Caldo de Pollo
Yellow tomato ají
Chicken Soup with Tomatillos
Quesadillas sincronizadas
Chicken and Spinach Curry
Lightly spiced basmati rice
Shredded Chicken and White Bean Chili with Roasted Poblanos
Mini faux pupusas
Chicken Soup with Fresh Turmeric and Galangal
Fried bean thread noodles
Tortilla Stew
Avocado-lime topping
Whole Grain Congee with Crisp Panko Chicken
Sweet chile-garlic sauce
Chicken and Red Rice
Quickie cilantro-lime topping
Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya
Chayote with garlic buttered bread crumbs
Romanian-Style Chicken and Noodles
Pan-seared green beans
Chicken in Shortcut Mole
Spinach and garlic rice
Chicken “Cobbler”
Two peas with marjoram
Chicken Tikka Masala
Fresh sweet mango and date relish
Chicken Tinga
Quick-pickled vegetables
Chicken with Coconut Milk and Achiote
Seared peppers
Chicken with Tart Pineapple, Coconut, and Cashews
Basic coconut rice
Fried Nuts and Seeds Chicken Curry
Mom’s naan
Kasoori Methi Chicken
Bok choy brown basmati rice
Tarragon and Crème Fraîche Chicken
Cranberry-orange wild rice
Chicken with Sour Cherries, Caramelized Onions, and Lots of Dill
Fancy saffron-butter basmati rice
Chicken with Spanish Chorizo and Peppers
Garlic- and tomato-rubbed grilled bread
Herb Butter–Braised Turkey Breast
Butter-roasted mixed potatoes
Duck Confit with White Beans and Leeks
Lemon kale
WITH yellow tomato ají
ALSO GOOD WITH fried bean thread noodles (THIS PAGE) OR quick-pickled vegetables (THIS PAGE)
This is similar to the chicken soup served at one of my favorite restaurants, Tulcingo del Valle, a small storefront Mexican place in far-western Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan. It’s the kind of soup that you might crave when you’re feeling under the weather—it’s brothy and comforting, with simple, clear flavors.
Load up the cooker.
Remove and discard the chicken bones, strain the broth, if desired, and add the spinach.
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1- to 1½-inch (2.5- to 4-cm) pieces
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1- to 1½-inch (2.5- to 4-cm) pieces, or about 5 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
2 large bone-in chicken breast halves, skin pulled off and excess fat trimmed
2 small ears sweet corn, husked and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) lengths
5 to 6 cups (1.2 to 1.4 L) good-quality chicken or turkey stock (this page)
2 small zucchini, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large handful of baby spinach
Layer the carrots, potato, chicken, and corn in the slow cooker and pour in enough stock to cover the chicken (it doesn’t have to cover the corn). Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Turn the cooker to high. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. If the broth is murky, spoon out the vegetables too, then ladle the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a pot and return it to the cooker. Pull the chicken meat off the bones and return it to the cooker, along with the vegetables. Stir in the spinach, season with salt and pepper.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat. When it shimmers, add the zucchini in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden and just tender, adding a little water if it starts to stick to the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the zucchini to the soup and serve.
This is based on a recipe on the My Colombian Recipes blog for the more traditional version of ají made with gooseberries. If tart-sweet goose-berries are available, try using them instead of the tomatoes, or use a combination of the two.
1 pint (10 ounces/280 g) yellow cherry tomatoes or coarsely chopped sweet yellow tomatoes
¼ cup (30 g) diced sweet onion
1 habanero chile, seeded and chopped (wear gloves or otherwise avoid touching the cut surfaces with your hands)
1½ tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ bunch fresh cilantro, including tender stems, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Put the tomatoes, onion, chile, sugar, salt, and ¼ cup (60 ml) water in a 2-quart (2-L) saucepan and cook over high heat until the tomatoes are very soft and are breaking down, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. If doing this in the morning, transfer to a covered container and refrigerate. Bring the salsa to room temperature before serving.
WITH quesadillas sincronizadas
ALSO GOOD WITH warm corn tortillas (SEE THIS PAGE) cumin spiced millet (THIS PAGE)
We should use more tomatillos! They’re even easier to use in soups like this one than tomatoes—you don’t have to worry about their being underripe, and they don’t need peeling or coring.
Load up the cooker.
Puree the soup and add the cilantro and cayenne.
1½ pounds (680 g) tomatillos (about 8 large), husked, rinsed, and cut in half
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano chiles, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups (720 ml) good-quality chicken or turkey stock (this page)
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (40 g) chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
Put the tomatillos, chiles, garlic, and stock in the slow cooker. Arrange the chicken on top and sprinkle with a little salt and several grindings of pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl—it’ll be very tender, and it’s okay if some bits of chicken remain in the pot or some vegetables come with the chicken. With an immersion blender, puree the tomatillo mixture until smooth, blending in the cilantro and cayenne. Return the chicken to the soup. Season with more salt and cayenne, if needed, then serve.
For each quesadilla:
2 (6-inch/15-cm) flour tortillas
⅓ to ½ cup (1½ to 2 ounces/40 to 55 g) shredded melty cheese, such as Monterey Jack or extra-sharp cheddar
Pinch of salt
1 thin slice deli ham, torn into pieces (optional)
If you’re making more than one quesadilla at a time, heat a large griddle or several skillets or sauté pans over medium heat until hot. Lay down the first tortilla for each quesadilla on the griddle and spread with half of the cheese and a pinch of salt. Top with the ham, if using (make sure to leave some space between the ham pieces), then the remaining cheese and the second tortilla. Cook, pressing down gently with a spatula, until the cheese has started to melt, the two tortillas stick together, and the bottom is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, then remove to a cutting board and let cool for a minute (to let the cheese settle so it doesn’t ooze too much). Cut into wedges and serve.
WITH lightly spiced basmati rice
ALSO GOOD WITH Mom’s naan (THIS PAGE) OR cardamom roasted sweet potatoes (THIS PAGE)
This is a streamlined version of the classic chicken saag restaurant dish, and is great as is. If you’re inclined to complicate things to add a little more nuance, toss a dried red chile or two into the cooker with the chicken, and add about 1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds and brown mustard seeds to the onion in the last few minutes of cooking.
Load up the cooker.
Sauté the onion. Puree the sauce, mixing in the cream cheese.
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
Salt
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 cloves garlic
3 serrano chiles, chopped, seeded if you’d like less heat
5 coins fresh ginger
2 (10- to 12-ounce/280- to 340-g) packages frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons ghee (this page) or vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons (55 g) cream cheese
In a cup, combine the coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and 2 teaspoons salt. Put the chicken in the slow cooker and toss with the spice mixture to coat. Add the garlic, chiles, and ginger. Break up the frozen spinach and arrange it on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, evenly browned, and crisp on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl (it’s okay if spinach comes with it, but try to leave the garlic, chiles, and ginger in the cooker). With an immersion blender, puree the sauce and mix in the cream cheese. Return the chicken to the sauce, top with the sautéed onion (fold it in, if you wish), and serve.
1 tablespoon ghee (this page) or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3 whole cloves
2 cups (360 g) basmati rice, rinsed well in a sieve
Salt
In a 2-quart (2-L) saucepan, cook the ghee, cumin, cardamom, and cloves over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 30 seconds. Add 2½ cups (600 ml) water and a good pinch of salt, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Stir once to unstick any grains from the bottom of the pan, then cover and cook over the lowest heat for 14 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let stand, covered, for about 3 minutes, then pick out the cardamom and cloves, if you’d like (they usually float and then settle on top of the rice), and fluff the rice with a spatula or fork and serve.
WITH mini faux pupusas
ALSO GOOD WITH fried plantains (THIS PAGE) OR chili garnishes (THIS PAGE)
When poblanos are in season, roast a bunch of them at a time, peel and chop them, then put them in the freezer so you can just pop them—still frozen is fine—into stews like this one.
