The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (9 page)

1 lb/455 g tiny Yukon gold or assorted fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

1 lb/455 g green beans, ends trimmed, and cut into 2-in/5-cm pieces

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Dredge the lamb in the flour mixture. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium-high heat, and brown the lamb, a few pieces at a time, turning to brown the meat on all sides. Transfer the browned lamb to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in the same skillet, over medium-high heat, and sauté the garlic, shallots, and herbes de Provence for 3 minutes, or until the shallots begin to soften. Add the wine and tomatoes and stir to combine.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker and add the demi-glace, stirring to combine. Arrange the potatoes and the green beans on top of the lamb. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 7 to 8 hours, until the lamb is tender.

Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce, and if needed, season the stew with salt and pepper before serving.

Shepherd-Style Lamb of Crete

Crete is the largest of the Greek isles. Ruled by the Venetians from about 1200 to the late 1600s, it is primarily a farming community. The Cretan diet (which includes a lot of fresh vegetables and olive oil) has been studied by researchers because the inhabitants of Crete have the lowest mortality rate, as well as the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer, in the entire region. This recipe is one that might be served after the slaughter of a lamb, as a celebration, or at a large family meal.

SERVES 6

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

Grated zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

3 lb/ 1.4 kg lamb shoulder, excess fat trimmed, and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

1 cup/240 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

4 baby artichokes, stems trimmed, and quartered lengthwise

½ lb/225 g tiny yellow potatoes or fingerlings

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, the garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil. Add the lamb to the bowl, and toss to coat with the mixture.

Heat a large skillet over high heat, and brown the lamb, a few pieces at a time, on all sides. Transfer the browned lamb to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the wine to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine over the lamb in the slow cooker, and arrange the artichokes and potatoes in the insert. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours, until the lamb, artichokes, and potatoes are tender (the sharp tip of a paring knife should go into a vegetable without any resistance).

Transfer the lamb and vegetables to a serving platter, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Skim any excess fat from the sauce, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the lamb and vegetables and serve.

Syrian-Style Lamb with Saffron

This brilliantly colored braised lamb has an exotic quality about it from the addition of saffron and orange zest. Terrific to serve with
pilaf
or over potatoes or pasta, it makes a lovely party dish. And it goes together so easily in your slow cooker, which seems to melt the lamb into succulent bits. A swirl of yogurt at the end transforms the cooking liquid into a delicious sauce, which will guarantee your family’s membership in the clean-plate club.

SERVES 6

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 lb/910 g lamb shoulder meat, excess fat trimmed, and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

Salt

2 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tsp saffron, crushed in the palm of your hand

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 cup/240 ml chicken broth

1½ cups/360 ml beef broth

Grated zest of 1 large navel orange

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh mint

1 cup/240 ml Greek-style yogurt

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Cooked rice, pasta, or potatoes, for serving

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Sprinkle the meat evenly with 1½ tsp salt, and brown in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Transfer the browned meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, saffron, cinnamon, and cayenne to the pan, and sauté until the onions are translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker insert and add the beef broth, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the lamb is tender.

Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the stew, and stir in the orange zest and mint. Turn off the slow cooker and allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, taste for seasoning, and add salt or pepper if necessary. Serve the stew over rice, pasta, or potatoes.

SLOW COOKER SAVVY

High heat will curdle yogurt, so it’s best to let the sauce rest a few minutes before whisking in the yogurt.

Potato-Smothered Lamb from Calabria

Food from the farm is some of the most delicious in the Mediterranean; the home cook improvises using ingredients on hand. This dish is from the hills of Calabria, a region of Italy at the toe of the boot that is relatively poor. Calabrian cooks make many one-pot meals. This one is a great example of how a few ingredients can meld together to make an incredibly tasty dish. The lamb, which cooks between layers of garlicky potatoes flavored with rosemary and tomatoes, turns meltingly tender. A simple salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice makes this a meal fit for a king. If you like, you can substitute oregano or sage for the rosemary.

