Food 25: pressure cooking & Instant Pots

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Two things have significantly changed my cooking life over the past few years. The first was buying an Instant Pot - an electric pressure cooker - and the second was discovering Catherine Phipps’s book Modern Pressure Cooking.

More detail on both in a sec, but the point of today’s post is that, in extremely glad tidings, Catherine has a FANTASTIC new book out on Thursday. This one is specifically about quick, easy, highly family-friendly (but also person-friendly) pressure cooker recipes. And I have wangled an extract for you, thanks to my new hobby of hassling publishers.

The book is so good and so usable. You know how some - too many, imo - cookbooks make you think ‘how lovely, I wish I lived and cooked like this, but I just don’t’? This book is absolutely not like that. It’s for normal lives. None of the recipes are projects - they’re all weekday dinners and lunches. They’re for things like chilli noodles, spiced coconut prawns, fish and potato casserole with lemon and dill, one-pot steamed fish with rice. There are fruit compotes so fast and easy you barely need to be sentient to make them. And preserved lemons! And proper custard!

Scroll down if you want to go straight to the recipes, or stay here if you’re Pot-curious and would like to know how and why I fell in love with mine. (I’m saying Instant Pot because that’s what I have but needless to say Instant Pots and normal pressure cookers are interchangeable - if you have one you don’t need the other).

I knew nothing about pressure cooking or Instant Pots when I bought mine in 2017, but they were having a moment and people who were keen cooks were raving about theirs. I wasn’t sure if I was gormlessly buying into a fad or whether this really was going to be transformative. Happily, it was the latter.

Seven years on, it remains the only kitchen gadget I have ever bought that has never gone to live on the Shelf of Regrets. I use at all the time, all year round, including in the summer. I feel actual love for it - love and gratitude. If you’re feeding permanently ravenous children and are always short of time, it will really, really help your life - but that’s also true if you’re cooking for 2. Or 10.

It also works as a rice cooker, a slow cooker and a yogurt maker, but I just use mine as a pressure cooker. They come in various sizes. They’re also incredibly sturdy - they do not break. They’re the shire horse of kitchen equipment

Short answer: because her recipes are brilliant.

Longer answer: because her first pressure cooker book showed me that I could make vibrant, modern food in the Pot, not just comforting, speeded-up classics like chilli con carne or stew, or black dal. (Asian families - South and East - are heavy users of pressure cookers, and no wonder when a proper saag, which would otherwise take hours to make properly, is ready in 30 minutes, and when pork belly melts to sticky perfection in 20).

Armed with my new bible, I expanded my repertoire. I made shakshuka, summery poached chicken dishes, the perkiest fish, very quick, fresh-tasting pasta sauces, phở, char siu, and, astonishingly to me - I was convinced this sacrilege couldn’t possibly work - risotto. Risotto! 😱 And it was perfect.

Vegetables were another revelation - crisp, crunchy, super-zingy vegetables that tasted intensely of themselves, greener and more delicious than if I’d steamed or sautéed them on the hob. This is a thing that pressure cooking does: the flavour of whatever you cook is intensified because it is literally locked in. Incredibly carroty carrots, notably.

Pressure cookers also keep in all the nutrients of whatever you’re cooking. It’s worth saying that they are also very energy-efficient, and that they do a lot of heavy lifting if your kitchen space is limited.

To recap: you can use your Instant Pot for a ton of things, not just things that normally require long, slow cooking. Yes, you can and should make a proper ragù (Marcella Hazan’s classic recipe, gift link) in 30 minutes instead of 3+ hours, but you can sauté greens with bacon or chorizo in moments, you can make your Christmas Brussels sprouts (and free up a space on the hob), and you can produce creme caramel with minimal effort. It’s the dream for dried pulses, obviously, and for stock.

Here comes the extract. I’ve picked two really simple recipes to end with, because they demonstrate how useful pressure cookers are in a quick, casual, hungry-now context. PS I’ve left in the page references because they give you an idea of what else is in the book.