Sauté the onion and garlic (and roast the poblanos if you need to) and load up the cooker.
Shred the chicken and season the chili.
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
4 large poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded (see Note), then diced (about 1¼ cups/230 g)
1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
4 cups (960 ml) chicken or turkey stock (this page)
1 cup (210 g) dried navy beans
½ cup (20 g) chopped fresh cilantro, or 1 cup (30 g) finely chopped spinach
3 scallions, sliced
Juice of ½ lime
In a skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and stir for 1 minute. Pour in ½ cup (120 ml) water and scrape up any browned bits, then scrape the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the poblanos, chicken, and stock. Rinse the beans in a sieve under running water and add them to the cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using two forks, shred the chicken. Stir in the cilantro, scallions, and lime juice and season with salt and pepper; cover and let stand for a few minutes to allow the beans to absorb some salt. Serve.
NOTE: To roast poblanos, put them on a baking sheet and broil until the tops are blistered and blackened in spots, then turn them over and broil on the other side. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let steam for 10 minutes; rub off the peels and pull out the stems and seeds.
Makes 8 (3½- to 4-inch/9- to 10-cm) pupusas
When I’m in a hurry or lazy, I just mix the cheese right into the dough. For a slightly less faux version, shape the dough into balls, then poke a hole in the center to make a “pinch bowl”; stuff as much shredded cheese as you can inside, then close up the dough ball, flatten, and cook as below.
1 cup (115 g) masa harina
¾ cup (180 ml) warm water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (115 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, with or without peppers
Put the masa harina in a medium bowl and stir in the warm water and salt to make a soft dough. Knead in the cheese. Shape the dough into eight Ping-Pong–size balls, then flatten into 3½- to 4-inch (9- to 10-cm) rounds with your palm. If doing this in the morning, arrange the rounds on a plate (layers separated with plastic wrap or waxed paper), cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Heat a large cast-iron griddle (or use a skillet or sauté pan and work in batches) over medium-high heat. When a drop of water on the surface evaporates immediately, it’s hot enough. Arrange the masa rounds on the griddle and cook until the bottom is brown-flecked, about 4 minutes, then flip and brown the other side, pressing down gently on the top with a spatula; the pupusas will puff up a bit in spots (and probably ooze a little cheese, which is fine). Serve hot.
WITH fried bean thread noodles
ALSO GOOD WITH lemongrass rice (THIS PAGE) OR pandan water (THIS PAGE)
Lots of fresh turmeric gives this coconut milk–enriched soup a brilliant yellow color and a pleasant bittersweet flavor. You can use 1 teaspoon ground turmeric if you don’t have fresh, but know that you can keep turmeric root in the freezer almost indefinitely—it’s actually easier to peel and slice or grate when it’s frozen.
Make the seasoning paste and sauté it.
Puree the liquid, fold in the spinach, and season the soup to taste.
3-inch (7.5-cm) piece fresh or frozen galangal, peeled and chopped
2 thumb-size pieces fresh or frozen turmeric, peeled and chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, tops and tough outer leaves removed, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 dried red chiles, preferably Thai, torn into pieces
1 small (5.6-ounce/165-ml) can coconut milk ( ⅔ cup/165 ml)
2½ cups (600 ml) chicken or turkey stock (this page) or water
Salt
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and torn (about ¾ cup/125 g)
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn in several places but kept whole
4 ounces (115 g) baby spinach
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste
Juice of ½ lime, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
Fresh Thai chiles, thinly sliced
Using a granite mortar and pestle, pound the galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and dried chiles together to a paste (or pulse in a mini food processor).
Put about half of the coconut milk (the thick stuff from the top of the can, if possible) in a small skillet or sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. When it’s bubbling at the edges, scrape in the galangal paste. Cook and stir until the paste is dryish and starting to stick to and brown in the skillet, about 3 minutes, then scrape it into the slow cooker. Pour ½ cup (120 ml) water into the hot skillet, scraping up any browned bits, then pour the liquid into the cooker, along with the remaining coconut milk and the stock. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt, the tomato, chicken, and lime leaves. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Turn the cooker to high. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken, tomato, and lime leaves to a bowl. With an immersion blender, puree the broth until smooth. Return the chicken and vegetables to the cooker and stir in the spinach. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar to taste. Serve with a small bowl of sliced fresh chiles on the side.
Vegetable oil
2 or 3 bundles of dried bean thread (saifun) noodles
Pour at least 1½ inches (4 cm) of oil into a very dry deep saucepan and place over medium-high heat; heat to about 400°F (205°C) on a candy thermometer. Line a tray with paper towels or a paper bag and have a slotted spoon or skimmer handy.
Break the noodle bundles roughly in half. (You might want to do this over a large bowl or the sink to catch stray broken bits.) When the oil is hot, drop one half-bundle at a time into the oil; the noodles should immediately expand to fill the pan and rise to the surface of the oil—press down on the mass of noodles gently with the slotted spoon to make sure all the noodles are puffed, then remove them to the paper towels to drain. The noodles should be in the oil for 5 to 7 seconds at most. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Serve atop soups or salads. (When the oil is cool, strain it into a clean dry container and save for another use.)
WITH avocado-lime topping
ALSO GOOD WITH chilled radish chips (THIS PAGE) OR chili garnishes (THIS PAGE)
This is a fine way to use up any stale corn tortillas you might have in the back of the fridge. Here you’ll stir half of the tortillas into the soup to thicken the broth, and lightly fry the other half to use as a crunchy-salty topping.
Load the cooker and, if you have time, fry half of the tortilla strips for the topping.
Stir in the unfried tortilla strips and the cilantro.
2½ pounds (1.2 kg) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
Salt
2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock (this page)
1 cup (165 g) peeled and chopped tomatoes
Vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas, stacked, cut in half, then cut into strips about ¼ inch (6 mm) wide
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Put the chicken in the slow cooker. In a cup, stir together the cumin, chile powder, oregano, and 1½ teaspoons salt, then sprinkle over the chicken and toss to coat. Pour in the stock and add the tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat about ⅛ inch (3 mm) of oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add half of the tortilla strips. Cook, stirring with a slotted spoon, until nicely browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. With the spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt. Set the fried and unfried strips aside.
Turn the cooker to high, stir the unfried tortilla strips into the stew, cover, and cook until the tortillas are softened and you’re ready to serve. Serve the soup with the fried tortilla strips on the side for topping.
2 Hass avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro
Salt
Toss the avocados in a bowl with the lime juice and cilantro; season with salt to taste. Serve.
Make a tacky-but-homey enchilada casserole: Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Shred leftover drained chicken (reserve 1 cup/240 ml of the stew liquid) and add cooked and drained black beans to make 1½ cups (360 ml). Heat 9 corn tortillas on a hot griddle or in a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat until pliable. Lightly oil a 7 by 11-inch (17.5 by 28-cm) baking dish and layer the tortillas (cut to fit as necessary) and chicken and beans in the baking dish. Combine the reserved stew liquid and 1 cup (240 ml) crushed tomatoes, season with salt to taste, and pour over the casserole. Cover with as much shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese as you feel is appropriate and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let settle for a few minutes before scooping out servings.
WITH sweet chile-garlic sauce
ALSO GOOD WITH green apple rojak (THIS PAGE) OR grizzled asparagus (THIS PAGE)
Use a good homemade stock here, if possible, because its flavor will be the basis of this simple porridge. I like the nutty, textured quality of whole grains in this dish, but feel free to use white rice or a combination of white and brown rice. And if frying chicken at the last minute is not something you want to tackle on an evening, a handful of just about any leftover meat pulled from the bone, or from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, is a perfectly acceptable substitute.
Load up the cooker and, if you have time, prep the chicken and set up your frying station.
Pan-fry the chicken.
