When I was making my wedding registry, I didn’t really know what to put. So I decided to go wild and list every cooking device I always kind of wanted but never felt I “deserved” as a single person. I’m not sure if this was the smartest way to do a registry, but I have not regretted it. The most ridiculous item on my list was the Shabu pot. But the one I would recommend to people who want to buy exactly one advanced tool for their kitchen is the slow cooker.
A slow cooker is the closest I get to having a witch’s cauldron. I put in my potion ingredients, set the time and temperature, and in a few hours, something delicious comes out. While I’m doing other stuff, the slow cooker is cooking away for me. The perfect “I don’t have time to cook” kitchen device.
I’ve tried a variety of slow cooker dishes, but curries have been some of the most satisfying. In fact, I was surprised how well the slow cooker handled some key proteins: salmon and lamb. Before I’ve always pan-seared these, but after trying them in the slow cooker there’s no going back. The meat comes out flavorful and so tender it falls onto your fork and melts in your mouth.
Stephanie Uchida
Stephanie Uchida
Lamb curry
From @slowcookersundays_
2–3 lamb shoulder chops
Curry powder
Naan or jasmine rice
Zucchini with garlic salt and oil
Lamb curry is both delicious and ridiculously easy. You coat your lamb chops with curry powders, sear each side for one minute and put them in the slow cooker topped with a jar of Indian simmer sauce (butter chicken is a shoo-in). After four hours on high, the lamb has reached tender perfection.
I like to serve the lamb over basmati rice or naan so that the curry sauce can soak in, along with a vegetable side like zucchini.
Stephanie Uchida
Coconut salmon curry
From Nathan Anthony, ‘Bored of Lunch’
2 salmon fillets
1 tin of coconut milk
2 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp curry powder
2 squirts of lime juice
Sprinkling of coriander
1 tsp ginger paste
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp chili powder
Basil leaves to garnish
Mix all the seasoning ingredients (minus basil) together in a bowl to make a curry sauce. Pan sear the salmon skin side down for one minute to make the skin a little crispy. Place the salmon in the slow cooker and pour the sauce on top. Drop in a handful of the basil leaves. Since it’s fish, it cooks fast even in the slow cooker. Cooking on low for two to three hours is plenty.
As sides for this Asian fusion dish, I like to make rice and strips of zucchini and onion stir-fried in a little soy and teriyaki sauce.
Stephanie Uchida
I just have a standard four-quart Crock-Pot with three heat settings and a timer. When the slow cooker isn’t in use, it lives in its box in the pantry so it doesn’t take up space on my counters. (Unlike the rice cooker, which occupies the seat of honor.) Using the device is a no-brainer, and cheaper models run about $30 at Target. There are whole Instagram channels and cookbooks dedicated to just stuff you can make in a slow cooker.
Stephanie Uchida
I’m doing a lot less when I just leave my ingredients in the slow cooker and come back in a few hours. But it sounds impressive to say I made a meal in a special kitchen device. This is the real magic of the slow cooker.
