One of my daughters first words was cooker.
She soon graduated to Dat your cooker, Mommy?
I knew slow-cookers were good for braising meat, and I figured that was about it.
Andrew Purcell
I started tinkering with ways to make slow-cooker cooking more delicious and more foolproof and I havent stopped since.
Here are some of the easiest, best ways to get the most out of your slow-cooker.
In most stovetop cooking, those ingredients get sauteed in oil before you proceed with the dish.
Andrew Purcell
Think about even the most basic chicken soup, for instance: You always start by sauteing an onion.
And a raw onion can swamp a dish with moisture.
Recipe:Shakshuka with Feta and Olives.
Andrew Purcell
Brown the onion first and then toast the spices quickly before putting it all in the slow-cooker.
But that doesnt mean youre stuck with pulled pork five nights a week.
Chicken breast cooked this way is velvety, juicy, and dense.
Andrew Purcell
I like to infuse olive oil with garlic and herbs all day long on the warm heat setting.
Come home, slip some fish into the cooker, and 10 minutes later, dinners done.
The infused oil can be mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice for an instant sauce.
Andrew Purcell
Slow-cooker manufacturers will tell you to never, ever cook with the lid open.
Recipe:Winter Tomato Sauce.
Older slow-cookers have warm, low, and high configs that you have to toggle on manually.
But I found that when I cooked steel-cut oats for that long on low, sometimes the edges burned.
I had the same problem with stratas (savory bread puddings).
There’s an apple spice overnight oatmeal recipe in the book that does exactly this.
If you want it sooner, you could simply cook it for four hours on low.
Slow-cooking mellows the flavors of ingredients.
That can be greatthink of the sweetness of roasted garlic versus the bite of fresh garlic, for instance.
First, think of the flavor profile of what youre cooking.
Is it lemony and herby?
Is it garlicky and spicy?
Add a pinch of crushed chile and some grated garlic just warmed in olive oil.
Mellow is great, and theres a real depth of flavor that comes from a long, gentle simmer.
Slow-cookers work with a moist, low heat, and that moisture means that nothing gets crisp.
Theres an easy fix: The broiler.
Recipe:Miso-Butter Roast Chicken and Potatoes.
Whole grains are especially great in the slow-cooker.
Now you have perfectly steamed farro for grain bowls all week long!
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