1 cup (about 190 g) whole grains: farro, pearled or pot barley, brown jasmine rice, or a combination
2 quarts (2 L) good-quality stock, such as beef stock (this page) or chicken or turkey stock (this page), or a combination
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 well-trimmed skinless, boneless chicken breasts
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (80 g) panko bread crumbs, or more, if needed
1 large egg
About 6 tablespoons (90 ml) vegetable oil
Chinese light soy sauce
3 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro
Toasted sesame seeds
Rinse the grains in a sieve under running water, then dump them into the slow cooker. Add the stock, wine, and ginger. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Cut the chicken into strips ½ inch (12 mm) thick. If doing this in the morning, put in a covered container and refrigerate. Put the flour in a medium bowl or on a plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Put the panko in a second bowl or plate. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg together with 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt; set it near the flour and panko. In batches, toss the chicken strips in the flour to coat, then in the egg, then in the panko. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add half of the chicken strips. Cook, turning with tongs, until browned all over and cooked through, about 5 minutes total; transfer to the paper towels to drain. Grab a paper towel with the tongs and wipe out the pan to remove any blackened bits. Cook the remaining chicken. If you’d like, coarsely chop the chicken strips on a board (it makes for easier eating, if a less attractive bowl).
Whisk the rice mixture in the cooker and season with soy sauce to taste. Serve in bowls, topped with the fried chicken, scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
With the widely available Fresno chiles, this makes a slightly hot but not blistering sauce. If you want more heat, replace some or all of the sweet bell pepper with an equal weight of hot peppers, replace the Fresno chiles with red jalapeño or serrano chiles, if you have them, or just stir in a little ground cayenne.
10 ounces (280 g) fresh hot red chiles, such as Fresno
1 (7 ounces/200 g) red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
½ cup (120 ml) cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
¼ cup (55 g) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Stem and seed the chiles and pepper, and coarsely chop them and the garlic. Put the chiles, pepper, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Transfer to a saucepan and add the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil (watching the pan to make sure it doesn’t boil over), then lower the heat and simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until much of the liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes. If you’d like, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce—tilt the pan so you can submerge the blender head. Transfer to a clean heatproof, nonreactive container (such as a canning jar), let cool for a few minutes, then cover and refrigerate for up to several weeks.
WITH quickie cilantro-lime topping
ALSO GOOD WITH two peas with marjoram (THIS PAGE) OR seared peppers (THIS PAGE)
If you have rice left over from another meal, this is a good way to use it. Otherwise, just cook 1 cup (185 g) rice in 1½ cups (355 ml) water, either in the morning or evening.
Load the cooker.
Add the cooked rice.
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1½ teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1 (14.5-ounce/411-g) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups (615 g) cooked long-grain rice
Put the chicken in the slow cooker. In a cup, mix together the cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt, then sprinkle the mixture over the chicken and toss to coat. Fold in the tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Turn the cooker to high. Season with more salt, if needed, then gently fold in the rice, cover until heated through, then serve.
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño chile, chopped, seeded if you’d like less heat
½ onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt
In a mini food processor, pulse the cilantro, jalapeño, onion, and lime juice until very finely chopped, scraping the side of the bowl once or twice. Season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate if making this in the morning. Serve cold or at room temperature.
WITH chayote with garlic buttered bread crumbs
ALSO GOOD WITH quick-cooked shredded collards (THIS PAGE) OR fried okra (THIS PAGE)
Instead of—or in addition to—the andouille, which is quickly sautéed and added in the evening, you could use peeled and deveined shrimp, either whole or diced.
Sauté the onion and load up the cooker.
Cook the andouille and rice and fold them into the chicken mixture.
1½ to 2 pounds (680 to 910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (28-ounce/794-g) can whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
Salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning blend (one that includes salt is fine)
2 ribs celery, cut into ¾-inch (2-cm) pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch (2-cm) pieces
1½ cups (275 g) long-grain white rice
1 (6- to 8-ounce/170- to 225-g) link andouille sausage, diced
Put the chicken in the slow cooker and add the tomatoes and their juices, crushing them with your hand as you add them.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then scrape into the cooker. Add the Cajun seasoning, celery, and bell pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Season the sauce in the cooker with salt or more Cajun seasoning, if needed.
Put the rice in a sieve and rinse very well under running water. In a 2-quart (2-L) saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, stirring frequently, until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the cooker. Ladle 2 cups (480 ml) of the liquid from the cooker into the hot saucepan and stir in the rice. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over the lowest heat until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 15 to 18 minutes (it won’t be fluffy like regular cooked rice); add a little more liquid as it cooks, if needed. Gently fold the cooked rice into the chicken mixture in the cooker (the chicken will fall apart into bite-size pieces) and serve.
Sautéed chayote, also called mirliton, has an appealing crisp texture, but is fairly bland—hence the large quantity of garlic here in the crunchy bread crumb topping.
2 chayote squashes (about 1½ pounds/680 g)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup (40 g) coarse bread crumbs
Salt
Peel the chayote (hold it with a paper towel as you do—it’ll be slippery), then cut it in half through the dent in the bottom. Scrape out the seed and pithy center with a spoon. Cut each half in half lengthwise, then slice ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Put in a container and refrigerate if doing this in the morning.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, then the bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until deeply browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the chayote, and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, tossing frequently, until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic bread crumbs, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
WITH fried okra
ALSO GOOD WITH tangy potato salad (THIS PAGE) OR retro garlic bread (THIS PAGE)
If you have toasted flour left over from the Romanian chicken stew on this page, you can use about 6 tablespoons (about 35 g) of it here instead of the roux, though it will yield a somewhat less dark and rich gumbo. I find that gumbo is great on its own, but if you have the energy you might wish to cook a pot of long-grain white or brown rice and serve a small scoop in each bowl to ladle the gumbo around.
Brown the chicken and make the roux.
Blend the roux into the liquid and season the gumbo.
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons plus ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
½ onion, diced
1 (28-ounce/794-g) can whole tomatoes with their juice
2 small ribs celery, cut into ½-inch (12-mm) pieces
4 ounces (115 g) smoked ham, pulled into shreds or chopped (you can cut the meat off a ham hock, if you’d like)
1 bay leaf
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
Ground cayenne and/or Cajun seasoning blend
Filé powder (see Note)
Toss the chicken with the thyme, several pinches of salt, and several grindings of pepper. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken (work in batches if necessary) and cook, turning with a thin metal spatula, until the pieces are browned on one or two sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the slow cooker.
To the skillet, add the onion and a little more oil, if needed, and cook over medium heat until just softened, about 3 minutes. Pour some of the tomato juices from the can into the hot skillet, scraping up any browned bits, then scrape into the cooker and add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand as you do. Add the celery, ham, and bay leaf and put the bell pepper on top of everything. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Make a roux: In a large clean and dry skillet or sauté pan, combine the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) oil and the flour. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring almost constantly with a heatproof spatula and/or a whisk, until it’s the color of coffee with just a touch of cream, about 15 minutes—be careful not to splash it onto yourself or others (it’s hot), and watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. Scrape into a heatproof bowl and let cool completely.
Using a slotted spoon, remove most of the solid ingredients (chicken, vegetables) from the gumbo to a bowl. Pour off the layer of excess oil that will have risen to the top of the roux, then use an immersion blender to blend the sludgy roux into the liquid in the cooker. Return the chicken and vegetables to the cooker, season with more salt and cayenne and/or Cajun seasoning, if needed, and serve with a small bowl of filé so people can add it to their gumbo if they’d like.
NOTE: If you have access to sassafras trees and a microwave oven or dehydrator, it’s definitely worth making your own filé; it is so much more flavorful and vibrant than store-bought (though the thickening power is about the same, and filé is available in most grocery stores in the spice section). Pick tender young sassafras leaves, rinse well, and pat dry. To dry in a microwave oven: In batches, arrange the leaves in a single layer between two paper towels, set the sandwich on the turntable, and cook on full power in 15- to 30-second bursts until the leaves are crisp and completely dry. Grind in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle and, if you’d like, sift it to remove any little bits of ribs or stems.
