Cooking Under Pressure -The Ultimate Electric Pressure Recipe Cookbook and Guide for Electric Pressure Cookers.: Revised Edition #3 - Now Contains 175 Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes. Read Online Free
let it finish with the lid off. This also works for cheese sauces as well.
If you want a crust on your entrée, like ribs, chicken, etc...., after pressure cooking, you can transfer the food to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes to create a nice, crispy crust.
Special Techniques
You may not realize it, but your pressure cooker can do many other things besides pressure cook. Try these techniques out and you’ll see how a pressure cooker, especially the electric ones, can be one of the most versatile appliances in your kitchen.
■ Popcorn: You won’t believe how perfect your pressure cooker can make popcorn, where almost every kernel pops, and not a single one scorched. It takes about 3 minutes to pop 1/3 cup of popcorn.
Step 1: Heat up the cooker, set the timer for 30 minutes (time doesn’t really matter...it’s just to heat up the cooker...omit the timer with a stove-top cooker) and add a little oil to the bottom, just enough to cover it (in this case I am using olive oil because...well, I just like olive oil).
Step 2: Allow the oil to heat for a few minutes.
Step 3: Add the popcorn and put on the lid, but don’t lock it, and don’t close the vent.
Step 4: You will hear the popcorn when it starts to pop. It may take a few minutes, but it will start. When the popping slows down, turn the timer to ‘0’, or remove the cooker from the heat source. Do not open the lid, yet.
Step 5: When it sounds like all the popping is done (there is always one kernel that will wait until the lid is off to pop, no matter how long you leave it...), remove the lid and transfer the corn to a serving bowl. Add salt, butter, or whatever you want, and enjoy!
Your pressure cooker is also great for making perfect boiled eggs:
Put enough cold water to cover the eggs in the pot. Leave the vent open. Add the eggs to the cold water.
Set the timer for 9 minutes for hard-boiled, 6 minutes for medium, and 3 for soft-boiled eggs. I set these for 9 minutes, to make egg salad with. As you can see, the eggs came out perfect, with nice creamy yolks that are not over-cooked and dry.
Another useful thing your pressure cooker can do is sterilize things. Glass jars, tweezers, scissors, and other things can be made 100% sterile by placing them on the trivet, locking the lid, closing the vent, and setting the timer for 5 minutes or so. Just be careful not to put anything in it that might melt, like things with plastic handles. And be careful with metal items, so you don’t scratch the non-stick surface inside the pot.
You can also use your pressure cooker for hot towels. Just fold a towel (one that will fit) and place it on the trivet, and pour a cup of water in the bottom of the pot. Lock the lid, close the vent and set the timer for 3 minutes. You’ll probably have to let the towel cool a little before you can handle it, but it makes a nice hot towel for shaving.
■ Using Inserts: Most pressure cookers come with a rack, called a trivet that keeps food from direct contact with the bottom of the pan, where the heat originates. This is to prevent scorching, but it is also handy for cooking two things at once. For example, you can layer the bottom with corn on the cob, or whole potatoes, add the water, then put the rack on top of the veggies. Now, place a whole chicken, roast, pork loin, pork chops, en papilotte packs (more on this coming up...), or anything else you want on top of the rack, lock the lid, close the vent, and let ‘er go. The flavors of the different ingredients blend, meld, enhance each other, and do all kinds of wonderful things when left on their own. Try to select things that all have similar cooking times. As long as everything will cook within 5 -7 minutes of each other, you’re good to go. Be creative.... If your trivet doesn’t have handles to make it easy to remove it, you can make a pair from folded up foil. This makes it easy to remove things like a whole chicken, which may fall apart if you try to lever it out
If you want a crust on your entrée, like ribs, chicken, etc...., after pressure cooking, you can transfer the food to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes to create a nice, crispy crust.
Special Techniques
You may not realize it, but your pressure cooker can do many other things besides pressure cook. Try these techniques out and you’ll see how a pressure cooker, especially the electric ones, can be one of the most versatile appliances in your kitchen.
■ Popcorn: You won’t believe how perfect your pressure cooker can make popcorn, where almost every kernel pops, and not a single one scorched. It takes about 3 minutes to pop 1/3 cup of popcorn.
Step 1: Heat up the cooker, set the timer for 30 minutes (time doesn’t really matter...it’s just to heat up the cooker...omit the timer with a stove-top cooker) and add a little oil to the bottom, just enough to cover it (in this case I am using olive oil because...well, I just like olive oil).
Step 2: Allow the oil to heat for a few minutes.
Step 3: Add the popcorn and put on the lid, but don’t lock it, and don’t close the vent.
Step 4: You will hear the popcorn when it starts to pop. It may take a few minutes, but it will start. When the popping slows down, turn the timer to ‘0’, or remove the cooker from the heat source. Do not open the lid, yet.
Step 5: When it sounds like all the popping is done (there is always one kernel that will wait until the lid is off to pop, no matter how long you leave it...), remove the lid and transfer the corn to a serving bowl. Add salt, butter, or whatever you want, and enjoy!
Your pressure cooker is also great for making perfect boiled eggs:
Put enough cold water to cover the eggs in the pot. Leave the vent open. Add the eggs to the cold water.
Set the timer for 9 minutes for hard-boiled, 6 minutes for medium, and 3 for soft-boiled eggs. I set these for 9 minutes, to make egg salad with. As you can see, the eggs came out perfect, with nice creamy yolks that are not over-cooked and dry.
Another useful thing your pressure cooker can do is sterilize things. Glass jars, tweezers, scissors, and other things can be made 100% sterile by placing them on the trivet, locking the lid, closing the vent, and setting the timer for 5 minutes or so. Just be careful not to put anything in it that might melt, like things with plastic handles. And be careful with metal items, so you don’t scratch the non-stick surface inside the pot.
You can also use your pressure cooker for hot towels. Just fold a towel (one that will fit) and place it on the trivet, and pour a cup of water in the bottom of the pot. Lock the lid, close the vent and set the timer for 3 minutes. You’ll probably have to let the towel cool a little before you can handle it, but it makes a nice hot towel for shaving.
■ Using Inserts: Most pressure cookers come with a rack, called a trivet that keeps food from direct contact with the bottom of the pan, where the heat originates. This is to prevent scorching, but it is also handy for cooking two things at once. For example, you can layer the bottom with corn on the cob, or whole potatoes, add the water, then put the rack on top of the veggies. Now, place a whole chicken, roast, pork loin, pork chops, en papilotte packs (more on this coming up...), or anything else you want on top of the rack, lock the lid, close the vent, and let ‘er go. The flavors of the different ingredients blend, meld, enhance each other, and do all kinds of wonderful things when left on their own. Try to select things that all have similar cooking times. As long as everything will cook within 5 -7 minutes of each other, you’re good to go. Be creative.... If your trivet doesn’t have handles to make it easy to remove it, you can make a pair from folded up foil. This makes it easy to remove things like a whole chicken, which may fall apart if you try to lever it out
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