Kim Laidlaw - Everyday slow cooking modern recipes for delicious meals

KIM LAIDLA W

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

JOHN KE RNICK

EVERYDA Y

SL

OW C OOKING

MODERN S LOW COO KING

BEEF

PORK & LAMB

POULT RY

SEAFOOD

VEGETA BLES, GRAINS & LE GUMES

DESSERTS

STOCKS, SIDES & SA UCES

INDEX

CONTENTS

Quinoa Risot to with Chicke n, Pesto , Asparagus & Lemon (page 79 )

Slo w cookers are as popular toda y as w hen they w ere rst intro duced nearly fty years ago . T his hands-off cooking method pro mises easy preparation and delectable results and has long been the smartand busycooks choice for transforming tough cuts of meat into tender , avorf ul dishes. T he slow cook er remains the go-to appliance when it comes to preparing consistently delicious and unive rsally satisfying family meals. It is reponsible for the ver y best in ev eryday cooking and adapts particularly well to the modern techniques and dynamic ra nge of fresh, seasonal ingredients fav ored by a new generation of ad ventur ous home cooks.

The recipes in these pages offer delicious pro of of this current ev olution of slow cooking. Old-school beef tacos now feature K or ean seasonings and spicy slaw , simple spareribs are lacquered with a tamarind glaze, and eve ryday beef round is slowly br aised and then paired with a bright-tasting, colorful salad of arugula and blood oranges. A long-simmered rag is still a slow-cooker fa vori te, but nowa days it s made with succulent pork shoulder instead of beef, and its served at op greens rather than pasta. Ste ws hav e long been a hallmark of the slow cooker , b ut many of the ones y oull nd here ha ve a decidedly Asian prole, suc h as bowls of beef and udon fragr ant with ginger , r amen and pork laced with garlic and green onions, spicy pho packed with braised chick en and cilantro , an d a bnh m inspired blend of lemongrass-infused pork and pickled ve getables. Even dessertsgently spiced fruit butters, creamy cheesecak e, si lky custar dshav e a place in the contemporary slow cooker .

What these mod ern slow-cooker recipes share is a focus on the fresh a vors, eth nic inuences, and seasonal ingredients that inspire toda ys coo ks. T hat means tha t while they continue to yield results that are not unlike their fork-tender , e asy-to-assemble counterparts of the early 1970s, they also feat ure an international pantry of seasonings, an enticing array of easy side dishes, and dozens of innova tive garnishe s. T he outcome is a collection of new fa vori tes that are ev ery bit as conve nient, economical, and w onderfully tender as those of the past but also reect the fresh tastes, bright colors, and global av ors of the modern table.

MODERN

SLOW C OOKING

Prep all of the ingredients in the recip e bef ore you st art cooking. Y ou might even prep them the night b efore to make put ting the dish t oget her in the morning even easier (jus t ke ep them covere d in the fridge overnight) . Cut veg eta bles like ca rrots, pot atoes , cauliflower, or butternut squash int o equa l-size chunksusual ly around 1 inch ( 2.5 cm) or soto ensure even cooking.

Brown meat like chuck roast or pork shoulder in oil or butter b efore adding it t o a slow cooker . T his builds favor by car amelizing the ex teri or of the mea t and adds rich color to the finished dish. The same goes f or sauting veg eta bles like onions until golden brown, toast ing spices until fragrant , or st art ing sauces in a fry ing pan (or the st ove to psafe insert of a slow cooker), al l of which help transform the ingre dients and jump-st art the cooking proc ess.

Degaze your st ove-t op pan with broth, wine, b eer, vinegar, or another liquid favor enhancer aft er browning the mea t to r elease any c aramelize d mea t juices or browned bits s tuck t o the pan b ottom . This simple step helps maximi ze the favor of a dish.

Wal k away once youve covered the slow cooker , a s recipe s typic ally d ont nee d additional tending. In fact, most re cipes come out be tter if you leave t he lid undisturb ed dur ing cooking so the hea t sta ys consistent . Occasiona lly a rec ipe will c all for one or two brief st irs during cooking, if possible, t o ensure even doneness.

Skim the fat, shred the meat , and reduce the sauce. Tak ing a few minutes to finish a dish c an make a big difference in both its t aste and its appe arance. Skim off as much fat as p ossible from the t op of the cooking liquid using a arg e met al sp oon. If you will b e shredding or chopping the me at or poultr y , transfer it to a cutt ing board and remove any b ones, skin, gris tle, or arg e bits of fat b efore you shre d or chop. T o perf ect the sauce, str ain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, let sta nd for a few minutes to a llow any fat to rise to the sur face , and then skim off the fat . Si mmer the straine d liquid in a pan on the s tove top until it thi ckens slightly , then spoon it over the finishe d dish.

STORING MEALS

I lo ve the fact that a single slow cooker recipe usually makes enough for a full family meal and still lea ves a mple remaining for leftov ers. Braised meats and poultr y, sou ps, stews, and chilis will keep we ll in the freezer . P lan to serve beans, grains, vegetables, sea food, and desserts the day they are made, or store them in the refrigerator for serving again later in the we ek (usually within 3 to 5 day s).

To store food in the freezer , l et the food cool to room temperature, the n transfer to an airtight, fre ezer -s afe container . M ake sure to label the meal, inc luding the date it w as prepared, and then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

MAKING MEMORABLE MEALS

T he great thing about a slow cook erand wh y I use m ine oftenis that yo u can add your ingredients and then leav e the house wh ile the food cooks. T hrough trial and error , I ve found that a little additional prep goes a long wa y tow ard a chieving superior results. T his is not a dump it all in and walk a way kind of book. Wh ile Ive done m y best to k eep the recipes simple for today s busy lifestyle, I hav e also made sure that the dishes will become fav orites of ever yone a t your table. A fe w extra minutes spent br owning meat and vegetables on the stovetop before adding them to a slow cooker , f or example, results in a rich brown crust on meat and can build the foundation for a sauce tha t will add a ton of fla vor to the finished dish. Here are some more tips that will help ensure standout meals.