This makes a skilletful, which should be plenty for 3 or 4 people who are also eating bowls of hearty gumbo. If you want to double the recipe, you’ll have to do it in two skillets, or in two batches, straining or replacing the cooking oil to remove little blackened bits.
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (45 g) fine cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
Good pinch ground cayenne
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk or half-and-half
8 ounces (255 g) okra, stems trimmed off, cut into rounds ¾ inch (2 cm) thick
Vegetable oil for shallow-frying
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and cayenne. Toss the okra in the buttermilk, drain, then toss in the flour mixture to coat, then spread on a waxed paper–lined tray and put in the freezer. Set a plate lined with paper towels near the stovetop and pour about ⅛ inch (3 mm) oil into a large skillet or sauté pan and set aside for evening.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the frozen okra and cook, gently stirring with a slotted spoon every couple of minutes, until nicely browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the paper towels to drain, sprinkle with salt, and serve.
Handy stew thickeners, clockwise from top right: toasted flour, filé powder, stale corn tortillas, dried unsweetened coconut, masa harina, coconut milk powder.
WITH pan-seared green beans
ALSO GOOD WITH simple garlic spinach (THIS PAGE) OR Parmesan roasted broccoli spears (THIS PAGE)
I read about this dish (in the same category as paprikash and the Albanian dish called çervish or qervish) in Clifford A. Wright’s invaluable collection of classic recipes, Real Stew. Thickened with coffee-dark toasted flour and subtly fragrant with allspice, this makes a comforting winter meal over noodles or rice.
Sauté the onions. If you have time, toast the flour.
Whisk in the flour and cook the noodles.
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon hot paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 onions, sliced
½ teaspoon allspice berries
1 cup (240 ml) white wine
4 tablespoons (60 ml) tomato paste
1 bay leaf
12 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Wide egg noodles
Put the chicken in the slow cooker and toss it with the paprika and ¾ teaspoon salt.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, allspice, a pinch of salt, and several grindings of pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and a little wilted, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook for 5 minutes longer, then scrape the onion mixture into the cooker over the chicken. In a cup, stir together the tomato paste and 1 cup (240 ml) water and pour over the onions. Tuck in the bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Place a small skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the flour. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently (then constantly toward the end), for 7 to 10 minutes, until the flour is very fragrant and the color of a coffee with two creams. Transfer to a piece of waxed paper if doing this in the morning.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente; drain.
Turn the cooker to high. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Sift the toasted flour into the sauce in the cooker a little at a time and stir or whisk it in, adding just enough to thicken the sauce slightly, about 6 tablespoons. (Save the remainder for another use, such as the gumbo on this page.) Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, if needed, then return the chicken to the sauce and serve over the noodles.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 ounces (340 g) green beans, trimmed
Salt
In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the green beans, spreading them as evenly as possible in the pan, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes without disturbing them, then toss, sprinkle with salt, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Pour in ¼ cup (60 ml) water, cover, and cook for 4 minutes, then uncover and cook, tossing occasionally, until the beans are tender and blackened in spots, about 3 minutes longer. Serve.
WITH spinach and garlic rice
ALSO GOOD WITH cumin spiced millet (THIS PAGE) OR brown rice and peas (THIS PAGE; OMIT THE COCONUT MILK AND ALLSPICE)
I’ve made wonderfully complex mole sauces that required several rounds of straining and blending and three solid days in the kitchen to complete, and I’ve used bottled store-bought mole that was convenient but nothing to write home about flavor-wise. This, I think, is a compromise between the two: It has exactly what I want in a mole (a little heat, bitterness, a slight sweetness, a silky texture, and, if you use the hoja de santa, a subtle herby fragrance), but is much less work than you’d expect.
Rehydrate and puree the chiles and sauce ingredients.
Add the cookies and puree again.
4 pounds (1.8 kg) bone-in chicken thighs, skin pulled off and excess fat trimmed
2 ounces (55 g) dried guajillo chiles (about 8), stemmed and broken into pieces
6 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed
3 cups (720 ml) boiling water
2 tablets Abuelita Mexican chocolate (see Notes)
½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened peanut butter
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
Palm-size piece dried hoja santa (optional, see Notes)
6 to 8 plain Maria cookies (see Notes)
Avocado, lime, and queso fresco (optional, for serving)
Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Put the dried guajillos and chiles de árbol in a blender and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak for at least 10 minutes, until the chiles are softened. Add the chocolate, peanut butter, onion, garlic, salt, and hoja santa, if using, and puree until very smooth. Set a fine-mesh sieve over the cooker and pour in the chile puree, pushing the puree and liquid through with a spatula; discard the bits of skin and seeds in the sieve. Turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Turn the cooker to high. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl (pull out and discard the bones, if you’d like). Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce again, crumbling in the cookies, until very smooth. Add enough cookies to thicken and sweeten the mole to your liking. Season with more salt, if needed, then return the chicken to the mole and serve.
NOTES: You can find Abuelita in most supermarkets, either in the Mexican foods section or with the hot chocolate and cocoa mixes.
Hoja santa is an herb that adds a mild anise flavor to simmered sauces like this one; look for it in Mexican grocery stores.
Crisp, bland, lightly sweetened Maria cookies (sometimes labeled “Marie biscuits”) are readily available in most supermarkets, with the Mexican foods.
1½ cups (275 g) long-grain white rice
4 ounces (115 g) spinach
1 cup (40 g) chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
Rinse the rice well in a sieve under running water and set aside to drain.
Put the spinach, cilantro, and 2 cups (480 ml) water in a blender and puree until fairly smooth.
In a 2-quart (2-L) saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir for 30 seconds, then add the salt and the spinach mixture, scraping as much of it from the blender as you can. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir again, cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender (check after 15 minutes; much of the spinach will have floated to the top, but that’s fine—just dig a few grains out with a fork to test them). Remove from the heat and let stand for 3 minutes, then fold and fluff with a spatula or fork and serve.
WITH two peas with marjoram
ALSO GOOD WITH herb salad (THIS PAGE) OR lemon kale (THIS PAGE)
While the natural recipe to put here would be chicken and dumplings, in which a soft, biscuit-like dough is dropped directly onto the simmering chicken stew and then steamed until done, I like the version in my first slow cooker book so much I don’t even want to change it. But I think this cobbler is even better. The stew is a classic flour-thickened and cold-weather-vegetable-heavy affair, and the topping—though you don’t even have to put it on top—is a contrasting fluffy, crusty cheddar biscuit.
This might seem like a complicated recipe, but it’s simpler than it looks. You can even substitute bakery-bought biscuits for homemade, or just leave them off and serve the hearty stew as is, perhaps with some good bread.
Brown the chicken and onion. If you have time, mix the biscuit dry ingredients and refrigerate.
Finish and bake the drop biscuits. Thicken the stew, if needed.
For the stew:
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, or more, if needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut roughly in half
½ onion, diced
1 tablespoon schmaltz (this page) or olive oil
1½ cups (360 ml) chicken or turkey stock (this page)
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 Yukon Gold or peeled russet potato, diced
1 bay leaf
¼ cup (13 g) chopped fresh parsley
For the drop biscuits:
2½ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (115 g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1⅓ cups (315 ml) half-and-half or milk
Start the stew: In the slow cooker, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and several grindings of pepper. Toss the chicken and onion in the mixture to coat. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the schmaltz over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add half of the chicken and onion and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is golden on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Scrape into a bowl and brown the remaining chicken and onion mixture (it’s okay if some of the flour dredge remains in the cooker). Return all of the chicken and onion to the cooker. Pour ½ cup (120 ml) of the stock into the hot skillet, scraping up any browned bits, then pour the liquid into the cooker. Add the carrots, celery, potato, bay leaf, and the remaining 1 cup (240 ml) stock. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Start the drop biscuits: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and pinch it in with your fingertips. Add the cheese and toss to combine. If doing this in the morning, put the bowl in the refrigerator.
