*PC Vulcan Chicken

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 20.)


The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 200 g (or 7 oz) of salt pork
• 1 medium onion, weighing approximately 350 g (or 12  oz)
• 2 to 5 carrots, weighing approximately 570 g (or 1¼ lb)
• 6 shallots, weighing approximately 170 g (or 6 oz)
• 4 garlic cloves, weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• 1 chicken, cut into serving-size pieces (or the equivalent weight of chicken legs or breasts)
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 300 ml (or 1¼ cups) of white wine
• 230 g (or 1 cup) of French green lentils, preferably imported from the origin: Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, France
• 240 ml (or 1 cup) of chicken broth, preferably home-made
• 15 g (or ½ oz) of fresh herbs, or the dried equivalent (I used rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves)
• 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons) of Dijon mustard
• Cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Dice the salt pork finely.
2. Cut the onion into 1-cm (or ⅜-inch) cubes.
3. Peel and slice the carrots into rounds.
4. Peel the shallots and slice them in half across the rings.
5. Peel and crush the garlic cloves or force them through a garlic press.
6. Tie the herbs together with a piece of string.
7. Cut the chicken into about 12 pieces: 2 wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 4 to 6 serving-size sections of breast. 
8. Wash the chicken pieces, pat them dry, and season them with the black pepper.
   
9. Place the base of the pressure cooker on the stove and add enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
10. Heat the pan to medium, and add the salt pork.
    
11. Stir the salt pork frequently and cook until it turns a golden brown.
12. Remove the salt pork and set it aside.
    
13. Pour off all you can of the rendered pork fat and return the pan to the stove.
14. If necessary, add a little more olive oil then place the onion, carrot, and shallot into the pan and stir frequently until the onion is translucent.
15. Add the garlic and stir frequently until it starts to smell toasty.
16. Remove the vegetables and set them aside.
17. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, to the pan and allow them to brown for several minutes before turning them and browning them on the other side also.
18. Add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. 
19. Add the lentils, salt pork, vegetables, chicken broth, herbs, and about one-third of the mustard and stir briefly.
    
20. Following manufacturer's instructions, cover the pressure cooker and cook the chicken at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 12 minutes.
21. Following manufacturer's instructions, reduce pressure as quickly as possible.
22. Remove the lid, and return the pressure cooker base to medium heat on the stove; simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes to reduce and thicken the liquid.
    
23. Remove the herbs and add the remainder of the mustard, stirring to distribute it evenly.

The Story:

This is an adaptation of a recipe by Katrina Woodman on taste.com.au.

*PC Artichauts Vinaigrettes

*Pressure Cooker

Menu Notes:

• The smaller the artichoke, the shorter the time in the pressure cooker. I don't like to use artichokes much smaller than 10 to 12 oz because trimming them takes so long that I'd rather do just one big one per person.
• Large artichokes can be carefully cut in half vertically after they have cooled, and the chokes scraped out with a table knife or spoon. That way, 4 artichokes can serve 8 people.

The Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1 lemon
• 4 jumbo artichokes, each weighing approximately 350 g (or 12 oz)
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of powdered garlic
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 35 ml (or 2½ tablespoons) of balsamic vinegar
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of cooking grade olive oil
• (or ½ teaspoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• 5 bay leaves

The Method:

1. Wash the lemon, halve it, and put it aside.
2. Remove the stems from each artichoke immediately below the outermost leaves, making a flat surface for each one to stand on.

3. Pull or cut off all of the outer leaves that are less than three-quarters the height of the artichoke, and trim the base of their stubs.

4. Rub the cut surfaces with one piece of the cut lemon.
5. Turn each artichoke on its side and cut off the top one-quarter of the artichoke. Using kitchen shears, cut off the thorny tops of any leaves that escaped the cut.
6. Rub the cut surfaces with the same piece of lemon.

7. With your thumbs, pull all of the leaves outward from the center of the artichoke so that there is space between the layers. Inspect for and remove any insects or dirt that may be there.
8. Stand the artichokes in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
9. Squeeze the juice out of both pieces of lemon, and cut the skin into 4 pieces.
10. Drizzle the lemon juice evenly into the artichokes, and place the lemon peels around the bottom of the pressure cooker.
11. Sprinkle one-quarter of the powdered garlic over each artichoke.
12. Sprinkle one-quarter of the salt over each artichoke.
13. Drizzle 7 ml (or ½ tablespoon) of balsamic vinegar into each artichoke and pour the remainder into the center of the pressure cooker.
14. Drizzle 20 ml (or 1½ tablespoon) of olive oil into each artichoke and pour the remainder into the center of the pressure cooker.
15. Peel the garlic cloves and distribute them around the bottom of the pressure cooker.
16. Place a few bay leaves in the bottom of the pressure cooker.

