Pressure Cookers – what's cooking?

[scubadoo97]

What is your technique for risotto in the PC?

[FrogPrincesse]

What is your technique for risotto in the PC?

This was originally a Jamie Oliver recipe that I have adapted for the pressure cooker after multiple trials/errors. I change the ingredients based on what I have on hand.

Steps 1, 2, 6, and 7 are the same as for a non-pressure cooker recipe.

1. Sweat the aromatics (I used shallots and young red onions) in olive oil.

2. Increase the heat and add the rice (7 oz), stir for 1 minute, add a small glass of white vermouth and cook until absorbed.

3. Add the stock (2.5 cups). Close the pressure cooker and bring up to pressure over high heat (3 to 4 minutes).

4. Lower the heat to medium, cook for 5 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat, let stand for 6 minutes.

6. Open the lid, add the butter (2.5 tablespoons) and plenty of parmesan cheese. Stir gently, cover and let stand for 3 minutes.

7. Plate and add your garnishes (Parma ham, crumbled goat cheese, parsley).

I found that this technique works very well with carnaroli rice. Arborio overcooks easily so it's hard to get right in the pressure cooker.

Edited May 18, 2012 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[mkayahara]

A few days ago, I did lamb's tongues in my pressure cooker: I put them in chicken stock and garlic, brought them up to high pressure, cooked for 15 minutes, and let the pressure dissipate naturally. Not quite long enough to get them where I wanted, so I gave them another 5 minutes at high pressure. Once they were done, I peeled them, then proceeded with Fergus Henderson's recipe for lamb's tongues with turnips and bacon (except I substituted rutatbagas for the turnips, and kale for the turnip tops. Delicious!

[Baselerd]

Cooked a few recipes out of MC that used the pressure cooker. The carrot soup was delicious, as are the few stocks I have cooked in the pressure cooker. However, my favorite two items I've made so far are the puffed chick peas (granted they are deep fried after pressure cooking) and the pressure-cooked sesame seeds. The sesame seeds were truly great and super easy (just pressure cook water and raw sesame seeds, then add sesame oil once cooked) - I recommend everyone who has access to the MC recipe make it.

[pazzaglia]

I found that this technique works very well with carnaroli rice. Arborio overcooks easily so it's hard to get right in the pressure cooker.

Your risotto photo looks beautiful! Cannoaroli has one of the highest starch contents so it's easy to get it creamy. For Arborio, try using the ratio of 1 cup grain to 2 cups stock. Rice just keeps absorbing and absorbing liquid until it busts open, and the it absorbs s'more. What might look "overcooked" is really just over-absorbed.

Unfortunately, with pressure cooking you have to be very precise with ratios since there is no evaporation (only 3.5% vs. 30% in no-lid cooking). Adding vegetables (which are 80-95% water) can easily throw off these ratios. I actually add the vegetables to my measuring cup and use dis-placement of water to my advantage.

Translation: For my small family of 4 I use two cups of rice, and use a 1L (4 cup) container to measure. I add a couple of chopped zucchini and top the rest off with stock with just a tad more.

I have a detailed pressure cooker grain ratio and timing table, which can be a helpful launching point for your future experiments!

Ciao,

L

[jayt90]

My Fagor Duo has a damaged flange so I stopped using it until I find another pot for the lid. Meantime I have used my Lagostina but it is lower pressure and my times are longer, especially for beans and potatoes.

Recently I did a salmon fillet over kale, 7 minutes and perfect.

Today I made beef spare ribs in brown stock. About 50 minutes, and wonderfully tender and moist.

Next on the list will be B.C. spot prawns, shipped only in May and June.

I will revisit lobster in the pc soon, as it will do two or three in about seven minutes and I never hear them squeal.

[Heartsurgeon]

Greek Gigantes beans...

soak 12 hours in water

Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker...beans plus water

bring water/beans to a rolling boil on high heat.

put the lid on, keep on high heat until second red ring appears (high pressure), reduce heat to low (keep at high pressure)

turn on the timer (18 minutes), when the first red ring (low pressure) appears.

when done, remove from heat and set cooker aside to cool off on its own (DO NOT release presssure)

once the lid can be removed, open and drain.

letting the cooker depressurize slowly maintains bean integrity (no bean mush/exploded beans).

add salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, oregano or dill...refridgerate overnite

BEAN HEAVEN

[LindaK]

jayt90--what's the benefit of cooking seafood in a pressure cooker (besides the lack of lobster sqeals)? Seafood cooks so quickly ordinarily.

Heartsurgeon--Your directions are unusual. I don't recall ever seeing instructions to bring ingredients to a boil, THEN put on the lid and bring to pressure. What's that about? I love gigante beans, but hardly ever see them dried. Your recipe sounds delicious.

[jayt90]

Linda, the pc gives me hot, even steaming and heat penetration for large shrimp, mollusks, thick fillets, or whole fish, much like an expensive restaurant broiler. The seafood retains heat well, and isn't soggy as poached can be.

The lobster is a no brainer, as I don't have to boil several liters of water in a stock pot, and it comes out hot and evenly cooked in minutes.

