Captain, My Captain

Part of my OCD condition in the kitchen is directed at my extreme love of my cookware. Even though housekeeping is definitely not a skill that I possess easily, I will obsess about any little blotch on my cookware and clean it with Bar Keeper's Friend until it gleams.

Enter the new All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku8260341). I love this piece of machinery. First of all it is very, very pretty. And as we have all noticed so far, I really like pretty things. Its second most important feature is that it has a removable insert that is stove top safe. That way you can actually brown your meats, caramelize your vegetables and reduce your sauces before actually dumping it all in the slow-cooker. Because as most of you already know and have inadvertently discovered, the idea of dumping a whole bunch of ingredients into a slow-cooker and walking away for 10 hours almost never turns out the way one had intended.

So, I have made it my mission over the last 2 years to make this beautiful and definitely not cheap piece of machinery work for me. The following recipe was a result of a recent successful night of experimenting. It is for Country Captain chicken which is supposedly legendary in the south, despite the fact that I had never made it before and had only tasted it once or twice previously. It draws on exotic spices such as Madras curry and paprika and is often served with a bevvy of garnishes (although I have to admit I prefer it without). And it usually served over rice.

The following recipe also works on several key principles for slow cooker success:

1. You do not need a ton of liquid for your recipe. The slow cooker creates a lot of liquid on it's own. I almost always omit water or broth when it is called for in a recipe. Minimal liquid is key - no more than 1/2 cup is usually needed to keep it from scorching.

2. Most, but not all recipes do better with browning the meat first in your pan. If you skip this step many cuts of meat end up tasting like what they are -- boiled meat.

3. Concentrate flavors, don't liquefy. This Country Captain recipe opts for tomato paste instead of tomato sauce and Mango Chutney instead of fresh mango.


Put this on your agenda next week. it might just help you fall in love with your slow cooker again!



Slow-Cooker Country Captain

Serves 8

8-12 Chicken Thighs, with bone and skin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped coarse

1- 1.5 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped coarse (depending on your preference for savory ingredients)

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained (Italian or with added green bell peppers and onions if you can find it)

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 - 1.5 jars of Major Grey's Mango Chutney (depending on your taste for sweetness and the number of chicken thighs that you use)

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Madras (hot) curry powder

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup light or dark raisins

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste (10-12 rounds on the Puegot pepper mill is my preference)

Season the chicken liberally with some of the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in your stove top safe slow cooker insert or in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Remove all but a spoonful of drippings from the pan. Add the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring, until softened and just starting to turn golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 1 - 2 minutes until everything starts to lightly caramelize.Add the curry, paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring, just until fragrant, no more than 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, broth and mango chutney and bring to a boil, stirring to distribute the spices. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and raisins and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.

Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and trim off any excess fat. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and distribute the sauce evenly over the pieces. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Chicken can be deboned and served over a bed of brown rice cooked that has been cooked in chicken broth with a few pats of butter. Or just as elegantly, the chicken can be served with a crispy green salad.

Happy Eating!