And Now, Cooking for the Inexperienced
Jul. 22nd, 2003 01:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
omorkaDid I mention that the MIL randomly got us a crockery slow-cooker?
I've been avoiding getting one of these things for practically forever, on the grounds that anything that can be done in one can be done in the oven on low heat or on the stovetop at a slow simmer. It turns out that, while this is true, it's irrelevant; the slow-cooker really is just convenient in its own right. IT's also damn near foolproof.
I've made a habit of collecting recipes for the college student - that is, for someone who doesn't have much money, isn't a very experienced cook, and is more concerned with ease and swiftness than with exact fat and calorie content (although most of the recipes aren't particularly high-fat, either; they just don't go to great pains to cut out every possible fat molecule). The slow-cooker recipe I tried last night was a smashing success, and fits in the category quite well.
So herewith, Slow-Cooker Stewed Chicken:
1 fresh chicken (3 to 3 1/2 lb.)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
2 ribs celery, washed and sliced
2 red or gold boiling potatoes, diced (or 1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced)
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 small sprig of fresh rosemary (or 1/4 t dried rosemary leaves)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth, white wine, or water
Layer the vegetables in the bottom of the cooker crock. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stem (if you're using the fresh) and scatter the leaves over the vegetables. Remove the chicken from the packaging, remove the neck and giblets (if included) and discard, rinse the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Make sure you can put the lid on solidly over the chicken; if it sticks up too far, remove the chicken, push the vegetables up the sides of the pot, and replace the chicken so it sits further down. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, drizzle the liquid over all, replace the lid, and set the cooker on low. Cook for 8-9 hours. (Or, use 1 cup liquid and cook on high for 5 hours.)
As a bonus, once this is cooked, you get not only the stewed chicken and the veggies, but you also get about 2 cups of really good chicken broth.
I've been avoiding getting one of these things for practically forever, on the grounds that anything that can be done in one can be done in the oven on low heat or on the stovetop at a slow simmer. It turns out that, while this is true, it's irrelevant; the slow-cooker really is just convenient in its own right. IT's also damn near foolproof.
I've made a habit of collecting recipes for the college student - that is, for someone who doesn't have much money, isn't a very experienced cook, and is more concerned with ease and swiftness than with exact fat and calorie content (although most of the recipes aren't particularly high-fat, either; they just don't go to great pains to cut out every possible fat molecule). The slow-cooker recipe I tried last night was a smashing success, and fits in the category quite well.
So herewith, Slow-Cooker Stewed Chicken:
1 fresh chicken (3 to 3 1/2 lb.)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
2 ribs celery, washed and sliced
2 red or gold boiling potatoes, diced (or 1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced)
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 small sprig of fresh rosemary (or 1/4 t dried rosemary leaves)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth, white wine, or water
Layer the vegetables in the bottom of the cooker crock. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stem (if you're using the fresh) and scatter the leaves over the vegetables. Remove the chicken from the packaging, remove the neck and giblets (if included) and discard, rinse the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Make sure you can put the lid on solidly over the chicken; if it sticks up too far, remove the chicken, push the vegetables up the sides of the pot, and replace the chicken so it sits further down. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, drizzle the liquid over all, replace the lid, and set the cooker on low. Cook for 8-9 hours. (Or, use 1 cup liquid and cook on high for 5 hours.)
As a bonus, once this is cooked, you get not only the stewed chicken and the veggies, but you also get about 2 cups of really good chicken broth.
