and ground black pepper.