Slow-cookers have been the unofficial hero of many millennial kitchens during the quarantine. More and more new cooks are warming up to slow cooking as a way to pack in flavours and fragrances more effectively, especially in meaty, gravy-based entrees. Instagram's favourite chef Nigella Lawson herself has been using this cooking technique for a while now and has often shared recipes of some of her slow-cooked entrees for her fans.
Slow cooking mainly entails cooking something for a long time at a low temperature and is most effective in cooking non-lean meats because this technique is a great way to evenly tenderize them. A slow cooker is great for cooking elaborately seasoned gravies, but also for preparing one pot meals, soups, rice dishes or stews. It's also a really hassle-free technique which is great for lazy cooks as they can just season the ingredients and put in everything into the cooker and leave it alone for hours.
"My chook-from-the-souk is a lightly fragranced golden stew that gains more succulence from having the bones of the chicken thighs in as well. The skin gives flavour, too, and both skin and bones are removed on serving and the tender meat shredded. I can't prevent your making this with skinless thigh fillets, but I can tell you it won't be as good as if you use the chicken on the bone," Nigella writes on her website.
Nigella's Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew is a summery, Mediterranean-style entree which needs to be cooked for four hours. Have a look:
Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs with skin on and bone in
1 onion (peeled and finely chopped)
2 - 3 small (approx. 75g) preserved lemons (roughly chopped)
2 x 400g cans cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 long or 2 short cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon saffron strands
500 millilitres chicken stock
50 grams golden sultanas
70 grams pitted green olives
chopped fresh coriander (to serve)
Method
Put everything into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
Once the stew’s ready, remove the slow cooker from its base and let the stew stand for 10–15 minutes with the lid off, before going in to shred the chicken. Discard the skin and bones. Place in a warm bowl to serve and scatter with coriander.