Finish the drop biscuits: Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the half-and-half into the flour mixture until just incorporated—don’t overmix the dough. Drop six to eight mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 15 to 17 minutes.
Finish the stew: Fold in the parsley. Season the stew with salt and lots of pepper. If it’s very liquid, ladle some of the liquid into a bowl and whisk in 2 or more tablespoons flour, then gently stir it back into the stew.
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
4 ounces (115 g) sugar snap peas, each cut in half on the diagonal
12 ounces (340 g) shelled fresh or frozen English peas
Scant ½ teaspoon salt
A couple of small sprigs fresh marjoram
In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas, English peas, and salt and cook, tossing frequently, until all the peas are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add about 2 tablespoons water at the end of cooking, and tear in the marjoram. Serve immediately.
WITH fresh sweet mango and date relish
ALSO GOOD WITH sweet tomato chutney (THIS PAGE) OR Mom’s naan (THIS PAGE)
I really, really wanted to get this recipe right, because it’s such a crowd-pleasing favorite that in its non–slow cooker forms relies a great deal on techniques and processes that don’t necessarily translate to slow cookerdom. I went through probably half a dozen trials and finally came up with something I was quite happy with. Then my friend Leda tried out my recipe for her husband and her mother-in-law, who are accomplished cooks from Hyderabad. They were not impressed; they had some helpful suggestions, and I headed back to the kitchen for more experimenting. The results, I have to admit, were worth it.
Sauté the aromatics and spices.
Blend in the yogurt and cook the rice.
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee (this page)
3 coins fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, chopped, seeded if you’d like less heat
1 (14.5-ounce/411-g) can diced tomatoes with their juices
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ cup (120 ml) plain Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat)
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
2 cups (360 g) basmati rice
Pinch of salt
In a small cup, combine the coriander, paprika, and cumin. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the ginger, garlic, and chile and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and the garlic is just starting to brown. Add the spices and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the tomatoes and their juices, stirring to mix all the aromatics into the tomatoes. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker and add the chicken, turning to coat it with the sauce and then folding the thighs on themselves and tucking them into a single layer in the pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
HAVE SLICED AND MINCED GINGER READY
If all the meals in which I use ginger (I do use it a lot) involved first peeling and mincing or slicing or grating fresh ginger, I’d be much better friends with the local pizza delivery people. When I have a moment and the energy, I’ll peel a big hand of ginger with the edge of a spoon. I’ll slice half of it into coins, put them in a canning jar, cover them with something in the Shaoxing/dry sherry/vermouth family, put the lid on, and stick the jar in the refrigerator, where the ginger will keep almost indefinitely. I’ll then just fish out coins with a fork, give them a quick rinse, and use them as if they were fresh. The rest of the ginger I’ll chop up and put in the mini food processor with a little water, pulse to finely mince it, then dollop teaspoon- or tablespoon-size mounds on a piece of waxed paper and freeze them until solid; then I’ll peel the mounds off the paper and store them in a freezer bag. The ginger can be used straight from the freezer in most cases.
Turn the cooker to high. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl (it will be very tender and almost falling apart, and it’s okay if some of the vegetables come with it, and if small bits of chicken remain in the cooker). With an immersion blender, blend the yogurt and cream into the sauce in the cooker until smooth. Stir in the cilantro, if you’d like. Return the chicken to the sauce and cover while you cook the rice.
Put the rice in a sieve and rinse very well under running water. Dump into a 2-quart (2-L) saucepan and add 2¼ cups (540 ml) water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once to unstick any grains from the bottom of the pan, then cover and cook over the lowest heat for 14 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes, then fluff with a fork or spatula. Serve with the chicken.
2 small ripe mangoes, preferably Ataulfo, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 heaping teaspoon minced fresh mint
¼ cup (35 g) finely chopped dates
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mash some of the mangoes a bit with a fork. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 2 days).
WITH quick-pickled vegetables
ALSO GOOD WITH spinach and garlic rice (THIS PAGE) OR chili garnishes (THIS PAGE)
This is one of the few recipes in which it’s possible to use chicken breasts (eight hours in the slow cooker is not easy on that lean cut): The meat is shredded after cooking and the stew is saucy enough that the breasts can withstand a bit of overcooking. However, feel free to substitute thighs, or even pork shoulder.
Load up the cooker.
Shred the chicken and warm the tortillas.
½ large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ (7-ounce/198-g) can chipotle chiles in adobo, pureed or minced, with sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ cups (360 ml) chicken stock (this page) or water
2 pounds (910 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Corn or flour tortillas, warmed (see Note)
Put the onion, garlic, chipotles, tomato paste, stock, chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, and several grindings of pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using two forks, shred the chicken in the cooker. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the tinga with the warm tortillas.
NOTE: The easiest way to warm tortillas—flour or corn—is to use a large cast-iron griddle and heat several at once, or use one or two skillets or sauté pans. Heat the griddle or skillet until a drop of water on the surface evaporates immediately. Put the tortilla on the dry griddle and cook for a minute or two, flip and cook for another minute or two, then flip one more time and press on the tortilla gently with a spatula or the back of a spoon to help it puff up a bit (this seems counterintuitive, but it works). Stack the tortillas in a towel-lined bowl, fold the towel over to keep them warm, and repeat.
If you’re lacking griddle space or time, heat two tortillas at once in the same spot: Put two stacked tortillas down on the griddle and cook for a minute, then flip the stack over. While the second tortilla cooks on the bottom, flip the top tortilla so the uncooked side is facing up. Flip the stack again, and now flip the tortilla that’s on top. Flip the stack one more time, and both tortillas will be heated on both sides.
This makes about a quart or liter of vegetables, more than you’ll need for a single family meal, but they keep well in the fridge and are excellent to have on hand for snacking, stuffing into sandwiches or quesadillas, or serving alongside any dish that needs a vinegary-tart accent.
About 1 pound (455 g) mixed vegetables, such as 2 Persian cucumbers, 4 small carrots, ½ red onion, and 1 serrano chile
1½ cups (360 ml) rice vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Cut the vegetables into sticks about 2 inches (5 cm) long and ½ inch (12 mm) thick at the widest. Pack them into a quart- or liter-size canning jar or other heat-proof, nonreactive container. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar, then pour it over the vegetables and press them down to cover them with the pickling liquid. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until evening. Serve cold. The pickles will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
WITH seared peppers
ALSO GOOD WITH collard slaw (THIS PAGE) OR brown rice and peas (THIS PAGE)
Stewed chicken with achiote, a spice that is used more for color than anything else (it’s what gives cheddar cheese its orange tint), is a staple of Central and South American home cooking. Most versions I’ve seen do feature coconut milk, but you could try it with a cup (240 ml) or so of chicken stock (this page) instead.
Load up the cooker.
Cook the rice and puree the sauce.
1 (13.5-ounce/400-ml) can coconut milk
1 cup (125 g) chopped sweet peppers
1 shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon ground achiote (annatto)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning, such as Goya (see Note)
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups (370 g) long-grain white rice
Salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
In the slow cooker, combine the coconut milk, sweet peppers, shallot, achiote, cumin, chile powder, and adobo, then add the chicken and turn to coat it with the coconut milk mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Put the rice in a sieve and rinse very well under running water. Dump into a 2-quart (2-L) saucepan and add 2¼ cups (540 ml) water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once to unstick any grains from the bottom of the pan, then cover and cook over the lowest heat for 14 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes, then fluff with a fork or spatula.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce in the cooker. Season with more salt, if needed, and stir in the cilantro. Return the chicken to the sauce and serve with the rice.
