Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 2)

[kayb]

Fascinating. Anxiously awaiting the next installment. 

[Shelby]

Me too!

[FauxPas]

11 hours ago, Anna N said:

No photographs but last night I made the "Perfect Chicken and Rice" from the Hip Pressure Cooking blog.  I was quite disappointed. I will not blame the recipe until I give it one more attempt as there was much going on in my house yesterday causing a number of delays in the whole process.  Like others who mentioned it in the comments section, I was somewhat alarmed at the amount of salt called for and did reduce it but I think it really does need that 3 teaspoons given how much rice is involved (2 cups uncooked).

 

Anna, I am wondering what it was about the dish that was disappointing. Did you use the same chicken pieces as the original recipe? Did you find the skin was odd, even after the final broil? Or was there something else? 

 

I don't really like recipes that require pressure-cooking and then switching to the oven, unless it really adds something unique. And I'm sure there are times that it does. Usually, I'd just prefer to cook them in one or the other. If I need to have the oven on anyway, then I might as well just use the oven for the entire cook-time.

 

And with chicken, I just don't like what happens to the skin after pressure-cooking. Partly because I adore the way chicken skin tastes after steam-baking it in the Cuisi steam oven, probably! 

 

I would use the pressure cooker for some chicken (like a cacciatore) but I'd probably remove the skin.  

 

[blue_dolphin]

OK.  I'm back.  Nice thing about the Instant-Pot is that I was able to run out and leave it alone.  I don't usually leave heat-producing appliances in an "on" position when I leave the house, but all was well.

Here are some of the peels drying on parchment after being boiled in the sugar syrup.  Reserved syrup is in the cup to the left.   The recipe specified cutting the peels about as wide as they are thick so these thin-skinned limes ended up being cut fairly finely.  Hopefully that helped get the bitterness out and sugar in. They taste fine.  There's a slight touch of bitterness, but I like that little tingle on the tongue.  Not unpleasantly bitter at all.

 

After drying for about 15 min, these guys got tossed with regular white granulated sugar.   I packed some of them into a small jar with the syrup in case I want to use them that way.

 

The recipe says to put them in the fridge to dry for 4 hrs - overnight.  Not sure why as other recipes I've read caution against putting them in the fridge.  No room in there anyway so they will dry at RT.  Should be OK.  So Cal isn't overly dry or humid at the moment.  I figure I'll shake off the excess sugar tonight or tomorrow and see if they want another toss in the sugar or look ready to package up.  

 

No final results yet, but overall, very promising.  5 lemons (or limes like I used) isn't a ton of peel so I think it would be easy enough to pilot this out with a small batch even if you don't have lots of peel on hand. You just want all the peels to be submerged in syrup for that final cook.  

 

[kbjesq]

Color me stupid but in what type of recipe would I use this candied citrus peel?  I ask because I've ordered the InstantPot (it should arrive next week) and I have a Meyer lemon tree that is bending over with fruit -- more than I can pawn off on my neighbors and friends.  (Although one friend very cleverly used the Meyer lemons to make Limoncello).  This reminds me of my youth when, overrun with zucchini, we used to drop of bags of zukes on the porches of friends and neighbors and then RUN!  LOL

 

PS  Amazon Warehouse Deals has the InstantPot available in both 5 and 6 qt sizes for $85-$95, FYI.   These are units that have cosmetic blemishes but come with full manufacturer's warranty and the Amazon promise of free return if you are not satisfied.

[blue_dolphin]

5 minutes ago, kbjesq said:

Color me stupid but in what type of recipe would I use this candied citrus peel?

 

I'm sort of embarrassed to admit that I figured I'd try making it first and then worry about what to do with it later!  I've never had good candied lime peel so I want to taste it when it's done and see what I think.

I love to nibble on good candied orange peel, either dipped in dark chocolate or not.  For the lime peels, I may try dipping some in white chocolate or including them in a bark with dried cherries or cranberries and nuts.

I certainly plan to finely chop some and include them in baked goods - cookies, scones, etc. And I think they will make a pretty garnish if I ever get a little springform pan for the IP and try a little lime cheesecake!

[Anna N]

@FauxPas

I used a whole chicken and followed recommendations given in the comments to someone else who did the same. The suggestion was to leave the breast in one piece on the bone and put it as the upper most piece in the IP.  The Issue with that is that when it comes time to broil, the breast is much, much closer to the element than anything else!   2 cups of uncooked rice makes an awful lot of rice!  More than I think could be supported by the amount of seasoning and liquid suggested so that my rice was dry  and not very flavourful. The chicken skin gained little from the broiling step except colour.  As I said I will not dismiss the recipe until I have followed it to a T.  Seems only fair.  But it seemed like more faffing than I like for a pressure cooked dish. Might be a while before I give it a second chance. 

