Contents
Cover
About the Book
About the Author
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
Soups and Stocks
Starters, Snacks and Savouries
Meat
Poultry and Game
Fish and Seafood
Beans and Pulses
Rice, Grains and Pasta
Vegetables
Puddings
Preserves
Acknowledgements
Copyright
To Shariq
Introduction
‘I now can’t imagine cooking without one. The benefits are enormous. Most cooking times are reduced by a huge 70 per cent with no sacrifice to taste’
Why Pressure Cookers?
A few years ago, I had an almost Damascene conversion to cooking with pressure cookers. Until then, I had held quite a negative view of them – were they not old-fashioned, noisy, dangerous beasties, belching out steam and terrorising our mothers and grandmothers with a constant threat of explosion?
Well, no. At least, not any more. I started to take them seriously on the day I watched my Brazilian sister-in-law use a pressure cooker to produce a delicious meal of black beans with sausages (see my version of her recipe here). The beans were dry and unsoaked, yet the dish was on the table in just over half an hour. This seemed miraculous to me, so it wasn’t long before I’d bought my own cooker and started experimenting. I soon discovered that today’s models are very different from the sort I had grown up with. They are sleek, stainless steel and highly efficient, with numerous safety features.
I now can’t imagine cooking without one. The benefits are enormous. The mere fact that most cooking times are reduced by a huge 70 per cent is enough, but think of what else that means. These days, when we are all short of time, when we are battling with escalating fuel bills (at the time of writing my supplier had just put mine up by 18 per cent) and rising food prices, as well as being put under pressure (no pun intended) to cut our carbon emissions, a pressure cooker is an invaluable tool. Not only does it save you time and fuel, but it means that you can save money by buying cheap cuts of meat and dried goods instead of tinned, and not have to worry that you are spending a small fortune having to cook them slowly. They have known this in the developing world for a long time, which is why almost every home in Central Asia and South America has one.
Another reason why pressure cookers are popular in hot climates is because they keep kitchens cooler by cutting cooking times and minimising oven use. So while they are particularly good with all those winter foods (stews, casseroles, steamed puddings), they are also ideal for summer use. They can speed up the process of preserving, and I even use mine to make food for picnics, salads and light, summery puddings. You can also use them outdoors. If I were the sort of person who enjoyed camping, I couldn’t imagine anything more useful to take with me – you’d be able to make your campfire or portable gas ring go much further.
Most importantly to me as a lover of good food, there is no sacrifice to taste. If there is one myth I would like to dispel about pressure cookers, it would be this. There is no compromise necessary; taste and texture will always be as good – in fact, in some instances the food actually tastes better. Some of our most respected chefs cottoned on to this a while ago. If Heston Blumenthal thinks that pressure cooker stocks and sauces are superior to those made conventionally, who are we to argue? The number of chefs who now admit to using a pressure cooker in their kitchens is growing, on both sides of the Atlantic, and they are even cropping up on popular cooking shows and competitions. People have finally realised that using a pressure cooker hugely increases one’s options, especially when you are short of time. And it’s not all about tough cuts of meat and pulses. You will find recipes here that speed up braising, steaming, sautéeing, pot roasting, even baking and double boiling (using the pressure cooker as a bain marie).
I am influenced by all kinds of things in my cooking – friends and family, places I have lived, and simply what food is available to me locally, but most of all by the need to feed a hungry, growing family without resorting to convenience foods. These influences are reflected in my recipes, which I hope will show you how versatile the pressure cooker can be. Along the way I’ve also attempted to give you hints and tips on how to convert your own favourite recipes for the pressure cooker. These days, my pressure cooker takes up permanent residence on the hob, because it is a rare day when it isn’t used in some way. I hope that the recipes in this book will go some way to encouraging you to use yours just as much.
How to Use Your Pressure Cooker Safely
The principle behind pressure cooking is quite a simple one. Basically, the pressure cooker’s lid is weighted down and sealed with a gasket, which means that steam is prevented from escaping. The steam builds up in the cooker, increasing the pressure and therefore the temperature, which will exceed boiling point and cook the food at around 122°C when the pressure is at its highest, reducing cooking times by about two-thirds.
