Description
Product Description
The ultimate in pressure cooker books--with 500 recipes for breakfasts, soups, mains, grains, vegetables, and desserts--each adapted for stovetop or electric models, such as Instapot.The old-fashioned pressure cooker has been rediscovered by modern home cooks, both for its quick-cooking powers (dried beans are perfectly soft in 35 minutes; risottos are tender in 20 minutes) and for its ability to infuse foods with intense flavor (carrots become sweeter, meat more savory).
The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book has recipes for every device, stovetop and electric, no matter the manufacturer.
Whether you're seeking an adventurous array of spices, found in dishes such as Cherry Chipotle Pulled Chicken or Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple and Ginger, or pure comfort food, like French Toast Bread Pudding or Classic Pot Roast and Potatoes, you'll find the perfect recipe--each labeled by level of ease--to feed your family. This is the only pressure cooker book you'll ever need.
About the Author
BRUCE WEINSTEIN and MARK SCARBROUGH are the creators of
The
Great American Slow Cooker Book as well as the bestselling
Ultimate Cookbook series (on subjects as diverse as pizza, ham, candy, shrimp, and peanut butter),
Goat: Meat, Milk, Cheese, and
Grain Mains. They were nominated for a James Beard Award in 2011 and are regular contributors to WeightWatchers.com and
Eating Well, Cooking Light, and
the Washington Post.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
chapter 1
Breakfast
Who digs a pressure cooker out of the cabinet on a busy Tuesday morning? Not us—but we do get it out for a Saturday mid- morning breakfast or any time we have weekend guests in from New York City. Or on the holidays when we’ve got a house full of family. Or during busy photo shoots when we want a hot breakfast. Come to think of it: we’ve probably pulled out the pressure cooker on a Tuesday morning.
Using a pressure cooker for breakfast isn’t just about faster cooking; it’s also about better cooking. Toast is fast. A pressure cooker layers depths of flavor in breakfast casseroles and compotes, hashes, and even porridges, all without much effort.
Take steel-cut oats. Yes, they’re done in minutes under pressure, as opposed to a long simmer in a saucepan. But they’re also done better: they not only take on the vaunted creaminess that long-cooking affords but also pick up more flavor from the surrounding liquid and dried fruit.
Retaining a bit of firmness underneath the velvety luxury, they end up with better texture and a more intense flavor. They’re definitely more satisfying than any microwave fare.
You may also be surprised at how pressure cooks eggs: the whites stay creamy and delicate; the yolks, set to your preference. At this point, we can’t imagine making soft-boiled eggs any other way.
Of course, there’s a “but” or two: pay attention to the stated release in these recipes and follow the instructions carefully. Some grains get foamy under pressure and will spurt out of the pressure valve if you attempt a quick release when a natural one is called for. Others need a bit of time under a natural release so they can absorb moisture and get tender without going gummy.
Most whole grains need to be presoaked. And be prepared to eat when breakfast is ready. Many of these dishes aren’t forgiving: bread puddings can get dry; eggs can turn tough. So make the coffee, set the table, and prepare the breakfast recipe as the last task in the list. Listen, that’s not a bad thing. If ever a meal called for efficiency, it’s breakfast. The day awaits!
One more thing: we’ve adjusted the Effort label in this first chapter. That is, recipes that might have been marked “a little” in a subsequent chapter are labeled “a lot” of effort here. Given that we stumble around half blind before our second cup of coffee, we sometimes think melting butter in the morning qualifies as heroic.
So here are some fine hot cereals, breakfast b
Features
- Clarkson Potter