NOTE: Goya adobo sin pimenta is one of the very few store-bought spice blends I use, simply because it’s so efficient and versatile (and no more expensive than making your own). I was somewhat validated to see it being dusted liberally all over the griddled meats at my favorite taco and torta lunch counter in Port Chester, New York. (Could be that’s why it’s my favorite.) You can substitute 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, and a pinch of dried oregano.
4 Anaheim peppers, seeded
2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, seeded
1 sweet onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Cut the Anaheim and bell peppers and onion into ½-inch (12-mm) strips. Cover and refrigerate if doing this in the morning.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, or two medium ones, heat the oil over high heat. When it’s almost smoking, add the peppers and onion and a good pinch of salt and cook, tossing frequently, until the peppers and onion are nicely charred in spots and just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot.
WITH basic coconut rice
ALSO GOOD WITH soy-steamed broccoli (THIS PAGE) OR lemongrass rice (THIS PAGE)
A few months ago, in a Malaysian cookbook (see this page) I read about a curry-like dish with sour carambola (starfruit) as the base, and ever since then my local (and even nonlocal) grocery stores have declined to restock the starfruit area of the “exotic” produce section—I’ve yet to try it. I was taken by the idea of using a tart fruit in a savory dish, though, so I came up with this one in which chicken is cooked in a puree of fresh pineapple, aromatics, and thickening ingredients like dried coconut and cashews.
Blend the sauce ingredients. If you have time, toast the coconut for the topping.
Puree the sauce again.
1 stalk lemongrass, tops and tough outer leaves removed, chopped
5 coins peeled fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 tablespoons (30 g) grated unsweetened coconut
½ cup (65 g) roasted unsalted cashews
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
¼ pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
½ (13.5-ounce/400-ml) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate, such as Tamicon brand, or more to taste
3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg) well-trimmed skinless chicken thighs, with or without the bones
In a good blender or a food processor, combine the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, 3 tablespoons of the coconut, the cashews, paprika, coriander, cumin, and 2 teaspoons salt and blend until finely ground, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the pineapple, coconut milk, brown sugar, and tamarind and blend until smooth. Pour into the slow cooker, add the chicken, and turn to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
In a small saucepan, toast the remaining 3 tablespoons coconut over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes, then scrape into a small bowl and set aside.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl (pull out and discard the bones, if you’d like). With an immersion blender, puree the sauce in the cooker until very smooth. Season with more brown sugar or tamarind, if needed (it should be more tart than sweet), return the chicken to the cooker, and serve, sprinkled with the toasted coconut.
If you want to use up the can of coconut milk from the recipe above, use ½ (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk and 1 full can water instead of the other way around; it’ll be a lighter dish but won’t leave you with an opened can.
2 cups (390 g) medium-grain rice, such as Calrose rice
1 (13.5-ounce/400-ml) can coconut milk
Salt
Put the rice in a sieve and rinse very well under running water. Dump into a 2-quart (2-L) saucepan and add the coconut milk, ½ can (200 ml) of water, and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once to unstick any grains from the bottom of the pan, then cover and cook over the lowest heat for 14 minutes, or until most the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork or spatula and serve.
WITH Mom’s naan
ALSO GOOD WITH lemony seared okra (THIS PAGE) OR bok choy brown basmati rice (THIS PAGE)
Fragrant with coriander and cinnamon, and enriched by coconut milk and fried nuts and sesame seeds, this is a special dish. The pale white sauce is lovely just pureed and spooned over the chicken, but for a more refined dish consider straining it for a velvety smooth mouthfeel.
Fry the nuts and seeds.
Puree the sauce.
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 coins fresh ginger, chopped
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup (about 130 g) nuts, such as whole almonds and/or whole cashews or halves and pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee (this page)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
A few gratings of nutmeg
1 (13.5-ounce/400-g) can coconut milk
Salt
Put the onion, garlic, ginger, and chicken in the slow cooker.
In a skillet or sauté pan, toast the nuts over medium heat, stirring, until just golden, about 3 minutes, then add the oil, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and stir until golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape into the cooker. Pour the coconut milk into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits; bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute to reduce slightly, then pour into the cooker and add ¾ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a serving dish. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce in the cooker. Season with more salt, if needed, then spoon the sauce over the chicken (ladle it through a sieve, if you’d like a smoother sauce) and serve.
Or, rather, my cheater’s version: Mom uses a sourdough starter for hers, but I rarely think far enough ahead for that.
3½ cups (450 g) all-purpose flour, or more, if needed
1 cup (240 ml) warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
½ cup (120 ml) plain Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat)
1½ teaspoons salt
Melted ghee or unsalted butter (optional)
Put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), make a well in the center and add the water, sugar, yeast, oil, and yogurt to the well. Mix with the dough hook (or by hand), adding the salt as you mix. Knead in the mixer on low speed (or by hand on a work surface) for 5 (or 10) minutes, until smooth, adding a little more flour, if needed. Transfer to a work surface and form into a ball. Cut into eight wedges and put the wedges on a floured baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap and set aside at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and put a baking sheet in the oven to heat.
Using a small rolling pin or your hands, on a floured work surface, flatten the wedges into rough triangles about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Working quickly, remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, slap four of the naan triangles onto it (they should just fit), and return the sheet to the oven. Bake until nicely browned and puffed in spots, about 10 minutes, then remove to a bowl, brush with melted ghee if desired, and cover to keep warm while you reheat the baking sheet and shape and bake the remaining naan.
WITH bok choy brown basmati rice
ALSO GOOD WITH quick-cooked shredded collards (THIS PAGE) OR Mom’s naan (THIS PAGE)
You can certainly leave out the kasoori methi, a dried herb that’s available in any Indian grocery store, but it gives this spiced tomato-based sauce such an unusual, fragrant headiness that I’d say it’s well worth seeking out.
Puree the sauce ingredients and load the cooker.
Puree the sauce again.
1 (28-ounce/794-g) can whole tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
3 coins fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons dried kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves)
Salt
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Sliced fresh hot chiles
Lemon wedges
Put the tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, kasoori methi, and a large pinch of salt in the slow cooker. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture; rinse off the blender head but keep it handy for evening use. Nestle the chicken thighs in the tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Puree the sauce again with the immersion blender and season with salt to taste. Return the chicken to the cooker and cover until ready to serve. Serve with chiles and lemon wedges on the side.
1 cup (180 g) brown basmati rice
Salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 coin fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
8 ounces (225 g) bok choy, chopped
Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Dump into a medium saucepan, add a pinch of salt and cold water to cover by about 1 inch (2.5 cm), and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain well in the sieve and rinse under cold running water and drain again. Rinse the pan with cold water to cool it down, then fill it with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) water and put a collapsible steamer basket in the pan. Dump the rice into the steamer basket. Cover and refrigerate.
Transfer the rice pot from the refrigerator to the stovetop. Still covered, bring the water in the bottom to a boil and steam the rice until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large deep sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the ginger and cumin and stir for 30 seconds. Add the bok choy and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the leaves are wilted and the thicker stems are just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Carefully lift the steamer basket of rice from the pan and dump the rice into the bok choy. Turn with a spatula to combine the rice with the bok choy. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Serve.
LEFTOVER KASOORI METHI SAUCE?
If you have 2 cups (480 ml) or more (or if you can supplement whatever you have with a little more tomato puree), use it the next day in a quick stir-fry. In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat a slick of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cut half a block of extra-firm tofu into cubes and add them to the oil in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until nicely browned on the bottom, then turn with a metal spatula and brown one or two other sides. Remove to a plate. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add a little more oil, along with whatever cut-up vegetables you’d like (try diced summer squash and small cauliflower florets) and a pinch of salt; sauté until just tender, then pour in the leftover sauce and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle in some frozen peas and frozen sweet corn, then return the tofu to the pan and heat through. Serve with rice.
