Pressure cookers have changed a lot since your grandmother's day. They were once noisy, risky, and ineffective, but today's new machines are safe and sleek, and make cooking fabulous meals in no time a snap. In The Ultimate Pressure Cooker Cookbook, Tom Lacalamita's expert advice will guide you through buying and caring for your pressure cooker, and his delicious foolproof recipes are your keys to success.
It is easy to adapt your favorite recipe for use in a pressure cooker. For the most part, soups, stews, braised and slow-roasted meats and poultry, steamed and braised vegetables, dried beans and legumes, and slow-simmered recipes like tomato sauce and fruit preserves, provide the best results. When converting a recipe, always refer to the approximate cooking times at the beginning of each recipe chapter for the type of food being prepared. In addition to giving cooking times, this information also provides guidelines for the amount of cooking liquid required.
When cooking meats and poultry, brown them well in the pressure cooker using at least three tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil or other fat. Saute onions, garlic, or other vegetables called for in the recipe. Add the remaining ingredients and at least three-fourths of a cup of cooking liquid, such as stock, diluted tomato puree, or wine, depending on the length of the cooking time. Bear in mind that the amount of cooking liquid will probably be much less than that needed in traditional cooking, since you will be cooking in a sealed pot for a much shorter period of time, making for less evaporation. You must, however, use sufficient liquid, since the pressure cooker is constantly building steam during the entire cooking process. If you run out of liquid and continue cooking, the food will burn.
Soups are quick and easy to prepare in the pressure cooker. Add beans, meat, poultry, or seafood to the pressure cooker along with any desired vegetables, herbs, and spices. Add the cooking liquid, usually water or stock, filling the pressure cooker no more than two-thirds full. Consult the approximate cooking times at the beginning of each chapter for basic cooking information.
Foods like tomato sauce and fruit preserves cook to perfection in a pressure cooker, saving 50 to 70 percent in cooking time. When preparing tomato sauce, saute finely chopped onion and/or garlic in olive oil. Add and brown the meats as specified in the recipe. Add the strained or pureed tomatoes, filling the pressure cooker only two-thirds full. Position the lid and lock in place. Cook under high pressure, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pressure drop naturally.
To make fruit preserves, prepare the fruit as indicated in your recipe. Place the fruit in the pressure cooker with the desired quantity of sugar. Let sit one hour to release the natural juices of fruit. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Stir well and add the other ingredients as indicated in your recipe. Position lid and lock in place. Cook under high pressure for up to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure drop naturally.
Bear in mind that there are no universal guidelines for converting recipes for pressure-cooker use. Trial and error will come into play until you understand how a pressure cooker cooks. Because it can always be cooled longer, if need be, it is always better to undercook rather than to overcook food.
