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The pressure principle

Want to make flavourful classics in double-quick time, and save energy? Then get reacquainted with your pressure cooker, says Catherine Phipps

BEEF OR VENISON CASSEROLE

One of the most useful things about pressure cooking is that less gives you more. In rich red wine casseroles, for example, you need much less alcohol than in a conventional recipe because all the liquid stays in the sealed cooker and intensifies the flavour. This recipe is written as a good blueprint for any meat/alcohol casserole, so you can vary all aspects of it if you keep the liquid levels the same. Any leftovers can be shredded and added to pasta.

BUTTERY TOMATO SOUP

The addition of butter gives the soup a texture and flavour as comforting as the classic canned variety – but it has more depth, is definitely better for you and is not remotely laborious to cook. You can make it with water instead of stock, if you like, and vary the vegetables – try at least to use celery, onion and carrot, but apart from that, most root veg, squashes or bulbs such as fennel will work.

POT-ROAST CHICKEN WITH FREEKEH

Pot-roast chicken can be very simple – a quick browned chicken, a few aromatics and minimal liquid, then 15 minutes on high pressure – but it also lends itself very well to being a complete one-pot meal. Grains work very well but potatoes will sit comfortably around the chicken, even with the longer cooking time.

Serves 4-6

For THE CHICKEN

★ 15g butter

★ 1 tbsp baharat spice

★ 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

★ sea salt

★ 1 chicken, trussed

★ 1 sprig of mint, plus extra to garnish

★ 2 garlic cloves, bruised

For THE POT

★ 1 tbsp olive oil

★ 1 onion, finely chopped

★ 4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped

★ 100g cracked freekeh, soaked for 5 minutes

★ 100g frozen broad beans, defrosted (optional)

★ 200ml chicken stock or water

★ juice of 1 lemon

★ 150g greens (such as cavolo nero)

★ Mix the butter, spice mix and lemon zest with ½ teaspoon of salt and rub over the chicken. Put the mint and garlic inside the chicken cavity. Heat the olive oil in your pressure cooker or in a separate pan and brown the chicken all over.

★ Remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a minute or two, then add the freekeh, broad beans (if using) and stock or water.

★ Return the chicken to the pressure cooker and squeeze over the lemon juice. Bring up to high pressure and cook for 15 minutes, then allow to drop pressure naturally.

★ Remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and cover loosely with foil to rest. Add the greens to the cooker and return to high pressure. Fast release. Spoon the freekeh and greens around the chicken and serve garnished with a little more mint.

SAFFRON AND BAY POACHED PEARS

Not only is this recipe sunshine in a bowl, it will also transform the woodiest of pears into something worth eating. I specify ripe pears here – if you have unripe fruit, add another minute or two to the cooking time. This is a recipe I usually make ahead – preferably overnight – as the colour of the pears intensifies as they infuse.

FOOD

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2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

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