Michele Scicolone - The French Slow Cooker

A few years ago, a friend and I decided to make cassoulet, a bean and meat stew that is an icon of French home cooking. We found a classic recipe and followed the instructions step by step. It took days to prepare, as we marinated the meat, simmered the stock and beans, sauted the lamb, and finally baked everything all together. In between, we scrubbed a mountain of pots and pans. When it was finished, we had a memorable dinner party. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work, and neither of us ever attempted it againuntil I decided to make the dish in my slow cooker.

I began by preparing a classic French stock, a rich dark beef broth that is the luxurious underpinning of many of the countrys traditional dishes (store-bought beef broth works too). I put the beans on to soak the night before. Because the lamb, sausage, and duck would simmer together for many hours, no marinating was needed. I browned the onions in a little bacon fat and transferred them to the slow cooker. I added the beans, sausage, and other meats, pressed the start button, and went out, leaving my cassoulet to bubble away all day.

When I got home, I closed my eyes and inhaled. I felt as if I had arrived at the farmhouse kitchen of the French grand-mre I never had. During the cooking, the meat and beans had soaked up the flavors of the garlic and herbs. The cassoulet was hearty and soul-satisfying, with flavors as deep and delicious as my from-scratch version.

With the help of a slow cooker, its easy to make homey and inexpensive French food in any kitchen. If you can make soup, stew, or pot roast, why not make them with a little French flair? Like cassoulet, the recipes in this book are not five-star restaurant haute cuisine. This is the kind of food you would enjoy in the kitchen of a good French home cook, or possibly a superstar chef on his or her day off.

People sometimes tell me that they are intimidated by the idea of French cooking. They think that they will need special equipment or rare ingredients. They are turned off by the thought of flambing or food that looks like it came out of a science lab. Well, so am I! The ingredients in these recipes are available in well-stocked supermarkets, and Ive included easily found alternates for the few less common items.

With rich homemade broth in my freezer, I have money in the bank for classical soups like .

But the slow cooker comes into its own not only with soups and stews but with any number of French dishes that benefit from gentle, even heat. Souffls and quiches are two foods that I adore, but cooked in the oven, they require careful timing and attention. While they puff in the gentle heat of the slow cooker, I can relax and enjoy my company and not have to worry about split-second timing. Now my souffls are both beautiful to behold and as tender and delicate as an oven-baked souffl. My slow cooker also makes moist, creamy quiches. I leave out the crust, so they are healthier and easier to make than their oven-baked cousinsand just as delicious.

Even fish and seafood do well in the slow cooker. Sturdy varieties like halibut, salmon, or grouper and shellfish such as scallops or shrimp are the best choices, since they poach gently without breaking apart. When company is coming, I often use the slow cooker to make the hearty fish stew , flavored with tomatoes, saffron, and herbs, and serve it with toasted bread and roasted pepper rouille. On weeknights when time is short, I simply slow cook some salmon fillets with Dijon mustard, a meal that is practically effortless, and if I have leftovers, they make a fine cold luncheon salad the next daytwo healthy meals for the work of one.

The slow cooker also does a great job with vegetable dishes like gratins. Layered with herbs and seasonings and topped with melted cheese, the vegetables become imbued with delicate flavors and turn meltingly tender, sufficient for a meal with a green salad. And with the slow cooker, you can make pts as good as those created by any French chef. Whether it is a coarse and garlicky country pt or a light and silky smooth chicken liver mousse, a pt is perfect for a summer party, when no one wants to turn on the oven.

The slow cooker makes some of the best versions of satiny crme caramel, fudgy flourless chocolate cake, and homey bread pudding that I have ever eaten. Even crme brle comes out perfectly. (For the proper crunchy topping, I just run it under the broiler for a minute or so before serving.)

Although the slow cooker gives results that are magnifique, it does not cook in exactly the same way as the stovetop or oven. For example, classic French recipes often call for generous amounts of both fresh and dried herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, or bay leaf. But in the slow cooker, dried herbs can become strong and overpowering, while fresh herbs turn tasteless. For that reason, I reduce the amount of dried herbs called for in traditional recipes. With fresh herbs, I find that I can get the flavor I want by adjusting the seasoning and stirring in a little more shortly before the end of the cooking time.

Other simple French kitchen techniques are perfectly applicable to the slow cooker, such as adding bread crumbs to some stews as a thickener instead of flour or cornstarch. (This works especially well with bean stews.) A squeeze or two of tomato paste from a tube is all it takes to enhance the color and flavor of soups and stews.