In the bad old days, when pressure cookers had a fearsome reputation, pressure would build up and cookers would jiggle around alarmingly and very occasionally – this is the stuff urban myths are made of – explode! This doesn’t happen these days as modern pressure cookers have many safety features, not least more than one safety valve to ensure that excess steam can be safely and automatically released when necessary.
This does not mean you should be cavalier in your treatment of your pressure cooker! Some basic, common-sense guidelines should be followed:
Which Pressure Cooker?
These days there are numerous pressure cookers to choose from – they vary enormously in terms of price and quality, from standard aluminium to sleek stainless-steel models with all kinds of safety valves and visual pressure gauges. During the course of writing this book, I tried around a dozen different kinds, including electric models. I am happy using most of them, but have my preferences of course. I always find myself reaching for either a WMF or Fissler model, which really are top of the range. However, the keenly priced Prestige is also a very reliable option. If you haven’t yet bought a pressure cooker (and I really hope this book encourages you to do so), here are a few things you should consider before deciding which one to buy.
Size Matters
Many pressure cooker manufacturers say that a 4- or 4.5-litre capacity cooker is a good all-rounder and large enough for a regular family’s needs. This is for the most part true. However, I would say that if you really want to maximise your savings in terms of time and fuel, the next size up (6 or 6.5 litres) is a much better purchase. It is not much more expensive to buy and you will have the advantage of being able to cook double quantities of all sorts of things. This means that you can effectively cook more than one meal at a time or cook in bulk to stock up the freezer. You will also be able to make larger quantities of stock – not many beef bones will fit into a 4-litre pot.
The second point about size concerns dimension. Go for a wider model if possible. It will make life easier when browning meat (especially chicken – turning a whole bird in a high-sided pressure cooker is not the easiest of manoeuvres). It will also hold several ramekins without having to stack them up, and will fit a cake tin more easily. Depth is less of a consideration – the tallest thing you are likely to put into it is a pudding basin and these will fit easily into all 4-litre+ models.
PSI
This is the measurement of weight (pounds per square inch), which tells you what pressure your cooker operates at. Try to make sure you get a cooker which specifies 14–16 PSI, as anything lower will require longer cooking times and make following the recipes in this or any other pressure cooker book quite tricky.
Liquid
Most manufacturers specify a minimum amount of water that you should add to the cooker. While I don’t think this is something that should always be followed to the letter (see, for instance, some of the recipes in the Vegetables chapter here), a model that requires a lower liquid minimum is more versatile. This is an advantage because you will be able to braise vegetables and meat with less liquid, meaning that your vegetables will not become waterlogged and there will be less need to reduce down any remaining cooking liquor.
Noise and Steam Emissions
Some models are noisier than others, there’s no doubt about that. The quieter models are virtually silent when pressure is reached. This is partly because they don’t emit steam when cooking at pressure. This, incidentally, has an additional benefit – because less steam is released during the cooking process, you will need to add less liquid and the flavours will concentrate in the pressure cooker rather than escaping into your kitchen.
All About Pressure
Setting Pressure
All pressure cookers allow you to cook at an approximation of low and high pressure. Some also have regular steam settings. Some models allow you to select which pressure you require by setting a dial, others simply show which pressure has been reached via a visual indicator. I do not like the dial system, purely because too often I forget to set it.
Maintaining Pressure
When your cooker has reached the required pressure, you will find that a minimal amount of heat is needed to maintain this. I normally start off on a large gas ring and move the cooker over to a smaller one once pressure has been reached. It will take a bit of trial and error to work out how much heat you need to maintain this pressure, as every cooker is different, but you will very quickly get the hang of it.
Releasing Pressure
Most modern pressure cookers have a fast pressure-release mechanism, which operates by simply turning a dial. A few exceptions require you to press down on the temperature gauge in the centre of the lid. You have to do this with a wooden spoon or protect your hand with a glove because you will be releasing hot steam; needless to say, this is not my preferred method.
