httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j_YHAjBS4k
I love crock pot cooking and, every chance I can, I haul it out and try something new.
Over the years, I’ve made the following (listed along with my verdicts):
Ribs:
Didn’t like how they turned out: more like boiled meat (which some may like – hint, hint, the evil editor probably does [Evil editor confirms that “boiled” isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if done with a delicate touch and patience]).
Chicken wings:
Also didn’t like how they turned out: more like boiled chicken in sauce (I like my wings saucy but crispy).
Baked beans:
Liked them in the crock pot. They turned out really well (hmm, must do this again sometime and have the evil editor give her opinion [Evil editor loves it when Brian cooks things on the spur of the moment that I then get to sample!]).
Chili:
Oh, this one is terrific in a crock pot, so I’ve made a few batches with great results (will have to also do this one and have Her Evilness try it – though I think I did that already [Her Evilness counters that I wasn’t applying my current exacting judging processes; besides I love these little treats.]).
Heated meatballs in Diana sauce:
Oi, do I have a story about this one. [Her Evilness is all ears.] I put some Swedish meatballs along with my favorite Diana sauce in the crock pot, set it for 8 hours and left for work. So … guess what I returned to once I got home??? A blackened mess (yuck). I ruined the whole thing by not having enough sauce (plus I don’t think you should be leaving them in the pot all day, so that’ll learn me). The worst of it was – and I am VERY ashamed to admit this – that, instead of throwing them out, I tried flushing them down the toilet (don’t ask me why; to this day, I cannot remember why I would do this). Of course, the stupid things got stuck, so I bought a plunger which did not work. Then I bought this contraption that shoots air down the toilet (that also didn’t work), bought an auger, also to no avail, as I made these attempts over several weeks. [Evil editor’s silly though practical observation: Brian can always lend out his plumbing implements!] So, finally, I talked to the superintendent who came and fixed it (I didn’t tell him what I’d done, but I am admitting this now – plus it was YEARS ago). I’d like to think I’m a wee bit smarter now … (perhaps not, but I sure hope so). [Her Evilness is cackling away with tears in my eyes, because Brian’s true confession just broke me up! Oh, Brian.]
From the results, I believe the best kinds of dishes for crock pot cooking would be stew-type recipes (unless someone has a great recipe they’d like me to try to prove me wrong).
Anyhoo, there is a crock pot recipe in the book, namely a variation on French Pot Roast (ahh, see, another stew-type dish). But, knowing that I could not possibly do this during our regular time period (even though I did reduce it down to 10 minutes – so how’s that for compression), I decided to cook it on a weekend and have Helenka try it out and give me her thoughts.
I did have difficulty finding frozen pearl onions, so I bought some in a bottle, drained and then froze them. I also added cipollini onions which were great. One thing I slipped on was adding the peas a wee bit too soon, though the results were still great, so really not a problem.
Well, as you can see, good cooking takes time both in years of practice and patience, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes you discover something new, other times you learn the hard way what not to do again. I still make mistakes but that’s all part of learning.
Till next week,
Enjoy!
B&H =:)
Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook; however, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us!
Review: French Pot Roast
Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)
Brian definitely loves to surprise me and he certainly did again, right after the Salmon and Asparagus episode. I gleefully accepted a very large container of his French Pot Roast that he’d made in his slow cooker, from the recipe on Page 250 in The Book. I will admit I have absolutely NO experience using slow cookers. When I’d looked at the possibility of acquiring one, I reconsidered and chose appliances more appropriate for my lifestyle: an electric fondue, skillet, bbq grill, carving knife and warming tray. My, I do love me some electrics! But only under candlelight, of course.
I’d decided to share the leftover eating experience (and post-eating observations) with my very good friend and neighbour, John (also my chosen brother). He has a philosophy of life that embraces both slow cooking without shortcuts and the use of natural, preferably organic, ingredients.
When I arrived at his doorstep, John’s oven was already preset to 360 degrees (gotta love a digital oven where heat is adjustable in 5 degree increments). When I emptied the contents of the plastic container into the small covered casserole, I was surprised to see a white mashed layer on the bottom. Was it potatoes? Was it cauliflower? Because I had already asked John to boil some (Yukon Gold) potatoes, he went ahead with that task. When the potatoes were mashed and the casserole removed from the oven after 30 minutes, we sat down to eat, pouring a spectacular mound of stew over the mashed potatoes, also enjoying the bottle of White Merlot that I’d brought along with me. And, yes, the white layer was mashed potatoes, though it could have been mashed cauliflower to reduce the caloric count (perhaps Brian might consider making that non-traditional substitution the next time).
So … the evaluation. When I brought the dish home originally, I’d stuck a fork in and pulled out two juicy button mushrooms. And then I got lucky, snagging a piece of meat. Very, very tender. I could also smell and taste the red wine in the sauce.
When John and I dug in, he couldn’t smell or taste the wine, but I definitely could. Perhaps it’s because I’m accustomed to cooking with wine (less often with red, though I’ve managed to make some excellent red wine recipes such as lamb shoulder chops, coq au vin, chicken cacciatore and even gazpacho over the last four decades).
I don’t know how long Brian cooked the stew or at what point he’d added the other ingredients, because the pearl onions were perfectly crunchy while the full-sized peas weren’t even mushy. It was a mystery. But everything tasted wonderful andI didn’t even miss my salt and pepper grinders which I’d forgotten anyway.
Now, speaking about pepper (instead of salt, for a change), I believe I’ve discovered one of the secrets to my palate. It is said that people can distinguish five distinct tastes: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and savoury (I couldn’t remember bitter, so just checked with Wiki). As much as I enjoy an occasional piece of cake (such as Brian’s out-of-this-world Stargate-themed birthday pyramid) or my unique personal weakness (ice cream), I actually do not appreciate sweet tastes. In fact, there are foods in Japanese cuisine that I simply cannot tolerate in my mouth (many of which are sweetened with powerful adzuki bean paste). So, please excuse me if I pass on the sweet, sticky rice; but do hand me some more uni (raw sea urchin).
You’ve read (and seen me moaning) about how much I appreciate the taste of freshly ground pepper where one would normally not consider it more integral than any other flavouring agent to the finished taste of the dish. And, yet, it appears I’ve learned to pounce on the taste of pepper immediately and to see what role it plays in the overall outcome.
In this case, I’m sure that Brian flavoured the ingredients at the start with salt and pepper. Yet the stew didn’t taste salty. It just tasted terrific. However, when I bit into a pearl onion, I was startled to discover that the pepper had bound itself to the outer layer. And it worked, adding different elements of unexpected tastes within a dish that is considered to be a classic standard.
The verdict is that Brian is welcome to make his version of this dish for us any time. Her Evilness may even resort to begging!
Variations
Brian finally revealed to me why the onions tasted so fabulous. As already described above, he used both pickled pearl onions (which I would have never guessed) and cipollini (also spelled cipolline in some sources). But, really, for once, don’t look to me to provide variations. This was a classic French recipe and, except for the unique substitutions that Brian made, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Cooking time (duration): 300
Diet (other): High protein
Number of servings (yield): 6
Meal type: dinner
Culinary tradition: French