Also: if you’re completely new to all this, the book(s) will sort you out, but I also highly recommend subscribing to Catherine’s excellent Substack, Catherine Is Under Pressure. Start here. She is super-helpful in the comments.

Extracted from Everyday Pressure Cooking by Catherine Phipps (Quadrille, £22). Photos © Andrew Hayes-Watkins

One pot sausage and mustard mash, serves 4

Sausages in a red wine and onion gravy with mash – and even greens if you like – in the same pot. You can use any pork or beef sausage for this, but I also really like venison, which is now readily available in most supermarkets and a good option for its green and high-welfare credentials. If I have some blackberries in the freezer' I might throw a handful into the gravy, as well as the jelly.

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 8 large sausages

• 2 small red onions, cut into wedges

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) red wine

• 150ml (5fl oz) chicken or beef stock

• 1 large sprig of thyme

• 2 tsp blackberry jelly or lingonberry jam (optional)

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

OPTIONAL EXTRA

• Your choice of greens, such as 1 Savoy cabbage, shredded

FOR THE MASH

• 400g (14oz) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

• 400g (14oz) celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into chunks (or add more potato)

• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

• 25g (1oz) butter

If you want to add greens to this, there should be room if you are using a deep pressure cooker – a shredded Savoy cabbage would be my choice. Wrap in foil, place on top of the potato and celeriac and then toss in a little butter once the cooking is done.

Heat your pressure cooker and add the oil. When hot, add the sausages and brown on all sides. Remove from the cooker. Add the red onions and sear on the cut sides. Add the garlic and then pour in the red wine. Allow it to come up to the boil and reduce by half. Add the stock and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to make sure the base of the cooker is completely deglazed, then place the sausages on top.

Place a trivet in the cooker and put a steamer basket on top. Put the potato and celeriac (celery root), if using, in the basket and season with salt. If adding greens, wrap in foil and place on top.

Close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Adjust the heat so it is just high enough to maintain the pressure. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to drop pressure naturally. Remove the vegetables, steamer basket and trivet from the cooker. Leave the sausages on a low heat to reduce the gravy if necessary and stir in the jelly or jam if using. Mash the potatoes and celeriac before beating in the mustard and butter.

Serve the sausages and gravy over the mash.

Chicken, tomato and pepper rice, serves 4

My inspiration for this comes from jollof rice; I hope it captures some of the exuberance and depth of the flavour of the original West African dish.

I will happily eat this as soon as the pressure has dropped but there is no denying that leaving it to steam very gently afterwards will help the texture enormously. So if you have time, I recommend it.

• 2 roast red (bell) peppers (see page 100)

• 100g (3 1/2oz) fresh or canned tomatoes

• 1 Scotch bonnet, deseeded

• 2 tbsp olive or coconut oil

• 1 large red onion, finely diced

• 600g (1lb 5oz) chicken meat (I prefer thigh), diced

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 large sprig of thyme

• 1 tbsp your favourite curry powder or use the basic spice mix (see page 241)

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 300g (10 1/2oz) basmati rice, well rinsed

• 25g (1oz) butter

• 450ml (16fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock or water

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE

• A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley or coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

• Lemon or lime wedges

• Hot sauce (optional)

Put the peppers, tomatoes and Scotch bonnet in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Set aside.

Heat your pressure cooker and add the oil. When hot, add the onion and chicken and sauté until the chicken has lightly coloured on the outside. Add the garlic, herbs, curry powder, tomato purée and the blitzed pepper mix. Stir until it has a rich aroma and has reduced a little – you don’t want it looking too wet.

Stir in the rice and butter, and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Pour in the stock or water and stir to make sure the base of the cooker is completely deglazed. Close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Adjust the heat so it is just high enough to maintain the pressure and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to drop pressure naturally.

The rice is now perfectly good to eat, but if you want to create a bit of a crust on the base (it will give it a slightly smokier flavour), you can cover the cooker with a tea towel or cloth, place the lid loosely on top and leave over a very low heat for around 10 minutes. This will help fluff up the grains and lightly brown the rice.

