Former kitchen staple now mostly ignored in favor of trendy multifunctional appliance
Slow cookers are the middle children of the culinary world.
First, there was the reliable Dutch oven, which, in its earliest form, dates back to colonial times. The original slow cooker, the Crock-Pot, came along in the 1970s and became quite popular: 83 percent of American households owned a slow cooker in 2011, according to Consumer Reports. In today’s world of instant gratification — when almost anything you want is available at the press of a smartphone button — it’s all about the Instant Pot, a multifunctional pressure cooker.
The solitary slow cooker still has its fans, though. (We’re guessing that viewers of the TV show “This Is Us” probably aren’t among them.) One is James Beard award-winning chef Hugh Acheson.
“What a slow cooker does is actually really important in our modern world: It gives you time. Time to walk away from the kitchen — sometimes for an hour, and sometimes for eight. What you do with that time is up to you, but I suggest doing those things that mean a lot to you,” writes Acheson in “The Chef and the Slow Cooker.”
So, dive into the back of your closet and rescue your appliance from obscurity, and predictability. We have slow cooker recipes that are not for chili, soup, baked beans or pot roast, some of the most common foods made in this appliance.
If you now have an Instant Pot, no worries. This is the perfect opportunity for you to use its slow cooker option. And reclaim some time for yourself.
Shrimp Pico
“I had a version of this dish at a restaurant in Rockport, a town on the Texas coast. I vividly remember the plump Texas shrimp sauteed with all the wonderful flavors of pico de gallo. Here’s my slow-cooker take on the dish.” Makes 4 servings.
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (10-ounce) can Mexican-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, diced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
Cooked white rice, for serving
1. Combine shrimp, tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, 1 cup of cilantro, jalapeno (if using), salt and pepper in slow cooker and stir until well combined.
2. Cover and cook on low for 21/2 hours. Stir in lime juice, garnish with remaining cilantro, and serve warm with rice.
— From “The Tex-Mex Slow Cooker: 100 Delicious Recipes for Easy Everyday Meals” by Vianney Rodriguez (Countryman Press, 208 pp., $ 24.95)
Red Wine-Poached Pears with Almonds and Whipped Ricotta
“Buy pears that are a touch on the firm side, and they will cook down to a yielding, tender bite, fully infused with the wine and aromatics.” Makes 6 servings.
Did you know you can use your slow cooker to make dessert? Try this red wine-poached pears with almonds and whipped ricotta from “The Chef and the Slow Cooker” by Hugh Acheson. (Andrew Thomas Lee)4 cups (1 1/3 bottles) good-quality red wine
1 cup sugar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 star anise pods
1 strip lemon zest, plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 strip orange zest
6 slightly unripe Anjou pears
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
1/4 cup clover honey
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup ground blanched almonds
1. Preheat an at-least-4-quart slow cooker on high setting for at least 15 minutes. In medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water with wine, sugar, rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, star anise pods, and strips of lemon and orange zest. Heat to just below a boil, and then transfer to slow cooker.
2. Peel pears. Using melon baller or very small spoon, carve out cores of pears from bottom, keeping the pears whole. Place peeled and cored pears in slow cooker, stems up, cover with lid, and cook for 2 hours on high setting.
3. Remove pears from cooker and let them cool. Strain poaching liquid into a pot and reduce liquid over high heat until 1/2 cup of syrup remains, about 15 minutes.
4. Place ricotta in food processor fitted with steel blade. With processor running, drizzle in honey and grated lemon zest. Then thin mixture with milk.
5. Divide ricotta among 6 dessert plates or shallow bowls, and nestle a poached pear in ricotta on each plate. Shower with almonds and drizzle with some of reduced poaching liquid. Serve.
— From “The Chef and the Slow Cooker” by Hugh Acheson (Clarkson Potter, 256 pp., $ 29.99)
Slow Cooker Chinese Bolognese
“It’s similar to Italian bolognese, but with a peppy Asian kick. Chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, coriander, garlic and beef short ribs are slowly cooked to make a luxurious sauce. Top it with noodles for an easy-to-repeat addition to your dinner repertoire.” Makes 4 servings.
This Chinese bolognese, a fusion of Italian and Asian cooking, is from “Modern Comfort Cooking” by Lauren Grier. (Lauren Grier)2 cups low sodium beef stock
4 teaspoons white miso
4 teaspoons Sriracha, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons hoisin
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon clarified butter
8 beef short ribs
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
11/2 teaspoons ground pepper, divided
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
14 ounces soba or udon noodles
Scallions, sliced, for garnish
1. In medium bowl, combine beef stock, miso, Sriracha, hoisin, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and toasted sesame oil.
2. In large skillet preheated to medium-high heat, add clarified butter, short ribs, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. Sear short ribs for about 3 minutes, flip and season the other side with another 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. Sear short ribs for another 2 minutes and then remove ribs from skillet and set them into bottom of slow cooker.
3. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of excess fat. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Saute veggies until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add veggies to slow cooker, followed by sauce. Set slow cooker to high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, checking halfway through cooking process that there is enough liquid. If not, add more beef stock, as needed.
4. Prepare your noodles according to the package instructions. Once noodles have cooked, divide them among four bowls. Remove short ribs from slow cooker and place on cutting board. Discard bone and roughly chop the beef. Ladle some of the bolognese over top of noodles followed by chopped beef. Garnish with scallions and more Sriracha.
— From “Modern Comfort Cooking: Feel-Good Favorites Made Fresh and New” by Lauren Grier (Page Street Publishing, 192 pp., $ 21.99)