Useful Equipment
To get the best out of this book and from your pressure cooker, there are a few pieces of equipment which will be useful, most of which you will no doubt already have.
Your pressure cooker should come with at least one trivet and a steamer basket. The trivet is useful for balancing large items on, but not at all practical for smaller receptacles such as ramekins. These should be placed in the steamer basket instead.
Timer
This is the single most important thing you will need when using the pressure cooker, as many of the timings, especially for vegetables, are very precise.
Cooking Receptacles
There are quite a few recipes in this book that involve using the pressure cooker as a bain marie (water bath) or steamer. For these you will need a selection of ovenproof dishes, ramekins and pudding basins. I tend to use ceramic or Pyrex dishes. Pyrex bowls are particularly good for things like lemon curd or custard (see here and here). It is perfectly safe to use plastic in the pressure cooker – the plastic bowls with lids that you can now get are very convenient to use for making steamed puddings, as there is no need to make a lid out of foil or greaseproof paper.
Tea Towels
Sometimes the item I need to put in the pressure cooker is a bit too tall to sit in the steamer basket. Instead, I put a folded-up piece of old tea towel in the base of the cooker. This avoids any receptacle coming into direct contact with the base of the pressure cooker. I should say that nothing bad would happen if you didn’t use the tea towel, but things do have a tendency to rattle around, which can be a bit on the noisy side.
Elastic Bands
For sealing foil or baking parchment on pudding basins and smaller receptacles, strong elastic bands are very useful and much more convenient to use than string. My postman has a seemingly endless supply of red ones that he posts through my letter box!
Heat Diffusion Mat
If, like me, you have a hob that will not hold a consistently low temperature, you may find it difficult to cook those (admittedly few) dishes that need cooking at low as opposed to high pressure. A heat diffusion mat is invaluable here – otherwise you will find yourself constantly having to move your pressure cooker on and off the heat.
Foil and Greaseproof Paper
When I first started using a pressure cooker, I used a lot of foil, but eventually realised that it slows down cooking times quite considerably. Now, I mainly use it for fish, suet rolls (see here) and steamed puddings (see here and here). Almost everything else is better with greaseproof paper, and in fact, I’ve come to realise that quite a lot of things don’t need covering at all.
Foil is useful, however, for making a handle with which to lower things in and out of the pressure cooker. This is particularly necessary for anything that is quite a snug fit, as it would otherwise require a degree of dexterity that I certainly don’t possess. Take a long sheet of foil and fold it in half twice lengthways, so that it is four-ply and a quarter of its original width – this will make it extremely sturdy. You can then use it as a ‘handle’ by placing any receptacle centrally on top of it, then holding both sides of the foil to manoeuvre things in and out of the pressure cooker. Once your receptacle is in the cooker, simply fold down the edges of the foil to fit inside, and unroll again after cooking, ready to lift out.
Food Processor/Blender
Some kind of food processor would also be useful. I recommend using a hand blender, which is brilliant for puréeing soups in situ without having to transfer them into a jug blender. Most come with attachments that allow you to easily chop vegetables, make breadcrumbs for stuffings and pastes for curries, and grind spices. I find mine indispensable.
A Note on Recipes and Ingredients
All quantities serve four people unless otherwise stated.
All the eggs used in the recipes are large unless otherwise stated.
All spoon measurements are rounded.
Butter is always unsalted.
Vegetables are always medium-sized unless otherwise stated.
All onions, garlic, root ginger, potatoes and root vegetables are peeled unless otherwise stated.
Vegetables should always be washed before use.
Unless the recipe specifies otherwise, a bouquet garni consists of two bay leaves and sprigs of curly parsley and thyme. You can either tie these together with butcher’s twine, wrap and tie in leek leaves or, if including spices, wrap in muslin.
Many of my recipes start with a combination of olive oil and butter. I love the flavour of butter and the olive oil stops it from burning and browning quickly. Feel free to substitute this combination with any kind of vegetable oil or fat if you prefer.
Timings are given from the moment the cooker reaches the desired pressure. Wherever I give an estimate, err on the side of caution and go with the shorter time initially, especially with fish, fruit and vegetable dishes. You can always return to pressure or simmer if things aren’t cooked, but overcooked food is much harder to salvage.