Serve with chopped parsley or coriander and lemon or lime wedges for squeezing over. And some people might want a drop or two of hot sauce too.

Lamb and spinach curry, serves 4-6

When I was writing this book, I did a few polls on favourite recipes and of all the lamb curries, a lamb/mutton/goat saag came out on top. This was pleasing – it is a go-to in our house as I pretty much always have frozen spinach in the freezer. Of course, it can be made with fresh spinach if you prefer, but it will need cooking down first so the amount of liquid given out doesn’t flood the curry.

Pressure cooking lamb and spinach together gives you that soft, thick, oleaginous quality I associate with very long cooking – it is very moreish. When I can get it, I also like adding some fenugreek leaf (fresh or frozen).

You can serve this with rice or flatbreads and maybe a dal/lentil curry. Try the one on page 81.

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 cloves

• 5 black cardamom pods

• 1/2 cinnamon stick

• 12 curry leaves (optional)

• 1 onion, thickly sliced

• 2 tbsp curry powder or use the basic spice mix (see page 241)

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed or grated

• Stems from 1 small bunch of coriander (cilantro), finely chopped, plus a few whole sprigs to serve (optional)

• 15g (1/2oz) piece of ginger, grated (minced)

• 800g (1lb 12oz) lamb neck fillet, trimmed and cut into large chunks

• 2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks slightly larger than the lamb

• 750g (1lb 10oz) frozen whole-leaf spinach, preferably defrosted

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• A few sliced green chillies, to serve

Heat your pressure cooker and add the coconut oil, the whole spices and curry leaves, if using. When the spice aroma hits you and/or the curry leaves start to crackle and pop, add the onion, curry powder or spice mix, garlic, coriander stems and ginger.

Stir to combine for a couple of minutes, then add the lamb and potatoes and season with plenty of salt. Pour over 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) of water and stir to make sure the base of the cooker is completely deglazed. Squeeze the excess water from the defrosted spinach and add to the cooker. Alternatively, put the frozen spinach on top if you haven’t had time to defrost.

Bring up to high pressure, then adjust the heat until it is just high enough to maintain the pressure. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to drop pressure naturally. Taste for seasoning and add a little lemon juice. If you used still-frozen spinach, you might want to reduce the liquid levels a little, so leave to simmer for a few minutes. Regardless, leave to stand for a few minutes, then garnish with sprigs of coriander, if you like, and serve with green chillies

My best onion gratin (and soup), serves 4

Serves 4 (as a gratin) or 2 with enough for soup the next day

This is a recipe that gives you options, some of which I give at the end of the method, but usually what I do is make this using 8 onions, halved widthways, which just about fit into a 24cm (91⁄2in) diameter pressure cooker, and serve 3–4 halves each to me and my husband for lunch. I then blitz the rest – and I don’t say this lightly – into what might be the best-ever onion soup for the following day. Two lunches made in less than 20 minutes, start to finish.

• 6–8 medium onions, depending on size and space

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp herbes de Provence or dried thyme

• Leaves from a large sprig of tarragon, finely chopped (optional)

• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar

• 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) white wine, dry sherry or vermouth

• 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) crème fraîche

• 100g (3 1/2oz) Gruyère, coarsely grated (shredded)

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE TOPPING

• 15g (1/2oz) butter

• 75g (2 1/2oz) coarse breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• Generous pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

First prepare the onions. Peel them carefully, leaving as much of the root intact as possible as you don’t want them to fall apart when they cook. Cut in half widthways (not from root to stem), so all the rings are visible.

Heat your pressure cooker and add the oil. You need the oil to be hot for this – if you have an electric pressure cooker which has a very sensitive heat detector/burn sensor, you might want to do this stage in a frying pan (skillet). When the oil is hot, place the onions, cut side down, on the base of the cooker and sear for several minutes.