17. Pour 240 ml (or 1 cup) of water into and around the artichokes in the pressure cooker.
18. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and, following the manufacturer's instructions, cook the artichokes at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 13 minutes, then use the recommended method to reduce the pressure as quickly as possible.
19. Remove the artichokes to a serving platter and, if necessary, boil down the liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker.

20. Cool the liquid, strain it, and either pour it over the cooked artichokes or serve it on the side.
21. Provide empty bowls on the table for the inedible undersides of the leaves and the aptly named chokes.

The Story:

I ate my first steamed artichoke in my mid-twenties, at a friend's house in San Francisco. I was fascinated by the ritual of tearing off one leaf at a time, dipping in mayonnaise, raking the soft meat off with my teeth, working it down to the choke, shelling out the choke with a knife, and finally reaching the toothsome heart. I liked everything, even the mayonnaise. When I started cooking them myself, I wanted to add condiments during the steaming process, and for years half-boiled, half-steamed them in lemony water with some oil added. This transferred wonderfully to a pressure cooker method, because minimal water is necessary for the cooking, and flavors—of course I added more—are more easily absorbed by the vegetable.

Artichaut Vinaigrette with my Turkey Gobbler, also on this blog

*PC Lamb Shank Soup

*PC Lamb Shank Soup garnished with a sauce made from garlic, salt, chèvre, and goat milk

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 14.)


The Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• 70 g (or ½ cup) of bulgur
• 2 medium onions, weighing approximately 450 g (or 1 lb)
• 4 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 15 g (or ½ oz)
• 2 or 3 carrots, weighing approximately 225 g (or 8 oz)
• 2 sticks of celery, weighing approximately 170 g (or 6 oz)
• 6 sprigs of fresh oregano (or the equivalent dried)
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or the equivalent dried)
• 1 small bunch of fresh parsley, preferably the flat-leaf variety
• 4 lamb shanks weighing approximately 1.4 kg (or 3 lb)
• 20 g (or ½ tablespoon) of cinnamon powder
• 700 ml (or 3 cups) of beef stock or consommé
• 25 ml (or 1½ tablespoons) of tomato paste
• Cooking grade olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

The Method:

1. At least 3 hours before serving the soup, soak the bulgur in 350 ml (or 1½ cups) of hot water and let it stand for at least 1 hour.
   
   
2. About 1½ hours before serving the soup, prep the vegetables by first dicing the onion.
3. Finely dice, crush, or grind the garlic cloves.
4. Peel the carrots and cut them into bite-size pieces.
5. Cut the celery into fine slivers.
6. Wash and finely chop the oregano, rosemary, and parsley.
7. Wash, trim if necessary, and pat dry the lamb shanks.
8. Lightly season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
   
9. Heat the pan of a pressure cooker over medium-high heat and pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
10. Place the seasoned lamb shanks into the pan and brown them on all sides.
    
11. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and cinnamon powder.
12. Stir until the onions are starting to wilt.
13. Immediately add the beef broth, tomato paste, oregano, rosemary, and parsley, and 10 cups of water.
    
14. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and, following the manufacturer's instructions, cook the lamb shanks and vegetables at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 40 minutes.
15. Allow the pressure to recede gradually.
16. Remove the lid, and add the bulgur to the soup.
17. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes without the lid on to cook the bulgur.
    

*PC Coq au Vin

*PC Coq au Vin served with Smashing Cauliflower, also on this blog,
and steamed asparagus

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in steps 24 and 37.)

