Andrew Schloss - Art of the Slow Cooker: 80 Exciting New Recipes

Art of the Slow Cooker

80 EXCITING NEW RECIPES

By Andrew Schloss

Photographs by Yvonne Duivenvoorden

Text copyright 2008 by Andrew Schloss.

Photographs copyright 2008 by Yvonne Duivenvoorden.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-0-8118-7265-2

Prop styling Catherine Doherty

Food styling by Lucie Richard, www.lucierichard.ca

Studio production by Raff Melito, www.fullserveproductions.com

Designed by Anne Donnard

The photographer wishes to thank the aforementioned team of very talented women who helped to make this project so enjoyable and, above all, memorable. Well done, ladies!!

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

To Karen, my compass.

THANK YOU

To Yvonne Duivenvoorden, an extraordinary food photographer, who orchestrated the sumptuous photos that grace these pages, along with prop stylist Catherine Doherty and food stylist Lucie Richard.

To everyone at Chronicle who devoted their creativity and intelligence to build this book: production coordinator, Ben Kasman; book designer, Anne Donnard; for marketing, Peter Perez; and Amy Portello for publicity. And special thanks to my editor and friend, Bill LeBlond, a gentleman whose impeccable taste and steady judgment can make even an author like me look good, and to Amy Treadwell, who coordinates everything for everyone.

To Lisa Ekus, my book agent, and the best friend an isolated lonely author could have.

To everyone who kindly tested and tasted the many failures you have to go through to get to a handful of successes that are worth publishing: Tara Mataraza Desmond, Carol Moore, Phil Schulman, Debby and Ned Carroll, Debra Shain, and Murry Silberman. And, of course, to my family: Karen, Dana, Ben, and Isaac Schloss, whose critiques continue to make me a better cook.

To Judith Finlayson, my slow cooker mentor for indispensable council and advice.

To David Joachim, my sometimes co-author, for helping me reason through some thorny issues about slow cookers, and for offering perspectives that help me to be a kinder and smarter man than I would otherwise be.

SIMPLE EVERYDAY

SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINING

SIMPLE EVERYDAY

SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINING

SIMPLE EVERYDAY

SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINING

SIMPLE EVERYDAY

SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINING

SIMPLE EVERYDAY

SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINING

SIMPLE EVERYDAY

SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINING

BY MEASURING CULINARY EASE WITH A STOPWATCH, we forget that there are ways to cook, as old as fire itself, that take little work and even less attention as they infuse food with a goodness that only time can give. And all they require is that we slow down.

Slow-cooked food simmers and spits lazily while we play. It rests on a low setting while we rest in the next room. It simmers gently in a fragrant broth while we run errands, finish up work, or just have fun. And the best part is that while were occupied elsewhere, ingredients are being transformed: flavors are blending, blossoming, and balancing. Sometimes the best thing a cook can do is sit back and wait.

I believe in ease. In fact, I have spent my career finding ways for home cooks to get dinner on the table with less work, in less time, and with better results. Though I am devoted to streamlining the effort expended in the kitchen, I recognize there is a danger in believing too much in ease. When making cooking easy becomes more important than making good food, were all in trouble. And I fear thats what has happened to slow cooking.

When I told my friends I was working on a slow cooker book, all their responses were nearly identical: I love my slow cooker. I just throw everything in it and walk away. Not so fast. I dont know of any cooking technique that benefits from complete neglect. Roasting doesnt take a lot of attention, but if you dont season the roast well, check the internal temperature for doneness, and baste every now and then, you are liable to end up with a large joint of jerky.

Slow cooking has many advantages, the main one being that the heat is so gentle, you can simmer dinner for hours without worrying about overcooking it. And there are some dishes, like the classic Barbecued Baked Beans, Slow-Cooked South Carolina Pulled Pork, or All-Day Cassoulet, that I wouldnt do any other way. A slow cooker turns tough, gnarly cuts of meat into succulent, melt-in-your-mouth feasts, but it wont brown a brisket or roast a chicken. Slow cooking is easy, but its not effortless, and the more you take heed of both its strengths and its limitations, the more artful your efforts will be.

SLOW COOKERS CONSIST OF THREE PARTS: (1) a metal casing, which contains an electric heating element and heat controls; (2) a ceramic insert, or crock, which fits inside the metal casing; and (3) a lid. (For more details, see Choosing a Slow Cooker.) The main benefit of slow cooking derives from the heating properties of ceramic. The material heats up slowly and gives off heat gradually. Provided that the heat source is steady and controlled, a ceramic pot can warm food to a set temperature and keep it there for hours without fear of scorching or overheating.

On the other hand, ceramic pots are terrible for browning or searing. In cooking, brown is not just a color. It is a flavorthe flavor of succulence, which is why most of my slow cooker recipes start by browning ingredients in a skillet. During browning, sugars and proteins on the surface of meats and vegetables caramelize, transforming into hundreds of highly charged aromatic flavor components.

This is why we make a bad trade-off when we see slow cooking as merely a dump-and-heat cooking method. You may get something hot for dinner, but thats about it. I say take a little more time, dirty another pan, and create food that will not just fill the belly, but delight the senses as well.

This initial cooking step outside of the slow cooker releases the fat-soluble aromatics in onions and garlic, as well as the scents of herbs and spices, and gives them a head start in the cooking process. The hard fibers of root vegetables soften, which helps them to cook more evenly, giving you a chance to perfect a sauce.

Although all slow cookers operate similarly, there are differences, more often between models than between brands. When choosing a slow cooker, you will need to consider:

SIZE Slow cookers range in size from 1 to 8 quarts, although most are between 3 and 6 quarts. If you have a large family or like to plan on leftovers, you will want a large cooker of at least 5 quarts. Smaller models, between 3 and 4 quarts, will make fewer portions (no more than 6), or they will hold a dip for a crowd. Most people who use their slow cookers frequently have both a large and a small model. You should always use a slow cooker that fits the amount of food you are cooking. For best results, the crock should be at least one-third, but no more than three-quarters, full.