I wouldn't do scallops or thin sole fillets, but most seafood is fair game.

The photo shows salmon, kale, and cream pc'd together for 7 minutes.

[ericthered]

I live at high altitude (6,200 feet/1,889 meters) and am very disappointed in the way that rice, pasta, and especially legumes/beans cook at high altitide in a conventional pot. Undercooked or mushy seem to be the only options. I like my pasta "al dente." I both make fresh pasta and, when lazy, used boxed pasta.

Would a pressure cooker remedy this? If "yes," any practical tips on how to handle the timing? I often taste-test rice/risoto and pasta as they cook to check doneness and texture and wonder if this is at all possible when pressure cooking? Or does one simply have to time things right and cool/de-pressurize at the correct time without taste-testing?

[Wholemeal Crank]

I have gotten into the habit of dragging my pressure cooker along to ski trips and other high altitude settings if I'll be doing anything more than making oatmeal. Just so much more efficient.

I haven't done it enough to have anything systematic to say about timing at pressure vs lower altitude boiling times for pasta, steamed veggies, etc.

[Paul Bacino]

I did a Pho Broth today.. Currently de-fating!! Will see tomorrow..

I did short ribs/ chicken and pork broth.. somewhat a clean out frig,

PB

1.5 hr process time after the first boil..

Edited June 1, 2012 by Paul Bacino (log)

[Heartsurgeon]

"Heartsurgeon--Your directions are unusual. I don't recall ever seeing instructions to bring ingredients to a boil, THEN put on the lid and bring to pressure. What's that about? I love gigante beans, but hardly ever see them dried. Your recipe sounds delicious. "

The Kuhn Rikon manual that came with the Duromatic pressure cooker recommends bringing liquids to the boil prior to placing the lid on. They also recommend adding some (canola) oil to the cooking liquid to reduce bean foam and prevent fouling of the pressure control mechanism.

I find this makes the results more reliable/reproducible. What I am trying to do is reach the desired cooking pressure as quickly as possible, so that I can begin timing the cooking process. I have found the timing critical in getting beans that are "just right", and not crunchy, or mush. Gigantes beans can be mail ordered from Purcell Mountain Farms (domestic). I was lucky and found some Arosis Gigantes (Greek origin) beans at a local middle eastern supermarket. I had to cook multiple batches of these beans for different times (second ring/high temp) until I got them cooked just right.

Purcell Mountain Farms is bean heaven if you looking for all sorts of unusual items, but shipping costs make the beans a little pricey.

I cannot stress enough the need to allow the cooker to depressurize on its own, rather than venting it to get the lid off. with venting, a significant volume of the beans will explode into mush, while simultaneously you will have crunchy undercooked beans! With "natural release method" as the Duromatic manual calls it, you get nicely cooked beans with minimal mush.

And yes, those beans are tasty!

Edited June 2, 2012 by Heartsurgeon (log)

[pazzaglia]

Heartsurgeon--Your directions are unusual. I don't recall ever seeing instructions to bring ingredients to a boil, THEN put on the lid and bring to pressure. What's that about? I love gigante beans, but hardly ever see them dried. Your recipe sounds delicious.

Linda, adding the lid when the contents are boiling also helps the cooker to reach pressure "faster". The advantages of this are not obvious with beans, but let's say you're making a tomato sauce that has a tendency to scorch. Being able to stir it until it begins to boil and generate steam will ensure the cooker will go up to pressure almost immediately once the lid is locked on. Conversely, putting all the cold tomato sauce ingredients in the cooker and turning it on could mean up to 10 minutes that the tomato sauce is in contact with the base without pressure (and at risk of burning). I put quotes around "faster" because there is no actual time difference between bringing things to a boil with a normal lid or a pressure cooker lid (the magic of pressure cooking only happens once the boiled is reached and vapor builds up pressure).

Some of my readers also use this technique so they don't have to monitor the pressure cooker for 7-30 minutes (depending on how full it is) to watch it slowly build pressure. They just bring things to a boil (easier to see from across the kitchen) and then lock on the lid so the cooker begins to build pressure almost immediately and start cooking time length.

Ciao,

L

[pazzaglia]

I cannot stress enough the need to allow the cooker to depressurize on its own, rather than venting it to get the lid off. with venting, a significant volume of the beans will explode into mush, while simultaneously you will have crunchy undercooked beans! With "natural release method" as the Duromatic manual calls it, you get nicely cooked beans with minimal mush.

And yes, those beans are tasty!

Yes!!! Another thing to keep your pricey beans looking nice is to soak or quick-soak them in PLENTY of water - the added advantage of these soaks is the removal of those water-soluble indigestible sugars that.. uhm.. you know.. can be uncomfortable!

Who has pressure cooked brined beans? I did and they turned into almost mush - so if brining catches on we will need new even SHORTER pressure cooking times for brined beans!

Ciao,

L

[Paul Bacino]

I can't put my lid on if I heat the contents first,, probably an expansion of the metal thing?

[Heartsurgeon]

"Who has pressure cooked brined beans?

