Old-timey Pressure Cooker
Be Un-Afraid.
Be Very Un-Afraid ...
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because there is absolutely nothing scary about today's 2nd and 3rd generation pressure cookers! After using mine for over two years now, I can honestly report my kitchen ceiling remains spotless and all my various parts are fully intact.
You can read more about the pressure cooker (if you're interested) in my prior diary. In this diary, I will provide some visuals to help convince you how easy and safe it is to actually use this contraption.
Join me over the curly orange pumpkin!
Like a lot of people, I initially wanted to learn how to use a pressure cooker because I'd heard it was wonderful tool for cooking tasty, real food - fast. I work full-time, and don't have a lot of time after work to put something delicious together when I get home. Plus the last thing I want to do is clean up a bunch of pots and pans after dinner. My pressure cooker is the perfect answer to this dilemma.
PC Mac & Cheese has become a regular in La Casa mikidee. I adapted this recipe from America's Test Kitchen's basic recipe by adding Rotel instead of "plain" diced tomatoes:
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups water
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded or 1 cup monterey jack cheese
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel (original), drained
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the macaroni, water, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt and the dry mustard in the pressure cooker.
Add to pot.
Mix everything together then put the lid on the pot and bring up to pressure. This took about 5 minutes in my 4 quart pot.
Loaded & Locked
You'll know high pressure has been reached when the little orange/yellow button comes up, like this:
Pressure Indicator Button
Once pressure has been achieved, turn down the heat to low or medium low (as low as you can go and maintain pressure) and cook under pressure for 5 minutes. See that sweet little wisp of steam? That's A-okay for the pressure cooker I have. The more expensive ones don't let any steam escape. IMNSHO the difference in price isn't worth it.
At Pressure
At the end of 5 minutes, remove from heat and immediately release the pressure. Open the lid (facing away from you). Return to medium low heat and add the evaporated milk. Continue to simmer for about 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. DO NOT BOIL - over-heating milk causes it to curdle. (Grainy Mac and Cheese can be a problem no matter how you cook it.)
Add the milk
When the sauce has thickened, remove the pot from the heat and then stir in the cheeses, one handful at a time to help them melt without being clumpy.
Salt and pepper to taste then serve!
Ta-Daaaaa!
Not only was this as tasty and comforting as any mac and cheese from scratch, but it took barely 15 minutes of cooking, from start to finish (5 minutes to get to pressure, 5 minutes at pressure, a maybe another 5 minutes to thicken the sauce and melt the cheese). But that's not all! Had I made mac and cheese from scratch the "normal" way, I would have had to wash a lot more dishes - at the very least I would have used one pot to boil the macaroni, a colander to drain it, a measuring cup, and a separate pan to make the bechamel sauce. Finally, did you notice my stove? Can we say clean? Sometimes I feel like this is the best part of using a pressure cooker. No splattering!
That's it - it really is that simple. And that's why I use mine on a regular basis.
Here's another favorite: Tomato, Tomato, Tomato Soup (adapted from hip pressure cooking)
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
2 pinches Black Pepper
1 med. Carrot, roughly chopped
1 med. Onion, roughly sliced
1 med. Potato, roughly diced
1, 28 oz (800g) can high-quality whole canned tomatoes in their juice
3 heaping Tbsp. Tomato Paste or Concentrate (2x or 3x strength)
3 heaping Tbsp. Sun-dried Tomatoes (if in oil, rinsed), roughly chopped
4 cups Water
1 tsp Salt
T3 Ingredients
INSTRUCTIONS
In the pre-heated pressure cooker over medium heat, without the lid on, add the olive oil. When it starts to shimmer add the pepper, onions and carrots. Stir occasionally until the onions are starting to get softened (about 5 minutes).
Add the potatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, water and salt.
Close and lock the pressure cooker. Turn the heat up high and when the pan reaches pressure, lower the heat and count 5 minutes cooking time at HIGH pressure.
When time is up, release pressure using the natural method - move the pressure cooker to a cool burner and do not do anything, wait for the pressure to come down on its own (about 10 minutes). If the pressure has not come down in 10 minutes, release the rest of the pressure using the quick release method.
Using an immersion blender, blend the contents of the pressure cooker until smooth.
Serve with a twirl of sour cream.
I only had greek yogurt, so the swirl is definitely lacking, but here it is:
Ta-Daaaaa!
So good, especially paired with a nice grilled cheese sammy.
The last recipe for tonight is a new one, but will definitely become a regular in my kitchen because it really is that awesome: Chicken Chile Verde (adapted from serious eats)
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
3/4 pound tomatillos, quartered, husks discarded (about 4 tomatillos)
1 pound poblano peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded (about 3 peppers)
6 ounces Anaheim peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded (about 2 peppers)
2 Serrano chilies, roughly chopped, stems discarded
10 ounces white onion, roughly chopped (about 1 medium)
6 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground (I used 2 teaspoons, ground)
Kosher salt
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
Fresh corn tortillas and lime wedges, for serving
The Verde Parts
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine chicken, tomatillos, poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, Serrano peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, and a big pinch of salt in a pressure cooker. Heat over high heat until gently sizzling, then seal pressure cooker, bring to high pressure, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and release pressure.
Using tongs, transfer chicken pieces to a bowl and set aside. Add cilantro and fish sauce to remaining contents of pressure cooker. Blend with a hand blender or in a standing blender and season to taste with salt. When chicken has cooled, discard bones and shred if desired. Return chicken to sauce. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, with tortillas and lime wedges.
Ta-Daaaaa!
This was an amazing dish for a couple of reasons. First, it is rare to not add any additional liquid to a PC dish, but this is the second recipe I've made from serious eats that doesn't ask for it - or need it. There's enough liquid in the chicken and vegetables to keep it from scorching. Second, there really is no need to brown the chicken or onions/garlic/peppers. The pressure cooking infuses everything with incredible flavor which is then deepened by the fish sauce. And talk about fast! Wowsa.
WFD here tonight is a longer-cooking chili a la Jacques Pepin. Cook time at pressure is 50 minutes because the (un-soaked) kidney beans are cooked along with everything else. But 50 minutes is nothing compared to hours and hours on the stove. There's a video at the link where you can watch Jacques Pepin prepare the chili in a 3rd generation PC (an electric one). He starts his PC schtick at about 3:30 in the video.
WFD at your house tonight?