WITH cranberry-orange wild rice
ALSO GOOD WITH pan-seared green beans (THIS PAGE) OR garlic braised broccoli rabe (THIS PAGE)
This is a fairly fancy dish that would be wonderful for a Friday-night dinner party. Just a touch of tangy, thick cream, stirred in at the end, gives the flavorful sauce a rich, velvety consistency (a hit with the immersion blender is essential here to smooth out and emulsify the sauce, which will have separated during the day). Spoon it over a mixture of wild rice and brown rice scented with orange and cranberries, and perhaps toss a few cold-weather lettuces in lemon juice and olive oil to serve alongside.
Brown the chicken and shallots and load up the cooker.
Stir the crème fraîche and more dried tarragon into the chicken sauce.
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 pounds (910 g) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 heaping teaspoons dried tarragon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 heaping teaspoon of the tarragon, several pinches of salt, and several grindings of pepper, then add to the pan, folded into little bundles with the smooth side out (the way they’re often packaged in the store) so they fit in the pan. Cook until nicely browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, then use tongs to turn them over and brown the opposite side. Transfer them to the slow cooker, still shaped into their compact bundles.
Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes, then add the brandy (if using) and 1 cup (240 ml) water and stir up any browned bits from the pan. Scrape into the cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken to a bowl (along with some of the shallots). Stir the crème fraîche and remaining 1 heaping teaspoon tarragon into the sauce in the cooker and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the sauce and serve.
¾ cup (135 g) brown rice
¾ cup (130 g) wild rice
Salt
¼ cup (35 g) dried cranberries
Grated zest of ½ orange
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon unsalted butter (optional)
Put the brown and wild rices in a sieve and rinse under running water. Dump into a medium saucepan, add a large pinch of salt and cold water to cover by about 1 inch (2.5 cm), and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain well in the sieve and rinse under cold running water and drain again. Rinse the pan with cold water to cool it down, then fill it with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and put a collapsible steamer basket in the pan. Dump the rice into the steamer basket. Sprinkle the cranberries and orange zest over the rice, cover, and refrigerate.
Transfer the rice pot from the refrigerator to the stovetop. Still covered, bring the water in the bottom to a boil and steam the rice until tender, about 15 minutes. Lift the steamer basket out of the pot and dump the rice into a large bowl, fluffing it with a spoon or rubber spatula and incorporating the cranberries and orange zest. Add salt to taste, a few grindings of pepper, and the butter, if you’d like. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
WITH collard slaw
ALSO GOOD WITH smothered butter beans (THIS PAGE) OR garlic sautéed dandelion greens (THIS PAGE)
This recipe is based on one by my friend Eric Wagoner in Athens, Georgia. Feel free to add a couple of carrots or celery ribs to the broth and discard them with the chicken bones when you pull the meat. I like to use chicken parts with the bone in here because the bones enrich the broth, but if you have it you could use a good chicken or turkey stock (this page) instead of the water and substitute boneless thighs; then you could just shred the meat right in the pot.
Load up the cooker.
Shred the chicken and remove the bones, then stir in the crackers and remaining ingredients.
4 pounds (1.8 kg) chicken thighs, skin pulled off
½ onion, in one piece
1½ sleeves saltines
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons half-and-half
Vinegar-based hot sauce
Put the chicken, onion half, and 2 quarts (2 L) water in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl and discard the onion half. When the chicken is just cool enough to handle (or wear kitchen gloves or use tongs to work with the chicken while it’s hot), pull out and discard the bones and any large pieces of fat and gristle. Coarsely shred the meat and return it to the broth in the cooker. Crumble in the crackers and stir in the cracked pepper, butter, and half-and-half. You shouldn’t have to add any salt. Serve with hot sauce and more cracked pepper.
Juice of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups (170 g) finely shredded collard greens (any stems or ribs thicker than a pencil removed)
1 carrot, grated
Crushed red pepper
In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, and oil. Pile in the collards and carrot and toss with your hands to coat with the dressing, massaging the greens and carrot a bit to soften them. Season with crushed red pepper. Cover and refrigerate if doing this in the morning, or serve right away.
WITH fancy saffron-butter basmati rice
ALSO GOOD WITH cumin spiced millet (THIS PAGE) OR almond couscous (THIS PAGE)
I’ve lost track of this dish’s origin story—Was I thinking Persian when I first made this? Indian? Moroccan?—but it’s shown up frequently on our table in the last year or so, for the best reasons: My family loves it, it’s fairly unfussy, and it requires only a couple of fresh ingredients (chicken, dill).
You can certainly use boneless, skinless chicken thighs here instead of whole ones—use about 2 pounds (910 g) or a little more. And if you prefer a sweeter complement to the turmeric chicken, use golden raisins or diced dried apricots, figs, or dates in place of the sour cherries—they’ll all be great.
Brown the chicken. If you have time, caramelize the onions.
Fold in the onions and dill.
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds (1.4 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin and fat
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup (35 g) dried sour cherries
2 sweet onions, diced
½ cup (25 g) chopped fresh dill, including tender stems
In a cup, combine the paprika, turmeric, 1½ teaspoons salt, and several grindings of pepper. Put the chicken in the slow cooker and toss it with the spice mixture to coat. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the skin is nicely browned and has rendered a good deal of fat, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the thighs to the slow cooker, nestling them in the pot skin side up. Pour the fat from the skillet, then pour ½ cup (120 ml) water into the hot skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Pour into the cooker around the thighs. Scatter the cherries over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
To the chicken-browning pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and place over medium heat. Add the onions and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat and/or adding a splash of water, if needed, to keep the onions from sticking and burning, until they are nicely browned and very soft, about 20 minutes. If doing this in the morning, scrape into a container, cover, and refrigerate.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl, then fold the onions and dill into the sauce in the cooker, season with salt and pepper, if needed, then return the chicken to the sauce and heat through. Serve.
Make flatbread sandwiches: Warm pitas or large flour tortillas or any similar flatbread on a griddle or in the oven. Dollop creamy herb dressing (this page) down the center of each, top with shreds of the chicken (I like it best cold from the fridge, but you could warm it up if you prefer), thinly sliced cucumber and tomato, and a handful of lettuce, roll up, and serve, perhaps with roasted potatoes (this page) or warmed-up saffron-butter rice if you have any left.
2 cups (360 g) basmati rice
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of saffron
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (60 ml) plain Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat)
1 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh mint (optional)
Rinse the rice very well in a sieve under running water. Dump into a 3-quart (3-L) saucepan and add 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover the rice by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to keep grains from sticking to the pan; lower the heat and simmer briskly for 10 minutes.
Put the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the saffron, and 2 tablespoons of the butter (cut into pieces) in a heatproof bowl. When the rice has simmered for 10 minutes, ladle ¼ cup (60 ml) of the hot cooking water into the saffron-butter bowl. Drain the rice in the sieve and cool under running water. Set aside over the cooled saucepan, covered with the pan lid, in the refrigerator if doing this in the morning.
With a fork or whisk, stir the yogurt into the saffron butter, whisking until smooth. In the saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, swirling the pan to coat the bottom and partway up the sides. Gently spoon in the parboiled rice, letting it mound up in the center in a cone shape, then drizzle the saffron butter–yogurt mixture evenly all over the rice. Cover the saucepan, with a clean kitchen towel underneath the lid and its corners folded over the top, and continue to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Wet a towel and lay it out on a heatproof surface. Move the hot pan to the towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff, and spoon out the rice, dislodging the crusty bottom layer (the tahdig) and equitably distributing the pieces. If you’d like, sprinkle with the mint. Serve.