The Duromatic manual recommends 1 teaspoon salt/pound dried beans with a soak of 8-10 hours minimum, and states "salt will toughen the skin of the beans and aid in keeping it intact"

How did you brine your beans, and what kind of beans were they? How did you cook them?

I'm of the opinion that mastering using the pressure cooker requires considerable trial and error to get just the right time and pressure figured out. Plus minus a couple minutes takes you from crunchy undercooked beans, to baby food beans.

Edited June 2, 2012 by Heartsurgeon (log)

[scubadoo97]

I brine chickpeas in salt water and cumin as a soaking liquid prior to cooking in a PC to making hummus

[pazzaglia]

I can't put my lid on if I heat the contents first,, probably an expansion of the metal thing?

Yes, that's exactly it. Less- expensive pressure cookers usually have this problem. With a mid-range Fagor, for example, it can be tricky but you can eventually get the lid on. The thinner the stainless steel the more it can warp and expand when heated. German and Swiss pressure cookers that weigh a ton almost never warp but take forever to heat and reach pressure!!!

The Duromatic manual recommends 1 teaspoon salt/pound dried beans with a soak of 8-10 hours minimum, and states "salt will toughen the skin of the beans and aid in keeping it intact"

The duromatic cook book says to use salt in quick-soaking, not regular soaking. Do they recommend brining beans for long-soak, too, now?

How did you brine your beans, and what kind of beans were they? How did you cook them?

I'm of the opinion that mastering using the pressure cooker requires considerable trial and error to get just the right time and pressure figured out. Plus minus a couple minutes takes you from crunchy undercooked beans, to baby food beans.

I followed the ATK video to the letter (halving the quantities because I don't have a commercial 5L bin in which to soak my beans!). I used cannellini - which I often pressure cook soaked and not brined - then pressure cooked them for the recommended pressure cooking time - 7 minutes @ high pressure with natural release. Usually they are perfect, but they were falling apart - definately overcooked. So, I watched the video again, and noticed she said that brining the beans shortens their cooking time from soaked beans - so maybe they could have been done in just 5 minutes or .. who knows maybe less!

There's alot of information compressed in that video. For example they say that the skin prevents the salt from going INTO the beans and brining creates different results than adding salt for quick-soaking or adding the salt during cooking. I highly recommend watching it several times to fully absorb what they're saying.. and then trying it!

Ciao,

L

[Heartsurgeon]

the "1 teaspoon salt/pound dried beans with a soak of 8-10 hours minimum" is right out of the duromatic manual.

[Justin Pinkney]

Like most who get a pressure cooker I tried the MC caramelised carrot soup a couple of times, Once in a 12 PSI cooker, and once with a proper 15 PSI model, and the difference was pretty astounding. I also tried a variation with cauliflower thinking 'roast cauliflower tastes really good', but, although nicely browned, it was positively revolting to eat. Shame.

At the moment I'm mostly using it for stock for the convenience, and how incredibly sweet it makes onions taste. Also tried the pressure cooked egg mentioned by Dave Arnold (bring egg to boil, simmer 2 mins, place on lid, bring to pressure 45-60 mins) unfortunately it had sort of exploded, but by 50 mins the white was starting to brown nicely.

[EnriqueB]

Who has pressure cooked brined beans? I did and they turned into almost mush - so if brining catches on we will need new even SHORTER pressure cooking times for brined beans!

I always use a brine for regular soaking of beans. According to McGee, if I remember well (i'll try to look it up later), salt in the soaking water makes the posterior cooking faster, which is exactly the effect you have found, whereas it has no effect whatsoever on texture. On the other hand, salt in the cooking water makes the cooking a bit slower, which is why it is often added to the pot later.

[mkayahara]

Like most who get a pressure cooker I tried the MC caramelised carrot soup a couple of times, Once in a 12 PSI cooker, and once with a proper 15 PSI model, and the difference was pretty astounding.

Can you elaborate?

[Justin Pinkney]

Like most who get a pressure cooker I tried the MC caramelised carrot soup a couple of times, Once in a 12 PSI cooker, and once with a proper 15 PSI model, and the difference was pretty astounding.

Can you elaborate?

Sure, the first time I made it I only had access to a pressure cooker that went to 12PSI, I extended the cooking time 50% to try and compensate but there wasn't a great deal of browning going on. Still tasted nice, and also had a great texture, but not what I was hoping for. Next time I was able to cook at 15 PSI and that time the soup came out in all its caramel, browned, savoury glory. What a difference 10 degrees C makes.

[FrogPrincesse]

jayt90 mentioned upthread cooking seafood in the pressure cooker so when I made risotto last night, I just added a few frozen shrimp as an experiment. I ran some water over them for about a minute or two so they were partially defrosted when I added them.

I was afraid that they would be overdone but in the end they were just right and had a good texture. In addition to the shrimp, the risotto had onion & shallots, lemon confit, dry vermouth, arugula, parsley and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano.

The rice was a mixture of arborio, carnaroli, and a third variety, in an effort to clean up my pantry. Probably a heresy, but it came out great.