I specify whether you should let the pressure in your cooker drop immediately (fast release) or gradually (slow or natural release). Slow or natural release simply requires you to remove the cooker from the heat and wait for the pressure gauge to drop. With fast release you have a couple of options – you can follow the instructions as set out by each individual manufacturer, or you can run cold water over the lid of the cooker. Only use the cold water method where specified.
I include several recipes for curry powders and pastes and also use quite a lot of whole spices. If you prefer to use commercial blends, I recommend Shan brand for my mother-in-law’s Pakistani recipes, Mae Ploy for Thai curries, Seasoned Pioneer blends, and The Spice Shop in Notting Hill (who have an online shop) as they do whole spice blends as well as ground.
Soups and Stocks
‘A well-flavoured stock provides you with the basis for so many different meals’
If you are going to make anything in the pressure cooker, a soup or stock is a good place to start. A well-flavoured stock provides you with the basis for so many different meals, including many soups. As for soups – there are few things that are as easy to make, and once you start making them in the pressure cooker, they’re quicker too. Making a soup from scratch rather than reaching for a tin of Heinz is a much more realistic proposition when you can cut the cooking time down so significantly. There is rarely an occasion when I don’t have cartons of home-made soup in the fridge or freezer and it’s my default lunch, whatever the weather.
Hopefully the recipes here will give you good enough guidance to soon be able to adapt your own favourite soups for the pressure cooker and you’ll never need to cook them conventionally again.
Stocks
Making stock is one of those things that many people feel is far too much of a faff to do regularly. This is a shame, because even the most simple stock (think any flavoured cooking water, even the liquid in which you’ve just cooked some vegetables), can help to add depth of flavour to your finished dish, and in some cases (especially in the case of risotto) stock is absolutely essential.
Stocks are building blocks. As well as adding them to soups, risottos and a host of other dishes in this book, you can transform them into any number of broths. Think of the British beef tea, consommés or clear soups such as French onion and the medicinal chicken noodle, cleansing hot and sour soups from the Far East, Vietnamese Pho, and Korean or Japanese Dashi. You can cook noodles in soups, break eggs into them or heat them up for Mongolian or Chinese takes on fondue – the possibilities are endless.
I was initially sceptical about pressure cooker stock, put off by tales of cloudy, sour-tasting liquor tainting any dish that was unfortunate enough to be touched by it. I assumed that it was a poor substitute for The Real Thing. Fortunately, I was put right. First, when I was interviewing Marguerite Patten for an article, she quite firmly told me that any nasty-tasting pressure-cooked stock was the result of inferior, less-than-fresh ingredients and overcooking. Then I came across some of Heston Blumenthal’s numerous writings on pressure cookers – he unequivocally states that pressure cooker stock is vastly superior to anything made conventionally.
After such endorsements, I had to try for myself – I haven’t made stock conventionally since and I am in no doubt that pressure cooker stock is indeed hard to beat, as long as you follow these simple rules.
There are numerous types of stock that work well with the recipes in this book. I am quite obsessive about them (at one time, when I had a bigger freezer than the one I have now, I had around a dozen different types to hand).
Poultry and Meat Stocks
The principles for these stocks remain the same, regardless of what kind of meat you are using. There are two basic kinds of meat-based stocks – a rich, brown version, or a paler, more delicate infusion. If you want the former, it is best first to roast or brown the bones and meat that you are using.
The main difference between those stocks made from poultry and those made from red meat is that you tend to get more meat left on the carcass of a bird (especially on small game birds where the spindly little legs are often left untouched), obviating the need to add additional meat to the pot. For a red meat stock, I sometimes find that a bit of additional meat is necessary to add a layer to the flavour.
