Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)

[mgaretz]

On 9/28/2018 at 10:26 AM, MelissaH said:

What is the consensus on the best way to do hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot? I did a search, and found it frustrating to find what I'm looking for given that the search doesn't understand abbreviations.

 

FWIW, I have US size Large eggs, and they're currently in the refrigerator.

 

I have done 4 minutes high pressure, 4 minutes release, then ice water.  Have done this 5 times with consistent results. 

[Smithy]

How does one determine the proper amount of liquid to add when cooking pasta in the Instant Pot? Twice now I've cooked a pasta dish based on the Pressure Cooker Chicken Bacon Penne Pasta from Pressure Cooking Today. The first time I followed it fairly closely; the ingredients include raw chicken and bacon, both of which need to be cooked, so using the IP (or another pressure cooker) makes sense. This week I was really jonesing for macaroni and cheese with ham and broccoli, and used the same recipe as a template for times, although the only thing that needed cooking ahead of time was the garlic. (Um, please ignore the fact that this recipe is more nearly an Alfredo sauce than the bechamel for a proper mac and cheese. I did. I won't again. )

 

The recipe says to add enough water to cover the pasta, then pressure cook for 3 minutes with rapid release afterward. The first time, the pasta was slightly overcooked. The second time it was nearly mush. 

 

I don't disparage the original recipe, because the flavors as it is originally written are quite good. However, the pasta/water/time ratio seems too vague for me. Has anyone worked out a weight ratio for pasta/water for pressure cooking? What about time? Next time I'm going to try 2 minutes, rapid release and hope that's enough to cook the chicken.

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

How does one determine the proper amount of liquid to add when cooking pasta in the Instant Pot? 

This might interest you although I am not giving it any experiential kudos.  I haven’t cooked a lot of pasta any way for a while but if I were to do so I think I would start at that link. 

[Smithy]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

This might interest you although I am not giving it any experiential kudos.  I haven’t cooked a lot of pasta any way for a while but if I were to do so I think I would start at that link. 

 

Thank you for that. She, in turn, links to an article at Hip Pressure Cooking that gives additional information. The especially useful bit that Laura Pazzaglia adds is that low pressure is the better cooking option if available on the machine.

[Anna N]

4 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Thank you for that. She, in turn, links to an article at Hip Pressure Cooking that gives additional information. The especially useful bit that Laura Pazzaglia adds is that low pressure is the better cooking option if available on the machine.

And I had a quick read through the comments and was taken by the one that suggested rinsing the pasta first to reduce the foam. 

[MelissaH]

On 9/28/2018 at 1:34 PM, Shelby said:

The following method has never failed me:

 

Large eggs directly from fridge

 

1 C. water in the IP

Place eggs on the grate thingy that came with the IP

Close lid and vent

Low pressure

5 minutes

Natural release

Place eggs in ice/cold water

This is what I did for my first attempt. The eggs peeled easily, and did not have any green ring. The yolks were maybe a touch drier than would be ideal, but it didn't matter as I was glomming them up with mayo etc. to turn them into egg salad. Next time I might try setting a timer for 5 minutes and popping the valve after that.

[lemniscate]

I just recently used this method with a 1lb box of cellentani and I had pretty good results.  I don't remember if I use low or high pressure setting though.  There was a bit more "spitting" of moisture out of the release valve but I just used a towel to keep it from splattering around too much.  

[Smithy]

50 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

I just recently used this method with a 1lb box of cellentani and I had pretty good results.  I don't remember if I use low or high pressure setting though.  There was a bit more "spitting" of moisture out of the release valve but I just used a towel to keep it from splattering around too much.  

 

So, yet a third method.  Thanks for the link. 

 

One thing that puzzles me about this is the note about proportions: she says 4 cups of water for 1 pound of pasta, then says that for a different amount of pasta one should use "just enough water to cover the pasta" in the pot. It seems to me that the amount of water to cover will depend on the size of the IP as well as the configuration of the pasta. I guess I'll have to do some measuring and testing.

