Contents
Guide
Photographs
John Lee
Instant Pot
COOKBOOK
THE
CONTENTS
Blueberry-Pecan Cheesecake ()
Spiced Carrot & Cashew Soup ()
IN PRAISE OF THE INSTANT POT
When it comes to the newest craze in kitchen gadgetry, the Instant Pot
has serious staying power. Since the multifaceted countertop kitchen appliance
rst debuted in 2009, it has garnered hundreds of thousands of fans who
enthusiastically applaud its ability to cut cooking time, transform tough cuts
of meat to tender perfection, cook recipe staples like beans and rice in large
quantities, and self-regulate a slew of safety features. Its many ardent admirers
profess that once you begin to understand the Instant Pots most basic functions,
you can retire your slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, and yogurt maker
because it accomplishes all those tasks and morefreeing up a lot of countertop
real estate in the process.
The Instant Pot
can sear, saut, steam, pressure cook, and slow roast all in
one pot, and in hours less than it would take to cook conventionally. A whole
chicken cooks in 25 minutes, paella in under 15 minutes, chili in 30 minutes,
and risotto in 10 minutes without the usual requirement of constant stirring.
Arguably best in the Instant Pot
are large chunks of meatlike pork shoulder
and beef chuckthat cook up every bit as deliciously as in a slow cooker, just a
day or two faster. There are also the sleeper hits of the Instant Pot
surprising
successes like hard-cooked eggs ()that
utilize the pots special attributes to cook perfectly.
The Instant Pot
is as big on avor as it is short on time. The moment the lid
is locked in place and the cooking begins, all the vitamins, minerals, and heady
aromas are trapped in the pot, where they remain until serving, guaranteeing
more healthful, avorful, and satisfying meals. Soups, such as chunky vegetable
chowder (), take on all the nuances of
the ingredients and seasonings with which they are cooked. Classic dishes such
as chicken posole () build to an
easy avor infusion once only achievable from long, slow cooking. With the
following recipes and some knowledge of the Instant Pot's basic functions,
countertop cooking will become your favorite way to put a meal on the table.
All of the Instant Pot
models have
the following cooking program keys,
aka function keys: Manual (on older pots)
or Pressure Cook (on newer pots), Soup/
Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Slow Cook,
Saut, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, and
Steam. All but one model has a Poultry
program; Yogurt is available on most
models; and Cake, Egg, and Sterilize
programs are on only select models.
In this book, the two most commonly
used program keys are Manual/Pressure
Cook, which is equivalent to cooking in a
pressure cooker, and Saut, a non-pressure
setting that allows you to saut, brown,
and simmer foods in the uncovered pot.
The names on the other keys reect their
primary uses, such as Soup/Broth for
preparing everything from thick chowders
to clear stocks, Rice for cooking any type
of white rice, and Meat/Stew for protein-
rich braises. Slow Cook and Yogurt, like
Saut, are non-pressure settings.
The operation keys are used to adjust the
pressure and the cook time for pressure
cooking programs. On most models,
the Pressure button switches between
Low and High pressure and the Adjust
button between Less, Normal, and More
cook time (the default time for each
setting appears in the lighted display).
The - and + buttons are used to override
any default cook time when needed. The
Adjust button is also used to select the
heat level (Less, Normal, and More)
for non-pressure programs.
The LCD display on the panel shows
how much time remains on the selected
program and whether the pot is off or on.
The Keep Warm/Cancel button ends any
cooking program, automatically switching
the pot to the Keep Warm setting. On the
lid is the Pressure Release handle, which
is called Steam Release on some models
and is referred to as the valve in the
recipes in this book. It moves between
Sealing, for bringing up pressure, and
Venting, for releasing pressure.
Once you become accustomed to cooking
with the Instant Pot
, the specialized
functions will become inuitive. As with
most new appliances, the best way to
master the Instant Pot
is simply to use it.
COOKING WITH AN INSTANT POT
The Instant Pot
is available in different models and sizes. Each has
slightly varying attributes, but all accomplish the same basic functions.
THE MODELS
The Instant Pot
is currently available
in three basic models, the Lux, Duo,
Duo Plus, and Ultra. The numbers in
the model names, 60 and 80, refer to
the size of the pot, 6 and 8 quarts
respectively. Each has slightly different
cooking features, with up to fteen
different cooking programs to choose
from, depending on the model. The
recipes in this book were developed
in the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
using the Duo Plus 6Qt Instant Pot
.
INSTANT POT
PRIMER
The Instant Pot
is most commonly used for cooking foods under
pressure. Refer to your pots manual for details on specialized
cooking programs and model-specific instructions.
Using the Pressure Cooking Programs
Instant Pot
pressure cooking starts with these basic steps:
Always add at least 2 cups liquid to the pot when cooking
under pressure. Any less and not enough steam will be
generated.
Put the food to be cooked in the pot, being careful not
to ll it more than two-thirds full.
Cover the pot with the lid, lock the lid in place, and move
the Steam Release handle (the valve) to Sealing.
Press the button for the desired cooking program.
A preset time (Normal) will appear in the lighted display.
You now have 10 seconds to alter the time, selecting either
Less or More or using the - and + keys, or to change
the pressure, using the Pressure button.
Once the 10 seconds have elapsed, the pot will beep
and the lighted display will indicate the cycle has started.
When the cycle has nished, the pot will beep again
and automatically end cooking.
Release the pressure using the natural-release or
quick-release method, then press Keep Warm/Cancel.
When the LCD display goes off, open the lid.
If you are cooking at
3,000 feet and are using
the pressure cooking
programs on your Instant
Pot
, you will need to
increase the cook times
by 5 percent. For every
1,000 feet above 3,000,
increase the cook times
by an additional 5 percent,