I usually set the timer and walk away for 4–5 minutes, so I don’t fiddle with them too much. When they have developed a decent colour – the dark side of caramel – flip over (or transfer, cut side up, to the cooker). Sprinkle with the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Carefully drizzle the sherry vinegar over the onions – any that hits the base of the cooker will hiss and splutter. Pour the alcohol around the onions and immediately put the lid on. You should find a lot of steam is created and that the pressure will consequently rise very quickly. Adjust the heat so it is just high enough to maintain the pressure and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to drop pressure naturally.

While the onions are cooking, make the topping. Heat the butter in a frying pan until it foams, then add the breadcrumbs. Stir until all the butter has been absorbed and the breadcrumbs have started to crisp up. Stir through the parsley and the chilli flakes, if using.

Add the crème fraîche to the cooker and gently swirl so it combines with the pan juices.

Now you have two options. You can sprinkle with cheese and just cover and leave over a low heat to melt – this is what I usually do. Or you can transfer to a gratin dish, sprinkle with the cheese and put under a hot grill (broiler) or use an air-fryer lid if you have one. Either way, sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and serve.

WHAT TO DO WITH THESE ONIONS

• Serve them as a light meal with bread, with perhaps a tomato salad on the side.

• Serve them as a side dish – especially good with roast chicken or a pork chop.

• Break them up before you add the cheese and stir them and the cheese through some pasta.

• Blitz until smooth and add chicken or vegetable stock for an excellent soup. A half portion of these onions will need 600ml (21fl oz) of stock. You can add the cheese to the soup or sprinkle it on baguette slices to serve with the soup.

Quick-steamed greens

This works with virtually all greens – you just have to adjust the cook time to suit your pressure cooker as they all vary very slightly.

Simply cover the base of the cooker with water – no more than 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) – and set over a high heat. When you see some steam starting to form, add washed greens and season with salt and pepper. Close the lid and bring up to high pressure then immediately remove from the heat. For most greens, you can fast release at this point and they will be perfectly cooked – bright green and al dente. Others might take longer so leave to drop pressure naturally for 1–2 minutes.

I find that zero minutes to 30 seconds is usually enough for shredded cabbage, chard, kale, kalettes, spring greens, pak choi, kai lan, sprout tops, green beans, runner beans, broad (fava) beans, peas, cime di rapa, okra, asparagus, sliced courgettes (zucchini), leeks, sprouting broccoli, cauliflower or broccoli florets. Whole or halved Brussels sprouts, halved Little Gems or wedges of cabbage need a little longer for their centres to be knife-tender.

YOU CAN ADAPT THIS METHOD BY

• Sautéing/searing in olive oil or butter first, with added garlic or herbs, citrus zest, chilli or bacon lardons.

• Straining the greens, returning them to the cooker and simmering for another couple of minutes with cream or crème fraîche.

A very quick filling for tacos, serves 4

I admit, I can eat a pile of this with no carb element whatsoever and have served it without tortillas as a lunch for two.

If you happen to have some cooked beans, you could add those too – black or pinto for preference. But try it without all the cheese and cream additions. There is always the temptation to add a lot to tacos but often they’re better without.

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 red onion, cut into wedges

• 300g (10 1/2oz) sprouting broccoli, trimmed

• 2 avocados, peeled, stoned and diced

• 4 ripe tomatoes, diced

• Juice of 2 limes

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE

• 8 warmed corn tortillas (optional)

• A few coriander (cilantro) leaves

• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes or chilli powder, smoked if possible

Heat half the oil in your pressure cooker. When hot, add the red onion and sauté over a high heat until it has taken on a little colour, then add the sprouting broccoli. Stir to coat with the oil, then add a splash of water (50ml/13⁄4fl oz should be enough) and season with salt and pepper. Close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Cook for 1 minute, then immediately remove from the heat and fast release.

Put the avocados and tomatoes in a large bowl and pour over the lime juice. Season with salt. Stir through the cooked vegetables. Serve as is or use to fill warmed tortillas, garnished with the coriander and chilli.

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