 

Hmm.  Has anyone tried the pot-in-pot method for pasta cooking?

[FrogPrincesse]

Coq au vin rosé from Melissa Clark’s Dinner in an Instant. I really enjoyed this. The chicken was a bit firm but I think that it had more to do with the quality of the chicken than the recipe itself. The recipe took about 90 minutes to make total, so it’s doable on a week night. 

 

 

[rotuts]

@FrogPrincesse

 

Coq au vin

 

Yikes !  that looks so delicious !

 

not so sure on the Rose  ( sorry no accent )

 

but dry w/o oak is fine for me , even fruity !

 

Ill have to get that book from the Library.

 

Ive made CoVin so many times in the past

 

I guess I have to get my derry-air

 

in gear for looking this over again

 

now that its cooler 

 

etc  

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

@rotuts With rosé it’s a lot lighter obviously. I got some citrus notes even though there is no citrus in the recipe, from the reduced wine.

I’ve enjoyed cooking from the book so far! The recipes are quite nice.

Edited October 7, 2018 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Here is my favorite recipe from the book, the one I have made regularly and that is worth getting the book for - Duck Confit!

 

It is pretty much perfection. My butcher has really good duck and the resulting confit tastes better than store-bought confit in my opinion. The only trick is that the pressure cooker tends to overheat after the sauté step, so I have to unplug it for about 10 minutes before it lets me start the pressure cooking option (otherwise I get the dreaded “hot” error message, and it doesn’t start).

 

 

 

[rotuts]

@FrogPrincesse

 

thanks !

 

Ill have to look that book over again

 

I think Melissa Clark

 

has some interesting ideas

 

etc.

 

Id say this :

 

Ive actually made my Own Rose.

 

a bit of very decent Red and some very decent White

 

just saying

 

if the WineMaster can blend ?

 

why can't I ?

 

of course 

 

that demands some Reserve 

 

dans le refrigerator

 

rare 

 

but from time to time !

 

thanks

[saluki]

Enjoyed the Vietnamese Caramel Salmon from that book...was surprised that the only liquid called for was about the 6 tablespoons called for for in the sauce....was delicious.

I liked the book enough to order the sequel:  Comfort in an Instant ....due out Oct 16.  My library doesn't seem to have it on order.

[FauxPas]

Target is selling an Instant Pot stand. Well, they just call it a Round Metal Utility Cart, but the review section is filled with Instant Pot comments and photos, like this:

 

[FauxPas]

Having problems editing the above post, but wanted to add that some reviews are gushing, like this one:

Quote

Bought this for my 6 quart Instant Pot Ultra and it’s many accessories. My old kitchen has very few outlets but now I can store my Instant Pot and wheel the cart to the outlet. I love this cart!!!!!! Used to keep the Instant Pot on my small table which is near an outlet. My table is free again for prep! I love this cart! It should be sold as an Instant Pot accessory along with the steamers, various pans and other utensils.

 

So, no excuse for some of us not to set up an extra Instant Pot, right?   

 

Seriously, it doesn't look like a bad way to store an IP and its accessories if you have just a little bit of space. 

[ElsieD]

Korean Short Ribs done in the 6 qt. and Spicy Sesame Noodles and Vegetables done in the 3 qt.  I actually got the timing right such that both were ready for tonight's dinner at the same time.  That doesn't always happen.

[Okanagancook]

I made squid/tomato soup.  Sautéed the onions and celery.  Put in the curry paste.  Added the squid rings.  Then in went the last of my garden tomatoes which had been put through a food mill.  A little rice, then cooked on HP for 20 minutes.  Very nice and so easy.