[rotuts]

""  of my youth when, overrun with zucchini, we used to drop of bags of zukes on the porches of friends and neighbors and then RUN!  LOL ""

 

not so IP but some time ago, Alton Brown had a show on Eggplant

 

if you've seen this show, you not only understand a lot about Eggplant but the3 quote above.

[rotuts]

Jacques Pepin recently had a show on candied citrus peel

 

that's what has gotten me interested in the peel from my commercial oranges.

 

when done, in sugar etc  he dipped the ends in melted chocolate.

 

I can see eating them plain.

 

 

[FauxPas]

Last night I did one of the most basic pressure-cooker dishes: a chuck roast. I'm new to pressure cooking as well as to the Instant Pot so it may be that I will be trying things out that are old hat to some of you!  

 

I was absolutely looking forward to pressure-cooking those kinds of cuts and I had a couple of chuck roasts (cut in half) in the freezer from a recent sale. I did a simple no-recipe-needed version with some garlic, onion, beef broth and simple seasonings. 

 

I borrowed a couple of books from the library, including The Great Big Pressure Cooking Book. The authors state "You may not have known it, but a chuck roast is the whole reason you got a pressure cooker." Ha. I did follow the authors' recommendations to brown the roast well (about 10 mins, turning once) and to pressure cook for at least 90 mins, with a slow release.

 

(They emphasize this need for deep browning especially with beef brisket, which I would also like to try. And short ribs, of course. And pork ribs. I see a lot of red meat in our future meals, will definitely have to throw in a few veggie meals, for balance. Heh.  ) 

 

They also insist that slow release is the way to go with these types of meat, else the meat can dry out with the quick release of steam. Has anyone here found that to be true? 

 

By the way, the resulting roast was delicious - definitely one of the best pot roasts I have ever made and I loved the simplicity of doing it in the IP. I considered adding other veggies but decided instead to do a stovetop mixed mash of butternut squash and potatoes and served with some fresh tomatoes. We started scarfing it down before I thought of pics. 

 

Some recipes add veggies way too early for my taste. I'll have to play around with that kind of timing, but definitely adding them later than recommended so they don't turn to mush. 

 

AnnaN, I think I know what you mean about 'more faffing than you like for a pressure-cooked dish!' 

 

I like the idea of the IP for making candied citrus peel - I've made it the stovetop way in the past and it is time-consuming. I just juiced a bunch of tangerines off our tree and thought about keeping some of the peel, but didn't. I wish I had because it might have been nice to try that in the IP. Not sure what tangerine peel would be like, but I think it would be similar to orange. 

 

 

[kbjesq]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I certainly plan to finely chop some and include them in baked goods - cookies, scones, etc. And I think they will make a pretty garnish if I ever get a little springform pan for the IP and try a little lime cheesecake!

OK this I can do, thank you. I happen to have several sizes of springform pans,  including some small ones.  I'm hankering for a crabmeat cheesecake, with candied lemon rind and goat cheese with thyme. I have no recipe, it's just a dream in my mind at the moment! 

[kbjesq]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

If you've seen this show, you not only understand a lot about Eggplant but the3 quote above.

I don't understand this at all, I admit to being dimwitted. (bearing in mind that IMHO there is never too much Eggplant in the world).  Also I stopped watching Alton Brown (or anything affiliated with him) awhile ago. 

[Anna N]

@FauxPas

 

I think I understand what you're saying about vegetables being added too soon to stewed, braised or pressure cooked meat. My solution is to sous vide the vegetables while the meat is in the pressure cooker.  Not sure if you are one of our members who owns a sous vide set up.

 

[gfweb]

21 hours ago, kbjesq said:

  Now if I had just read the  Cuisinart Steam Oven thread before I just bought the Breville Smart Oven. . .  LOL 

 

 

I love the BSO. If it dies,I'd still replace it rather than get the CSO.

 

Now if CSO was bigger....

[kayb]

13 hours ago, kbjesq said:

OK this I can do, thank you. I happen to have several sizes of springform pans,  including some small ones.  I'm hankering for a crabmeat cheesecake, with candied lemon rind and goat cheese with thyme. I have no recipe, it's just a dream in my mind at the moment! 

 

Ask and you shall receive. This is an outstanding crabmeat cheesecake from the Palace Cafe in New Orleans. "click"

[kayb]

13 hours ago, FauxPas said:

...

Some recipes add veggies way too early for my taste. I'll have to play around with that kind of timing, but definitely adding them later than recommended so they don't turn to mush. 

 

,,,

 

Question, as I have not yet used my IP for a pot roast, one of my most-loved cool-weather dinners. I like the flavor of my potatoes, carrots and onions cooked with my roast. At what point would you recommend adding them? And would you do a natural pressure release, then open and add, then bring back to pressure for the remainder of the cook, and natural release again? How long in both phases of the cook? I love an oven braised pot roast, but am anxious to try one via IP.