The stock I make most often is chicken. I poach a whole chicken in water and aromatics (20 minutes at high pressure, then natural release) and use the resultant broth. (See also the Poached Chicken recipe here). I save any chicken carcasses and bones in a bag in the freezer until I have enough to make a stock – and sometimes I supplement the bones with a few wings, or the trays of chicken backs that I can buy at my local farmers’ market (it is worth looking out for these, they are as cheap as chips). The same applies to duck and game birds. A duck provides much, as you can also reserve the fat, and use the carcass for a lovely, rich stock that is wonderful used in any wintry soups or with robust grains such as barley and spelt (see the barley and spelt risottos here). Incidentally, the poaching method also works with meat – it is how I cook a ham hock (see here).
Regarding aromatics, you can add whatever flavours you like. I usually omit anything too hotly spiced, such as chilli or ginger, because they tend to overpower – they are best added to the main dish instead.
For poultry stock
1kg raw chicken/duck/game bones or a mixture of raw and cooked carcasses
For meat stock
750g bones (if beef, try to get marrow bones)
250g lean, tough meat with good connective tissue, such as shin
For both types of stock
1 onion, cut into quarters
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
3–4 leek tops
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 parsley sprig
Optional additions
A few unpeeled garlic cloves
Pared citrus zest or kaffir lime leaves
More whole herb sprigs, such as tarragon or thyme
Other aromatics, such as star anise, allspice or juniper berries (all good with duck or game birds)
If you want a dark stock, put the bones in the base of the pressure cooker (no need to add fat) and sear on all sides until they are nicely browned. Then cover with 1.5 litres of cold water, bring to the boil and skim as described here, before adding all the remaining ingredients. Close the lid and bring to high pressure. If you are using bones that have already been cooked (i.e. a chicken carcass), cook for 30 minutes. If you are using raw bones (even if you have browned them first), cook for 45 minutes. Allow to drop pressure naturally. Strain the stock through two layers of muslin and chill until the fat has set on top. Remove this (you can use it in your cooking). Your stock is now ready to use, or you can simmer over a high heat to reduce it down and concentrate the flavour – it is worth doing this for at least some of your stock as this is very useful for adding to gravies. The stock will keep for up to a week in the fridge, or at least three months in the freezer.
Vegetable Stock
The simplest type of vegetable stock comes from steaming vegetables in the pressure cooker. Some of the flavour and nutrients will end up in the water, and this delicately flavoured liquid can supplement the other liquids you use in vegetarian soups and risottos, or can even be added to your pasta sauces in place of water. If you want more flavour, simply add aromatics – this will flavour both the water and the vegetables that you are cooking. I like to add slices of ginger when steaming broccoli or greens, or tarragon or mint to new potatoes (the cooking liquid from potatoes is a good stock to use for soups, as the starch is a natural thickener).
You can also make simple stocks from vegetable discards. If you have pods from fresh peas, you can cook them by covering with cold water, bringing to high pressure and immediately removing from the heat, then allowing them to drop pressure naturally. Do the same with the woody stems of asparagus, or put the two together.
My regular vegetable stock includes an onion, carrot and celery stick, along with any other bits and pieces I have available. Fennel trimmings are good, as are the skin and fibrous strands from squashes and pumpkins. I normally add some herbs, black peppercorns and fennel seed as well. For colour and extra umami flavour (meaning intensely savoury and now considered to be the fifth of our basic tastes) you can also add tomato skins and seeds, and mushroom trimmings.
Cook for a scant 5 minutes under high pressure, then allow to drop pressure naturally and strain immediately. The stock will keep for up to a week in the fridge, or at least three months in the freezer.
Fish Stock
Use fish bones, heads and skin along with herbs and vegetables, and use double the weight of water to bones. I often add aniseedy flavours – fennel, dill, parsley, tarragon – as they all work particularly well with fish, as do citrus notes, particularly lime, orange and lemongrass. You can also make a court-bouillon, which is a stronger-flavoured broth. Simply use half water, half white wine: this is a lovely basis for a fish soup or to use as a poaching liquid. Also, don’t forget to include the shells and heads of crustaceans – whether cooked or uncooked, they make a good stock and can even be blitzed afterwards to make a very frugal version of bisque.
Bring to the boil and skim as described here, then close the lid and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow to drop pressure naturally. This stock will keep only for a couple of days in the fridge, or a maximum of 3 months in the freezer.
