Nothing is more comforting than slowly simmering food whether cooked in the oven, on the top of the stove, or in a slow cooker. Chef Antony Worrall Thompson offers 100 recipes that are sophisticated without calling for unfamiliar ingredients, and are gleaned from savory slow-cooked dishes around the globe. There are aromatic stews, roasts, curries, tagines, braises, bakes, and stews. Chef Thompson states his purpose in the introduction: "...there are chefs intent on removing the spectacle of science from their food, and emphasizing instead the origins of their ingredients. I definitely belong to the second school. My 'playground' days have long gone; now I want flavor and substance. And that's what slow cooking and the slow cooker deliver."
Chef Thompson starts with a section that tells the reader all they need to know about the slow cooker: Choosing; Preheating; Cooking times and temperatures; Preparing ingredients; Pasta, Rice and Noodles; Cooking; Safety; and Care of the Slow Cooker.
Once armed, it's time to plunge into the recipes that turn the slow cooker from a utile machine into a source of sophistication. The slow cooker has grown up. There are icons on top of each recipe that indicate prep time, cooking time, whether the recipe is for oven, stovetop or slow cooker, as well as the setting for the slow cooker. Many can be used in more than one method.
And what delicious recipes these are. Try a Pot Roast Chicken; Chili Beans with Chorizo and Tomato and Fruity Sausage; Italian Leek Stew; A Stew of Fish in a Saffron Broth; Chickpea and Vegetable Curry; Stewed Artichoke Tagine; Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Rice Pilaf; Caramelized Spareribs with Bourbon and Ginger. Enjoy a sweet dessert with recipes such as Baked Chocolate Custard Cups; Baked Fruit and Nut Apples; Baked Lebanese Fruit with Melting Blue Cheese Chocolate-baked Cheesecake with a Brownie Twist.
We welcome the slow cooker to the adult world of find cuisine.
There are photographs throughout by Elizabeth Zeschin.
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