turn this into a (lazy person's) crockpot recipe!

April 12, 2011 7:29 PM

How do i adapt this recipe into a crockpot recipe?

So i adore this recipe. it's amazing and delicious. people in the comments say they made it in a crockpot. can you tell me how would i do that? do i have to saute the vegetables first? i'd rather not.......

posted by nanhey to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

The carrots, celery, etc, you definitely don't have to saute first. Someone who knows chard better than I do will have to speak to that, but I don't think so- I've done collard greens in my slow-cooker, no problem. I think you just have to throw it all in and keep an eye to make sure it doesn't dry out too much, which can be prevented by not overcooking, not taking the lid off the slow cooker while it cooks, and maybe adding a little bit more liquid at the end if needed.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:37 PM on April 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Smitten's is based on a kale and white bean recipe - here's a crockpot version. Nothing about sauteing.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:39 PM on April 12, 2011

It won't taste quite the same without sauteeing the vegetables, because the point is to soften and carmelize those vegetables without cooking them into mush. Imagine the difference between sauteeing in oil and steaming vegetables. Plus the wine is reduced in the original version, and it's used to deglaze the pan, helping to lift carmelized bits off the pan and into the finished dish.

You don't have to do these things, but expect textures and flavors to be not be quite as rich and interesting. That doesn't mean it won't still be good, just different.

Some crock pot recipes advice the saute technique by using the stock pot on high as your saute pan. I haven't tried that with mine- it's much easier to do it on the stove.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:45 PM on April 12, 2011

Response by poster: thanks guys!
posted by nanhey at 8:59 PM on April 12, 2011

You might want to reduce the liquid a bit because a Crock-Pot keeps moisture from escaping the way it does when you cook on the stove. I would also probably not cook this for a full 8 hours in a Crock-Pot, especially if you saute the veg, for fear it will get mushy and overcooked.

Here's the way I would do it: saute the veg, add wine and reduce, throw everything in the Crock-Pot on low (reducing the stock by 1/2) and check after 4 hours. The thing is, though, that much as I love the Crock-Pot (and love being lazy), I don't think I would bother to do this in a Crock-Pot. It only requires a short stovetop cooking time, so why not just prep everything before you go to work, then do the 20-minute simmer when you get home?
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 10:20 PM on April 12, 2011