Plug it in and Cook with French Flair

“I’d bet that if French cooks could get their hands on Michele Scicolone’s French Slow Cooker, which is filled with smart, practical, and convenient recipes, they’d never let it go.” — Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table

With a slow cooker, even novices can turn out dishes that taste as though they came straight out of the kitchen of a French grandmère. Provençal vegetable soup. Red-wine braised beef with mushrooms. Chicken with forty cloves of garlic. Even bouillabaisse. With The French Slow Cooker, all of these are as simple as setting the timer and walking away. Michele Scicolone goes far beyond the usual slow-cooker standbys of soups and stews, with Slow-Cooked Salmon with Lemon and Green Olives, Crispy Duck Confit, and Spinach Soufflé. And for dessert, how about Ginger Crème Brûlée? With The French Slow Cooker, the results are always magnifique.

Sample Recipe from The French Slow Cooker: Slow-Cooked Salmon with Lemon and Green Olives
Serves 6

Mild green olives are a nice contrast, in both color and flavor, to the richness of salmon. The cooking time will depend on how thick the fish is and whether you prefer it rare or well done. To check for doneness, make a small slit in the thickest part of the salmon and peek inside. For rare, the fish should appear translucent; for well done, it will be opaque and flake easily. Serve this at room temperature on a bed of baby salad greens for a perfect summer meal.

1 large lemon
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1 thick salmon fillet (about 2 pounds), cut into 6 pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh fl at-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped rinsed capers

Thinly slice the lemon and remove the seeds. Scatter half of the shallots in a large slow cooker. Add half of the lemon slices and the water.

Rinse the salmon pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the flesh side with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down in the slow cooker. Scatter the remaining lemon slices and shallots on top.

Cover and cook on low for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the salmon is cooked to taste. Check for doneness by making a small slit in the thickest part.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the oil with the lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the olives, parsley, and capers.

With a large spatula, transfer the salmon, lemon, and shallots to dinner plates. Drizzle with the sauce and serve hot or at room temperature.

Butternut Bisque
Serves 6 to 8

The sunny color and mild, sweet flavor of this soup make it very appealing. Serve it as a first course before a roast chicken, or pour it into mugs to enjoy with a ham sandwich.

1 large butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large sweet apple, such as Fuji or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and chopped
6 cups Chicken Broth, , vegetable broth, or water
Salt
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
Sliced apples, for garnish

In a large slow cooker, combine the squash, onion, apple, and broth. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the vegetables are very soft. Let cool slightly. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the cream and nutmeg and blend again. Reheat if necessary. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

Spoon the soup into serving bowls, drizzle each serving with a teaspoon of heavy cream, garnish with the nutmeg and apple slices, and serve hot.