[Shelby]

I was just going through my cookbooks trying to find the recipe that I used last year for a breakfast casserole (can't find it) and look what I found! 

 

I have no recollection of purchasing this, nor do I remember it being given to me.   Kind of scares me.  I almost bought this a couple of weeks ago.

 

Anyway, I will be perusing to see if any recipes jump out at me.

 

Edited December 19, 2015 by Shelby (log)

[FauxPas]

15 hours ago, Anna N said:

@FauxPas

 

I think I understand what you're saying about vegetables being added too soon to stewed, braised or pressure cooked meat. My solution is to sous vide the vegetables while the meat is in the pressure cooker.  Not sure if you are one of our members who owns a sous vide set up.

 

 

I do have an Anova! And i should use it more often for veggies, I like SV veggies. 

 

[FauxPas]

4 hours ago, kayb said:

 

Question, as I have not yet used my IP for a pot roast, one of my most-loved cool-weather dinners. I like the flavor of my potatoes, carrots and onions cooked with my roast. At what point would you recommend adding them? And would you do a natural pressure release, then open and add, then bring back to pressure for the remainder of the cook, and natural release again? How long in both phases of the cook? I love an oven braised pot roast, but am anxious to try one via IP.

 

Hi kayb, I think I would do a quick release after an initial cook of approx 30 to 60 mins (depending on what you are cooking, stewing beef pieces would be less time than an entire roast) and then add the veggies and do a further 10 to 30 mins, depending on type of veggies and your preference for final veggie texture. I put my onions in from the beginning (and would do the same with celery and garlic), but would prefer to add things like potatoes and carrots later. And I wouldn't cut the veggies too small.  

 

I did the chuck roast for 90 mins, followed by a natural or slow pressure release. There was a nice sauce and the veggies would have been tasty cooked in it, but I wouldn't have wanted to do them for more than 20 mins, I think. I haven't done enough IP cooking to recommend a specific time. 

 

i thought about putting the steaming rack on top of the roast and putting the veggies on it, but that wouldn't have infused them with the other flavours. But it might have kept them from getting quite as soft as they would in the sauce/stock. 

 

But I'm sure some folks would be happy with the results after including the veggies for the entire cook time. Some of it is definitely personal preference. 

[Anna N]

@Shelby

 

Don't feel bad  about the book, Shelby.  Do you know how many times I get a pop-up from Amazon telling me I purchased the book on such and such a date as I attempt to re-purchase it.   Let me tell you it is mighty embarrassing.  This is exponentially worst with my Kindle books.

[MelissaH]

On 12/18/2015 at 2:34 PM, blue_dolphin said:

OK.  There is really no need for these pictures since the ones on the hippressurecooking site are just fine but I took them so here you go.  Limes on the tree:

Note they are turning yellow and falling off into the rosemary underneath.  

 

 

You're teasing me.

[kbjesq]

On 12/19/2015 at 9:39 AM, kayb said:

 

Ask and you shall receive. This is an outstanding crabmeat cheesecake from the Palace Cafe in New Orleans. "click"

Thank you for the link -- and here I thought that I had an original thought for once.  Ha!  I don't think I can wait until Tuesday when my IP arrives so I'll go ahead and make the cheesecake in a regular steam oven (Miele) which I almost never use because it is such a pain in the neck to clean!  I wish that I had never bought that darn thing . . . and it's built into the wall so not only is it useless, it takes up space in my kitchen that could be used for something else.  Sigh.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Anyhow, thanks for the link!

[blue_dolphin]

1 minute ago, MelissaH said:

You're teasing me.

 

Yes, I was!  I grew up in northern NY and still get a kick out of the novelty of my very own citrus trees out back!

 

And IP-related, I candied the peels from some satsuma mandarins (my mandarin tree is still a baby compared with that big old lime, not too many fruit yet) yesterday.  To be dipped in dark chocolate today.

[MelissaH]

8 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Yes, I was!  I grew up in northern NY and still get a kick out of the novelty of my very own citrus trees out back!

 

Remind me in a few months to show you our local CNY apple trees in bloom. Some of those apples will undoubtedly find their way into my IP. And around here, always always always local onions!

 

But you're making me nostalgic for the days when I would visit my grandparents in Florida, and be sent out back to the trees to pick the breakfast juice.

 

These days, I'd definitely be saving all those peels to candy!

[rotuts]

gfweb

 

 

""I love the BSO. If it dies,I'd still replace it rather than get the CSO.

 

Now if CSO was bigger.... ""

 

how ever, its the finest toaster ever made

 

just for that

 

you do need to get high quality fresh bread, with good crumb

 

at 179   ie free

 

at 200  nice

 

at 225  as steal

 

the BVXL  which I have

 

bakes its bread

 

not llke the CSB

 

Im having a Most Delicious slice of sour dough bread  Just now

 

from the CSB