Soups and Stocks
Summer Chicken Soup
Minestrone
Spiced Oxtail Soup
Harira
Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup
Root Vegetable and Game Soup
Caribbean Smoked Ham and Red Lentil Soup
Cucumber Soup
Creamed Endive and Cheese Soup
Mushroom, Kale and Barley Soup
Borscht
About the Book
Pressure cookers are more popular than ever before – but how do you make the most of this time-saving, money-saving kitchen gadget?
The Pressure Cooker Cookbook completely demystifies this indispensable device. Using a pressure cooker can:
Here, food writer and busy working mother Cahterine Phipps offers the definitive guide to cooking with pressure cookers, including over 150 glorious recipes suitable for novices and established fans alike. From pot roast chicken, one-pot pasta, fresh vegetables and seafood risotto, spare ribs to Boston baked beans, to chocolate pots and even cheesecake, you’ll be amazed at the diversity of this incredible gadget.
About the Author
Catherine Phipps is a columnist for the Guardian’s Word of Mouth food pages and a freelance food writer. She lives in London with her family.
Summer Chicken Soup
This soup is based on a memory of a cold, wet day, 13 years ago, when I’d struggled into college with a horrendous flu bug. My husband, who was at that time a fellow student, coaxed me to eat a bowl of chicken, lemon and tarragon soup before making sure I got home safely, and it’s been one of my favourite soups ever since. This is my version of it.
40g butter
1 leek, finely chopped
2 small waxy potatoes, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer layers removed, inner part finely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
150g diced chicken (I prefer thighs, but breast is fine)
Bunch of tarragon, leaves and stems separated
600ml chicken or vegetable stock
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon or lime
2 tsp soy sauce
150ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Melt the butter in the pressure cooker. Add the leek and potatoes and cook over a very low heat just to get the cooking process going.
Meanwhile, make a paste from the garlic, lemongrass and lime leaves, if using – easiest done with a little water in a small food processor or pestle and mortar, else just chop them as finely as you possibly can. Add this paste to the pressure cooker along with the chicken and tarragon stems. Stir for a couple of minutes, pour in all the stock, season with salt and pepper and close the lid.
Bring to high pressure and cook for 2 minutes only. Fast release. Fish out the tarragon stems, then add the citrus zest and juice, soy sauce and double cream and simmer gently until everything is combined. Finely chop the tarragon leaves and add just before serving.
Minestrone
Although everyone has their own version of this classic, it’s worth including purely to illustrate how quick and easy it is in the pressure cooker, with no detriment to flavour. It is, of course, infinitely adaptable (one of those ‘anything goes’ soups that will soak up any vegetables you need to use up), so follow this recipe as a rough guide rather than to the letter. I always use a well-flavoured chicken stock, and perhaps will throw in a ham bone, raw or cooked, and Parmesan rind saved in the freezer just for this soup. The overall flavour will be better the following day, so do consider making enough for leftovers. Other good things to add at the end include sliced courgettes or a cupful of peas. To turn it into Minestrone alla Genovese, stir pesto into individual bowls prior to serving.
125g dried borlotti or cannellini beans (or 250g cooked, or a 400g tin)
1 bay leaf (unless using cooked beans)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (unless using cooked beans)
2 tbsp olive oil
100g bacon or pancetta, cut into lardons
1 large onion, sliced
2 carrots, cut on the diagonal
2 celery sticks, cut on the diagonal
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Large bunch of Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated, leaves shredded
100g broad beans, blanched and peeled if old
100ml red wine
50g broken-up spaghetti or small pasta shapes
750ml chicken stock or water
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 200g tinned
1 Parmesan rind (of any size)
Bouquet garni (see here) of thyme, bay and flat-leaf parsley
50g grated Parmesan or Grana Padano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
If you are cooking your beans from scratch, put them in the pressure cooker and fill with water up to the halfway mark. Add the bay leaf and the vegetable oil. Close the lid and bring to high pressure. Cook for 25 minutes, then release quickly. The beans will probably be a little al dente, but will finish cooking in the soup. Drain and set aside.