WITH garlic- and tomato-rubbed grilled bread
ALSO GOOD WITH crusty rolls (THIS PAGE) OR simple garlic spinach (THIS PAGE)
I went on a Spanish food kick when our local grocery store had a brilliant couple-of-months-long promotion of imported Spanish foods. (I might have gone a little overboard when, at the end of the event, all the pantry items were marked down by like 95 percent.) This simple dish, flavored mostly by funky cured chorizo, was one result. It’s great with a cut-up rabbit, incidentally, but rabbit can’t go the full eight hours without toughening a bit, so maybe save that variation for a weekend dinner.
Briefly cook the chorizo and brown the chicken.
Sauté the peppers and garlic.
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces (115 g) Spanish chorizo picante, cut into ½-inch (12-mm) pieces
3 pounds (1.4 kg) well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (120 ml) red wine
1 (14.5-ounce/411-g) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 Cubanelle or other mild but not too sweet peppers (about 12 ounces/340 g), cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until it’s rendered some of its fat, about 2 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the slow cooker.
To the skillet, add half of the chicken and sprinkle with salt and several grindings of pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to the cooker, season and brown the rest of the chicken, and transfer it to the cooker too; try to tuck the chicken in snugly so the thighs hold their shape as they cook. Pour the wine into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits, boil for about 3 minutes to reduce it, then pour into the cooker. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
In a large skillet (the one you used for browning is fine), heat the 1 tablespoon oil over mediumhigh heat. When it shimmers, add the peppers and garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until just softened and nicely browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir into the chicken in the cooker. Add salt and pepper, if needed, then serve.
NEVER MEASURE TABLESPOONS OF OIL
Put olive and vegetable oils in a squeeze bottle with a fine tip or in a cleaned wine bottle with a liquor-pouring spout, which you can find at supermarkets or liquor stores. The first time you use the oil, measure out a tablespoon (into an actual measuring spoon) while counting seconds. Next time, just squeeze or pour out the oil directly into the pan or bowl for the appropriate number of seconds. (In my case it’s four seconds per tablespoon.)
NEVER PEEL GARLIC—WELL, OKAY, RARELY PEEL GARLIC
When you have a few extra minutes, peel a head of garlic all at one time, then put the peeled cloves in an airtight container or freezer bag and stash them in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator, where they’ll keep for a couple of weeks. This will save so much time and hassle when all you need is a clove or two at a time. Saveur posted a video online showing how to peel a whole head of garlic (I do two heads at a time) in less than ten seconds, and I’ve been using this method ever since. Tap the top of the head with a heavy pan to separate the cloves, sweep everything into a bowl, turn an identical bowl over the first to make a lid, hold the bowls together tightly, and shake the garlic up and down in the bowls vigorously for fifteen to thirty seconds. Uncover and pick out the peeled cloves.
6 thick slices crusty, holey bread (ciabatta works well here)
Olive oil
Salt
1 large clove garlic, cut in half
½ small tomato
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. When a drop of water on the surface evaporates almost immediately, it’s hot enough. Brush the bread slices on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on the grill pan and cook, pressing down on them with a spatula to ensure maximum surface contact, until dark grill marks show up, 2 to 3 minutes; flip and brown the other side.
Skewer the garlic halves with a fork and rub the cut sides all over the surface of the bread, then rub with the cut tomato. Serve.
WITH butter-roasted mixed potatoes
ALSO GOOD WITH basil zucchini (THIS PAGE) OR celery, spinach, and Parmesan salad (THIS PAGE)
Turkey breast is not something I often reach for when considering a slow cooker meal, because it can dry out over the long cooking time, but if you add enough—a lot of—herb butter it stays fairly juicy and makes a great basis for a simple meal. And it’s even better as leftovers.
Debone the turkey, make the herb butter, and spread it over the turkey in the cooker.
Slice or pull the turkey.
1 whole turkey breast, the two breast halves cut off the bone (see Note)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 large sprig fresh basil, stemmed, leaves torn into pieces
Put the deboned turkey breast halves in the slow cooker (nestle them in snugly) and pour ¼ cup (60 ml) water into the cooker around them.
In a bowl, mash the butter together with the basil and ½ tea-spoon salt and several grindings of pepper. Spread the butter all over the tops of the breast halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon or two sturdy spatulas, transfer the turkey to a carving board and thickly slice or pull the meat into serving-size pieces. Spoon some of the liquid from the cooker over the meat and serve.
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1½-inch (4-cm) chunks
1 sweet potato, cut into 1½-inch (4-cm) chunks
3 tablespoons melted herb butter, skimmed from the surface of the liquid in the turkey pot or made fresh
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat.
In a large bowl, toss the Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes with the butter and a couple of pinches of salt and grindings of pepper. Spread in a single layer on the hot baking sheet and roast until nicely browned on the bottoms and tender throughout, about 15 minutes. Serve.
NOTE: Save the bones to make a wonderful turkey stock (this page) in a large slow cooker.
You almost certainly don’t need any instructions for open-faced broiled turkey sandwiches, but: crusty bread, spicy mustard or a chunky schmear of Branston pickle, drizzle of butter from the turkey, pile of pulled turkey, shredded Jack or sliced brie or other melty cheese, black pepper. Put on a baking sheet and broil until heated through, melted, and crusty, about 5 minutes. Serve with a simple green salad.
WITH lemon kale
ALSO GOOD WITH garlic braised broccoli rabe (THIS PAGE) OR crusty rolls (THIS PAGE)
Confit—duck cooked very slowly in its own fat (or in this case in whatever fats you can scrounge together to cover the legs)—can be used in so many ways, but I’ve always loved it with fragrant leeks and creamy white beans. You’ll have some duck left over to experiment with: Try some in a simple pasta dish with lots of herbs and a touch of stock and cream, or shred it and mix with the rendered fat and more salt and pepper to make rillettes to spread on toasts as an appetizer.
Load up the cooker to make the confit.
Sauté the leeks and beans, and pull the confit from the bones (saving half of it in the refrigerator, covered in fat, for another use).
3 pounds (1.4 kg) duck leg quarters (thigh and drumstick together; about 6 quarters)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Big handful fresh thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
1½ cups (360 ml) fat, such as duck fat, schmaltz (this page), or olive oil, or a combination
1 large or 2 small leeks, white and light green parts only
1 clove garlic
½ cup (120 ml) white or rosé wine
About ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock (this page) or water
2 (14- to 15-ounce/400- to 430-g) cans white beans, drained and rinsed, or about 3 cups cooked and drained white beans (this page)
3 tablespoons oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and torn
Put the duck legs in the slow cooker and season with 1½ teaspoons salt and several grindings of pepper. Nestle them into the cooker in two layers, tucking in the thyme sprigs. Pour or dollop the fat over everything. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Cut the leek in half lengthwise and rinse well under running water, fanning the layers to get all the sand out from between them. Cut crosswise into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices. Thinly slice the garlic. Put the leeks and garlic in a container and refrigerate if doing this in the morning.
Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove half of the duck from the fat in the cooker and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large deep skillet or sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the fat from the cooker over medium-high heat. When it starts to sputter, add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are tender and beginning to stick to the skillet, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, then add the stock, beans, and sun-dried tomatoes, lower the heat to medium, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Pull the meat from the duck bones in bite-size pieces, discarding the bones and skin; you should have about 1¼ cups (175 g) meat from half of the legs. Add it to the beans, season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and add a little more stock or water if the pan seems too dry. Cook to just heat through, then transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves, and serve.
When you have a moment after supper, pull the meat from the remaining duck legs and put it in a container. Cover with fat skimmed from the liquid in the cooker, put the lid on, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
1 large bunch (about 12 ounces/340 g) kale
Salt
Grated zest of ½ small lemon
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 small clove garlic (optional)
Good pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Wash the kale and pull or cut out any stems or ribs thicker than a pencil. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and use your hand to massage it into the kale. Add the lemon zest and juice, finely grate in the garlic, if using, and add the crushed red pepper and oil. Toss to combine, cover, and refrigerate until evening.