SERVES 6

¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup/60 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ cup/60 g freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

One 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1½ lb/680 g Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced

2½ lb/1.2 kg lamb shoulder or leg of lamb, excess fat trimmed, and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

1 cup/240 ml chicken broth

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, parsley, cheese, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Line the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker with a slow-cooker liner, or coat the interior with nonstick cooking spray.

Cover the bottom of the slow cooker with a quarter of the tomato mixture. In layers add half of the potatoes, another quarter of the tomato mixture, and then all the lamb. Spread another quarter of the tomato mixture over the lamb, layer with the remaining potatoes, and end with the remaining tomato mixture. Pour the broth over the potatoes and lamb. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the lamb is tender.

Serve the lamb from the slow cooker, making sure each diner gets some of the potatoes as well as the meat.

Braised Leg of Lamb with Garlic

The flavor of the dish will vary, depending on the herbs you choose. A Provençal lamb dish might be cooked with herbes de Provence, while an Italian lamb will be fragrant with rosemary or sage, a Greek lamb dish is likely to contain oregano and maybe lemon zest, and North African lamb is often perfumed with paprika, cumin, and a finish of mint. So take a cruise on the Mediterranean and choose your own flavor palate for this simple dish. Serve with roasted potatoes or
pilaf
and roasted vegetables.

SERVES 6

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp herbes de Provence (
Slow Cooker Savvy
)

4 tbsp/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

One 4-lb/1.8-kg boneless butterflied leg of lamb

2 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

1½ cups/360 ml full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Merlot, or Zinfandel

2 cups/480 ml beef broth

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, the garlic, herbes de Provence, and 2 tbsp of the olive oil to form a paste. Open up the lamb, and rub with the mixture on the top and bottom of the meat. Roll up the lamb into a compact cylinder, and tie with butcher’s twine or silicone bands at 1-in/2.5-cm intervals.

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, and brown the lamb on all sides. Transfer the lamb to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. In the same skillet, sauté the onions for 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the wine to the pan, bring to a boil, and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the onion and wine mixture to the insert and stir in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the meat is tender.

Using tongs, carefully remove the lamb from the insert, transfer to a cutting board, and cover with aluminum foil. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, knead together the butter and flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the liquid, 1 tsp at a time, and continue whisking until the sauce returns to a boil and is smooth and thickened to your liking. Season with salt and pepper if needed, and whisk in the parsley. Remove the butcher’s twine from the lamb, and carve into slices. Serve the lamb with the warm sauce on the side.

VARIATION

Italian Lamb

Substitute rosemary or sage for the herbes de Provence and add one 14½- to 15-oz/415- to 430-g can chopped tomatoes, drained, to the slow cooker along with the wine and onion mixture.

Greek Lamb

Substitute chopped fresh oregano for the herbes de Provence, and add the grated zest of 1 lemon to the wine and broth before covering the slow cooker.

North African Lamb

Substitute 1 tsp of sweet paprika and 1 tsp of ground cumin for the herbes de Provence, and substitute fresh mint for the chopped parsley.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Oregano

Braised lamb shanks are both rustic and elegant at the same time. Bathed in a deeply flavored red wine and tomato sauce and then sprinkled with orange zest, the lamb is falling-apart tender. It’s scrumptious served over polenta, risotto, or wide pasta like pappardelle. Plan ahead when making the shanks, as you will need to marinate them overnight before simmering them in the slow cooker. There is usually enough sauce left over to freeze for a pasta dinner.

SERVES 6

FOR THE MARINADE

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

One 750-ml bottle full-bodied red wine, such as Barolo, Barbera, Chianti, or Merlot

8 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp honey

6 meaty ¾- to 1-lb/340- to 455-g lamb shanks

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

⅛ tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

Two 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g cans chopped tomatoes, with their juice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 tbsp)

TO MAKE THE MARINADE / In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, red wine, garlic, olive oil, oregano, and honey.

Put the lamb in a large zipper-top plastic bag and pour in marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the lamb shanks from the bag, and arrange in the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Reserve the marinade.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, red pepper flakes, and oregano until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade, bring to a boil, and continue boiling for 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert, and stir in the tomatoes. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the lamb is tender.