French Slow Cooking on Friday 1/27

The French Slow Cooker – recipes for WPR's "Here On Earth," January 27

For all these recipes, you will need a slow cooker with at least a 5-quart capacity (“large slow cooker”). If you have a smaller slow cooker, you may need to cut the recipe in half and reduce cooking time.

Thanks to author Michele Scicolone, for giving us permission to post these recipes before her interview. I hope you enjoy cooking and sharing comfort food with a bit of French flair...be sure to call in with your comments next week!

The French Slow Cooker – recipes for January 27

Recipes by Michele Scicolone. You can find these and more in her new cookbook “The French Slow Cooker.”

For all these recipes, you will need a slow cooker with at least a 5-quart capacity (“large slow cooker”). If you have a smaller slow cooker, you may need to cut the recipe in half and reduce cooking time.

Spinach and Egg Bouillabaisse (serves 6)

6 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3C. chicken broth, vegetable broth or water

3C. water

salt and fresh-ground pepper

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

6 large eggs

1 baguette, cut into ½ thick slices and toasted

grated Parmesan cheese, aioli or rouille (recipe follows)

In large slow cooker, combine potatoes, onion, broth and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, or until potatoes are very tender. Stir in spinach and cook for 15 minutes, or until spinach is hot.

When ready to serve, break 1 egg into a small cup. Remove cover from slow cooker and, holding cup close to surface, pour in the egg. Repeat with the remaining 5 eggs, placing them about an inch apart on the surface of the soup. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until eggs are done to taste.

Place a slice or two of toast in each bowl. Carefully spoon an egg and some soup over the toast. Sprinkle with cheese, and pass aioli or rouille. Serve hot.

Aioli (Garlic Mayonnaise)

2 large garlic cloves (or to taste), peeled

½ t. salt

2 large egg yolks

1t. Dijon mustard

1C. extra-virgin olive oil (for a milder flavor, use blend of olive and vegetable oil)

1-2t. fresh lemon juice

In a food processor, combine garlic and salt and process until finely chopped. With machine running, add egg yolks and mustard and process until smooth. Very slowly drizzle in the oil. It’s important to go slowly so that the sauce does not break. Once you have added ½ cup of the oil, you can add the remainder a little more rapidly. Add lemon juice to taste.

If aioli curdles, place a tablespoon of mustard in a bowl, then with a whisk gradually beat in the aioli a spoonful at a time. Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Rouille

½ C. roasted red bell peppers (jarred or homemade)

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1C. mayonnaise

2T. extra-virgin olive oil

1t. fresh lemon juice

pinch of piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper

In a blender or food processor, finely chop peppers and garlic together. Add the mayonnaise, oil, lemon juice and piment d’Espelette (or cayenne) and process until smooth. Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic (serves 6)

2-3 garlic heads

12 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed

1T. chopped fresh rosemary

salt and freshly ground pepper

½ C. dry white wine

2T. fresh lemon juice

Separate garlic into cloves. There should be about 40. Discard any loose skin from the cloves, but do not peel them. Scatter the garlic in a large slow cooker.

Sprinkle the chicken with the rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken pieces in the slow cooker. Pour in wine and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

To serve, transfer chicken and most of garlic to a large platter. Cover and keep warm. Remove and smash the remaining garlic cloves and stir them back into the liquid. Discard the garlic skins.

Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Cook until reduced and slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve hot.

Bargemen’s Beef Stew (serves 8)

olive oil

4lbs. boneless beef chuck, well trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

3T. all-purpose flour

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large onions, thinly sliced

6 anchovy fillets

6 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ C. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2T. Dijon mustard

2T. red wine vinegar

Oil the insert of a large slow cooker. In a large bowl, toss meat with flour and salt and pepper to taste. Scatter half the onions in the slow cooker. Add half the meat. Add remaining onions and top with remaining meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is very tender.

In a food processor or blender, chop anchovies, garlic and parsley very fine. Add mustard and vinegar and pulse until just blended.

Skim the fat off the stew. Stir in anchovy mixture. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Saffron Vegetable Stew (serves 6-8)

2T. olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2C. chopped canned tomatoes, with their juice

2t. salt

¼ t. saffron threads, crumbled

freshly ground pepper

4 medium boiling potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

1-2t. chopped fresh thyme or basil

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and juices, salt, saffron, and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until thickened.

Put potatoes in large slow cooker. Place cauliflower over potatoes. Pour tomato sauce over all.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife. Sprinkle with thyme or basil. Can be served hot, warm or room temperature.

Lemon Pots de Crème (serves 4)

1/3 C. fresh lemon juice

½ t. grated lemon zest

½ C. sugar

4 large egg yolks

1C. heavy cream

Stir together lemon juice, zest and sugar until sugar is dissolved.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and cream until blended. Stir in lemon juice mixture. Pour mixture into four ½ cup custard cups or ramekins.

Place a rack in the insert of a large slow cooker, or crush a sheet of aluminum foil into a ring shape and place that on the bottom of the insert. Carefully place cups on the rack (if using foil, you may need to make two rings, one slightly smaller inside the other). Pour about 1 inch of hot water into the cooker, being careful not to splash water into the cups. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the creams are softly set and slightly jiggly in the center. Uncover and let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cups from the cooker, wearing sturdy rubber gloves so as not to burn your fingers.

Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours, or up to 3 days, before serving.

Creamy Cherry Clafoutis (serves 6)

unsalted butter

1 12-ounce bag frozen pitted cherries (about 2 ½ cups), thawed, or substitute fresh or drained canned cherries (not cherry pie filling)

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs

½ C. sugar

¼ C. all-purpose flour

¼ C. whole milk

½ t. grated lemon zest

Generously butter the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the insert of a large slow cooker. Scatter the cherries in the cooker.

In a food processor or blender, combine the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, milk and lemon zest. Process or blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture over the cherries.

Cover and cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the center is just set. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm, scooping clafoutis out of the insert.

Chocolate Pain Perdu (serves 8)

Unsalted butter

1 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

2 C. whole milk

10 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 large eggs

½ C. sugar

1 C. heavy cream

1 t. vanilla extract

Ice cream, whipped cream or Crème Anglaise (recipe follows)

Butter the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the insert of a large slow cooker. Scatter the bread cubes in the cooker.

Heat the milk in a small pan over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat. Set aside ¼ cup of chopped chocolate. Add the remaining chocolate to the hot milk and stir until smooth and melted.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until foamy. Beat in the chocolate milk, cream and vanilla.

Pour the milk mixture over the bread in the cooker. Scatter the reserved ¼ cup of chocolate pieces on top. Cover and cook on high for three hours, or until softly set in the center.

Let cool slightly. Scoop from the insert and serve with ice cream, whipped cream or Crème Anglais.

Crème Anglais

1 C. heavy cream

1 C. whole milk

1 vanilla bean or 1 ½ t. vanilla extract

3 large egg yolks

1/3 C. sugar

pinch of salt

Combine cream and milk in small saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise with a small, sharp knife. Scrape the seeds out of the bean and into the cream mixture. Add vanilla pod. If using vanilla extract, add it while sauce is cooling.

Cook the cream mixture over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Remove vanilla pod and discard.

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt. Gradually whisk in the warm cream mixture. Transfer sauce to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until small wisps of steam appear and the sauce coats the back of a spoon (test by dipping a spoon in the sauce and carefully – it is hot – run your finger down the back of the spoon…if it leaves a distinct track, the sauce is done). Do not allow the sauce to boil, or it may curdle.

Immediately pour the sauce into a clean bowl, set into a larger bowl of ice water. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until serving time or for up to 2 days.