The saying "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" sounds all well and good, but we still have to eat. Takeout or delivery every night until the crisp fall air arrives simply isn't an option. How many times can you rework a store-bought rotisserie chicken? And yes, salads and slaws are great, but sometimes you want something a bit more toothsome. Let's flip this adage, and take the heat, rather than yourself, out of the kitchen.
Sous vide is an option, as are multicookers such as the Instant Pot. Both, however, involve special and not-cheap equipment. What about using what's already available?
Low-temperature oven roasting was a serious revelation for me. Typically, roasting is a fairly high-heat affair, and it enhances flavor through caramelization and browning on the surface of the food, a process known as the Maillard reaction. Slow-roasting takes the temperature down to 300 degrees or lower. We all think low and slow for braised meats in winter, but it can work in warm weather, too. And slow roasting keeps the kitchen a heck of a lot cooler. Sure, things take a lot longer to cook, but that can be an advantage. Since the temperature is lower, less moisture is lost, and that gives tender, juicy results. There's also a whole lot of forgiveness with timing because it takes so much longer for your food to overcook.
Slow-roasting is a perfect technique for fish. But cooking fish at home can be incredibly intimidating. Most fish recipes rely on the 10-minutes-per-inch-of-thickness rule of thumb -- that's not much room for error. Slow-roasting over 30, 40 or even 60 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, results in a beautifully tender, evenly cooked piece that's especially appropriate for dinner parties and folks less familiar with cooking seafood. It's fish cookery with training wheels.
You don't have to prepare such tender proteins as fish to appreciate slow-cooking. Take meat. Undoubtedly, there's nothing like meat that has been kissed by flame and enveloped in smoke. We're accustomed to pork ribs on the grill or smoker, even in the heat of summer. But, if it's hot outside, it's even hotter in front of that grill! Slow-roasting works here, too. The keys to success are using a dry rub to help accentuate the flavor and lifting the ribs above the baking sheet on a rack to allow the heat to circulate all around. After a few hours, the meat nearly falls off the bone.
Another way to keep heat out of the kitchen is to use a slow cooker. Sure, it involves special equipment, but the barrier to entry is exceedingly affordable, and if you don't have one, you can pick one up at most major grocery stores. Opening the door on a cold night and being greeted by the inviting smells of stew from a slow cooker can be a dream come true. But winter is not the only time a slow cooker is useful. On a steamy hot night, it's just as dreamy to be met with those dinner aromas along with a cold blast of air conditioning.
One of my favorites to make in the slow cooker is pulled chicken. Boneless, skinless breasts simmer in a concoction of diced tomatoes, honey and spices until the meat is meltingly tender.
With a bit of planning, all of these recipes are simple enough for a weeknight supper and exceptionally agreeable for weekend dinner parties. No sweat.
Oven-roasting this beautiful slab of fish at a low temperature means it will take more time than the standard 10 minutes per inch thickness than you might be used to for cooking fish. But the snapper is guaranteed not to dry out in the process.
Slow-Roasted Snapper With Olive and Tomato Salad
1 (2-pound) firm white fish filet, such as halibut, snapper or grouper, (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
Coarse kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup green olives, preferably Castelvetrano, crushed and pitted
1 lemon, thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, hulled, seeded and diced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
6 basil leaves, chopped
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place the fish in a shallow baking dish and coat it with 4 tablespoons of the oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Scatter the olives, lemon slices, thyme and bay leaves around the fish. Bake (middle rack) for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the fish is very tender and slightly opaque. (Start checking it at 50 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet; its flesh should be moist and barely separate when the tines of a fork are inserted.)
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, tomatoes, shallot, garlic and sherry vinegar. Season lightly with salt and pepper and all the ground coriander. Let the mixture sit while the fish cooks; the salt will bring moisture out of the tomatoes and make the mix slightly soupy.
Once the fish is cooked, leave the filet in the baking dish or use a spatula to carefully transfer the fish and olives to a platter. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves.
Spoon the tomato salad with the juices over the fish, then garnish with the basil. Serve hot.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 230 calories, 14 g protein, 17 g fat, 7 g carbohydrate (4 g sugar), 20 mg cholesterol, 320 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Rubbed with the spice mixture, the ribs need to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature, and then refrigerated overnight.
Rainy-Day Ribs
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon piment d'espelette, Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, or as needed
2 racks baby back ribs (2 3/4 to 3 pounds total)
Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce, for serving (recipe follows)
Use a fork to stir together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, granulated garlic, black pepper and your choice of red pepper in a small bowl.
Coat each set of baby back ribs with half the spice rub mixture, rubbing it into the meat all over. Let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Place in a lidded plastic container and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire cooling rack on the sheet. Grease the rack with cooking oil spray.
Place ribs side by side on the prepared baking sheet. (If you have time, let them come to room temperature here.) Roast (middle rack) for about 2 hours, or until the ribs are done and a knife slides easily into the thickest part of the rib meat.
Let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes, covered loosely with foil, and then cut between the bones to separate the individual ribs. Serve right away, with the barbecue sauce for dipping.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each of six servings contains approximately 560 calories, 41 g protein, 38 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate (8 g sugar), 145 mg cholesterol, 1290 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
With its peppery bite, this sauce works as a fine accompaniment for Rainy-Day Ribs and for Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Chicken (recipe follows).
The sauce can be refrigerated for several months.
Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups low-sodium ketchup
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and melted.
Add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until the flavors have smoothed and mellowed. Cool before storing.
Makes about 3 cups.
Nutrition information: Each 2-tablespoon serving contains approximately 20 calories, no protein, no fat, 5 g carbohydrate (4 g sugar), no cholesterol, 45 mg sodium and no fiber.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts render this dish low calorie and low fat, but packed with flavor.
Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Chicken
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, plus their juices
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or as needed
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Coarse kosher salt and ground black pepper
Hamburger buns or rolls, for serving
Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce, for serving
Combine the tomatoes and their juices, the vinegar, honey, paprika, soy sauce, mustard and crushed red pepper flakes in the cooking vessel of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and season well with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 4-1/2 to 5 hours, or until the chicken is falling apart.
Taste, and add more salt and/or pepper. Spoon onto buns or rolls and serve hot, with barbecue sauce on the side.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 170 calories, 26 g protein, 3 g fat, 8 g carbohydrate (6 g sugar), 85 mg cholesterol, 310 mg sodium and no fiber.
Willis is author of Secrets of the Southern Table: A Food Lover's Tour of the Global South (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018).
Food on 09/05/2018