Be forewarned: This is not necessarily the slow cooker book for which you are looking. These are recipes for those who love slow-cooked foods, but want the convenience of stepping away from the kitchen when they need/want to. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience here, but it is not suited for everyone's lifestyles, commitments and time constraints.
Do you normally work ten-hour days, with an hour commute-home? Needing to put a healthy meal on the table soon after you walk back in the door, so your kids can grab a bite before heading out to some school activity? Looking for recipes that allow you to work quietly in the darkness before dawn, plopping ingredients in the pot with one hand while you are brushing your teeth with the other? (I've been there, done that for way too many years, so I know.) If that is your situation, this is NOT the cookbook you are looking for. The slow cooker is a "convenience" appliance, but these recipes are not for the kind of convenience described above.
These recipes are not necessarily streamlined. If you are extremely pressed for time, these recipes might very well look daunting, and you should probably pass this one by....Or, better yet, put it on your wish list for a future, slower time in your life. Or, even better, think of someone who loves, loves, loves slow-cooked food and still needs (or wants) to cut a few acres of grass, or loves the outdoors and spends hours in the garden or with the chickens or in the orchard or pecan grove. You get the idea. This is an ideal cookbook for someone who knows about and wants the flavors of slow cooked meals, but has hobbies or obligations or practices that take up hours during the day.
This is a cookbook for those who want to slow cook, but want or need to step out of the kitchen for a few hours here and there. These recipes use "convenience" in a different way. And I love it! They are not complicated recipes and do use familiar ingredients. (I mention this because the author is a very knowledgeable chef, and you know how their cookbooks can sometimes be a more than a bit hoity-toity.)
I have marked so many of these recipes! But what really stands out--for me and what and how I cook--are his slow-cook/slow-braised seafood, bean, and veggie dishes:
--The Catfish Stew is worth the price of the book. (To be honest, I do have a LOT of catfish in my freezer.....)
--Grits--in a slow cooker!
--Butter Bean Minestrone--with a broth-y-ness that is light and thin-ish, despite the dried butter beans. (Tried it; recipe worked; it was tasty)
--Slow-cooked green beans, a four-hour cook time. And slow-cooked collard greens with a five to seven hour cook time. (Tried it; recipe worked; it was tasty)
--Tomato Confit is a major keeper--using plum tomatoes! (Tried it; recipe worked; it was tasty)
--Buttere -Braised Cabbage is another major keeper and so easy to get underway, and let it ride for the afternoon. (Tried it; recipe worked; it was tasty)
--There is a Southern Shrimp Pilau that I want to try.
--And there is a gumbo that I attempted, gave up on, and went back to my old way of doing it. Stubborn, maybe. But you may have a more open mind.
--The poached fish recipes are keepers: Cod in a vermouth broth, and a halibut in a sherry and pimento broth.
--Definitely want to try the lima bean, sausage, calamari stew.
--I am looking forward to using beef cheeks for something other than my usual barbacoa. This one is more like a pot roast, but with a parsnip puree and apple slaw.
And stocks--managed with complete abandonment--are cornerstones. If you do not have one already, you will be wanting to buy an upright freezer for your garage, to stash your goodness. So little work; just a slice of your food budget.
Each recipe suggests a cooker capacity, oftentimes four quarts, but on up to six-plus quarts. Cooking time range from a few hours up to "leave it on as long as you need to".
Plenty of pictures--at least one for every dish. Page layout and type style and size are easy on the eyes. Some fun, vintage-looking artwork, too.
If you have a recent slow cooker that allows for sautéing in the pan, plus gives a simmer setting below the low setting, (check out the Cuisinart cookers), a lot of these recipes will be even easier for you.
I'm happy to have this book on my library shelves. So glad I picked it up. It will be a lot of fun and adventure this Fall/Winter season 2017-2018.
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From the Publisher
Pho with Chuck & Rib Eye
The chuck that we used in the making of the pho broth is essential to this Vietnamese classic. To serve four, you will use only about half of the broth you made. But if you like a meaty pho as much as I do, go ahead and use all that chuck. This is such a great dish for a cold day, and the house will smell wonderful.
Recipe (serves 4)
1. Pour the broth into a pot and heat it just below a boil; keep it at that heat.
2. At the same time, fill another large pot with 4 quarts of water and bring it to a rolling boil.
3. Thinly slice the rib eye against the grain and divide the slices into 4 portions. Slice the cooked chuck and divide it into 4 portions.
4. Drop the soaked noodles into the boiling water, let them cook for 30 seconds, then drain well. In a bowl, toss the noodles with the sesame oil. Set aside.
5. Divide the rib eye and chuck among 4 soup bowls. (The hot broth will cook the rib eye and warm the chuck.) Evenly distribute the rice noodles, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, and basil over the meat. Pour in the hot broth (the amount to your liking), then finish with a squeeze of half a lime over each serving. Serve with the hoisin and Sriracha alongside.
Ingredients
- 1½ Quarts Pho Broth (page 30)
- ½ Pound beef rib eye (preferably rib eye cap)
- Chilled cooked chuck from the Pho Broth recipe
- 1 Pound rice stick noodles, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, then drained
- 1 Teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 Cups bean sprouts
- 1 Cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 Cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 Cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 Limes, cut in half
- Hoisin sauce, to taste
- Sriracha, to taste
Slow Cooker Chicken Broth.
Cowboy Beans.
Whole Chicken with Vinegar, Carrots, Shallots, Raisins & Mint.
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In love.
I have been a fan of my slow cooker for years. And I’ve been a fan of Hugh Acheson for the last 4 hours. I preordered this solely based on my Georgia residence and my desire to find new slow cooker recipes. 6 months later it arrived and my first foray was the lentil soup. Yes, it took a mild amount of effort, I had to pull out a pan. But the end product is *kisses finger tips* perfect.I’m in love.I’ve texted racy pics of lentil soup to everyone I care about.I’ve made promises to make oxtail and barley stew for all my friends.I’m planning my trip to Athens to worship at the alter.
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2017
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