Lamb shanks cooked in the cheater slow cooker without a lot of the usual braising liquid turn out with an amazing chestnut brown patina. We swear they look more like they came off an open fire of crackling grapevines than out of Min’s limited-edition NASCAR Bobby Labonte slow cooker. In a few hours and with very little liquid, the meat cooks to a perfectly tender state, but stays beautifully intact for country-chic presentation. Imagine the shanks piled on a deep platter with garlicky white beans and wilted escarole or on fashionable couscous. Talk about restaurant-stylish and dinner-party perfect. Unlike last-minute chops, shanks taste best made ahead and reheated. Depending on your final destination, reheat them in the slow cooker by themselves or foil wrapped in the oven with side dishes. Shanks are also an efficient way to achieve a pile of tender pulled lamb for pita pockets piled with Yo Mayo Slaw (page 152) or paired with the Detailed Salad (page 156). We like to use the Rub de la Maison, which combines barbecue basics with herbes de Provence and dried lemon peel.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.