[Smithy]

Hatch green chiles (of 2 different heat levels), chorizo, potatoes, roasted red peppers, frozen corn, shredded cheese, homemade salsa and a couple of flour tortillas found their way into the Instant Pot today. It went along the lines of a strata, with everything layered. When I decided that enough layers had gone into the pot, I added a touch of liquid in case it was all too solid for pressure cooking, locked the lid, set it for 35 minutes on high pressure, and walked away. Some 2.5 hours after the cooking function was done, we ate. That "Keep warm" function has its uses.

 

 

There was minimal cleanup needed, and the "adjustment" condiments (hot sauce, Worcestershire, etc.) at the table were ignored. "You wrote all this down, right?" asked my darling. "Yes, of course I did," I replied. We both snickered. Chalk up another to the Journal of Irreproducible Results.

[rotuts]

Id like some suggestions for Web sites w quality Rx's for they iPot

 

I friend w some kitchen skills , but very little Rx imagination is getting an iPot

 

along w the Hip pressure cooking  cookbook

 

Ive recommended to him :

 

https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-recipes/

 

what web sites for quality iPot Rx's do you refer to over and over ?

 

id like to recommend a few more for.

 

he is going to make brisket first think , although your favorite sites need not have an Rx for this.

 

I sent him a Google search for  instant pot brisket 

 

thanks

[Smithy]

@rotuts, I would also recommend Pressure Cooking Today.

[ElsieD]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

@rotuts, I would also recommend Pressure Cooking Today.

 

I follow this as well.

[lemniscate]

@rotuts  Dad Cooks Dinner and This Old Gal have been useful to me for Instant Pot recipes.

[divalasvegas]

Hello all. I've had my eye on an Instant Pot for quite sometime, especially reading here how so many of you are fans of this appliance.

 

So........... I got one! Specifically, this one:

 

https://www.qvc.com/Instant-Pot-6-qt-Viva-9-in-1-Digital-Pressure-Cooker-w-Accessories.product.K48180.html?sc=SRCH

 

I purchased this from QVC, but for $50.00 less than the $129.00 shown in this link and, being on a tight budget, used their installment plan to get it home for one sixth the total price. I think it was a good deal.

 

Anyway, I've had my new toy for three weeks and have yet to cook one thing in it! Go figure😏. I have been reading the Instant Pot topic off and on for years and just had a few questions:

 

Does anyone have this version? BTW, just in case this link evaporates, the one I have is the Six Quart Instant Pot Viva 9 in 1.

 

Are the many recipes here for the Instant Pot interchangeable from one version to the next?

 

Although I mostly cook just for myself, I love making large batches of food and freeze in meal sized portions such as meatballs and sauce, curries, bean soups, large pots of greens, etc. Are there any recipes you all would recommend not making in the Instant Pot and why?

 

How have you adapted your own recipes from stove top to Instant Pot pressure cooking?

 

I am sure some of these answers are included in this topic but since it's several years old and on Part Five, I was hoping to get some guidance here.

 

Thanks!

 

Forgot to add--not that it makes a bit of difference in cooking--but I ordered it in PURPLE! They call it Eggplant but it's straight up purple!

 

Edited October 30, 2018 by divalasvegas
Typo and additional superfluous comments. (log)

[mgaretz]

4 hours ago, divalasvegas said:

Does anyone have this version? BTW, just in case this link evaporates, the one I have is the Six Quart Instant Pot Viva 9 in 1.

 

Are the many recipes here for the Instant Pot interchangeable from one version to the next?

 

It appears to be identical to The Duo Plus, except it has an LED display vs LCD (and has color options).  Cooking functions all appear to be the same.

 

Most recipes for the IP are written using only Pressure Cook (aka Manual) mode, so they should be interchangeable, assuming you take size into account.  I have the 8 qt Duo Plus and the only difference I see vs the more common 6 qt (other than obvious capacity difference) is the minimum recommended amount of liquid.  The 6 qt recipes say 1 cup whereas the 8 qt say 2 cups.  I attribute this to the increased surface area of the 8 qt so as to prevent any dry spots, but I have done recipes with 1 cup or less without any issues.