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 600 ml (or 20 oz) of a dry red wine
• 1 small onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 large carrots
• 3 to 5 cloves of garlic
• 6 g (or 2 teaspoons) of whole black peppercorns
• 1 chicken, weighing approximately 2.3 kg (or 5 lb)
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of thick-cut bacon
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of shallots
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 14 g (or ½ oz)
• 4 to 8 sprigs of thyme
• 4 to 8 sprigs of parsley, preferably flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 4 bay leaves
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of chicken broth
• 25 g (or 3 tablespoons) of garbanzo bean (chick pea) flour
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of mushrooms
• 12 to 15 small boiling onions, weighing approximately 450 g (or 1 lb)
• 28 g (or 2 tablespoons) of butter
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. The day before you intend to cook the coq, make a marinade by first pouring the red wine into a medium size saucepan.
2. Peel the onion, carrots, and the 3 to 5 cloves of garlic.
3. Roughly chop the onion, celery, carrots and garlic, and add them to the wine in the pan.
4. Add the peppercorns to the pan.
5. Bring the marinade mixture to a boil and simmer it for 5 minutes.
6. Allow the marinade to cool, then add 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of olive oil.
7. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into sections: wings, drumsticks, thighs, and breast pieces. The breast pieces can be boneless or with ribs still attached.
8. Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces.
9. Add together the chicken pieces and the cooled marinade. (I like to marinate in a ziploc plastic bag, pressing out the air before sealing it.)
   
   
   
   
10. Place the marinating chicken into the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
11. About 2 hours before you plan to eat, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and, using a colander or large sieve, strain off the liquid part of the marinade into a bowl. 
    
12. Pick out the chicken pieces and place them on a rack or paper towels to drain and dry and reserve the marinade vegetables.
13. Cut the bacon into thin slices across the grain.
14. Finely slice the shallots and the 2 to 3 cloves of garlic.
15. Pour enough oil into the bottom part of the pressure cooker to lightly coat it, and turn the heat to medium-high.
16. Add the bacon bits and stir them almost constantly until they render most of their fat and turn golden brown.
17. Remove the bacon bits from the pressure cooker and set them aside.
18. Pour off most of the rendered fat.
19. Replace the pressure cooker on the burner over medium-high heat, and place the chicken pieces, skin-side down in the pan.
20. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides.
21. Add the marinade vegetables into the pan and stir to brown them slightly. 
22. Add the marinade liquid into the pan and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker.
23. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and chicken broth and give a quick stir to distribute them evenly throughout.
    
24. Following manufacturer's instructions, cover the pressure cooker and cook the chicken at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 5 minutes.
25. Allow the pressure to recede gradually.
26. Meanwhile, place the garbanzo bean flour into a small bowl and add enough water to make a thin slurry. Allow it to sit while continuing with the following steps.
27. Plunge the boiling onions into a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, then drain them.
    
28. When they are cool enough to handle, cut off the tops and bottoms, and remove their outer skins.
29. Wash the mushrooms and, if they are large, cut them into bite-size pieces.
30. In a large skillet, melt the butter in an equal amount of olive oil over medium-high heat.
31. Add the mushrooms and turn them constantly until they absorb the oil. 
32. When the mushrooms begin to render back the oil, add the onions and brown them with the mushrooms, then turn off the heat.
    
33. Open the pressure cooker and remove the chicken pieces into a serving dish.
34. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard all of the vegetables and herbs from the cooking liquid.
35. Add the reserved garbanzo bean paste to the cooking liquid, place the mixture back on the burner on high heat, and stir until it thickens slightly.
36. Add the reserved bacon bits, mushrooms, and boiling onions to the cooking mixture.
37. Following manufacturer's instructions, cover the pressure cooker and cook them at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 5 minutes.
38. Following the manufacturer's instructions, bring the pressure back to normal rapidly.
39. Pour the contents of the pressure cooker over the chicken pieces.

The Story:

The basis for this method is a recipe for "Classic Coq Au Vin" on the epicurious.com web site. The pressure cooker saves braising time (but not, alas, prep time), while maintaining the deep, rich, goodness of this classic dish.

*PC Chick-Chick

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 18.)

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 250 g (or 1¼ cup) of lentils (I used channa dal, or dried baby chick peas)
  
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of salt pork
• 1 medium onion weighing approximately 225 g (or 8 oz)
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of carrots
• 1 chicken weighing approximately 1.8 kg (or 4 lb)
• 55 g (or 2 oz) of parsley (preferably the flat-leaf Italian parsley)
• 1 g (or 1 tablespoon) of dried tarragon
• 5 bay leaves
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 60 ml (or ¼ cup) of sherry
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Six hours before you plan to serve the Chick-Chick, place the lentils in a medium size saucepan, cover with two or more inches of water, and bring the pot to a boil.
2. When the lentils have boiled for one minute, remove the pot from the heat, place a cover on the pan, and allow the lentils to soak until you are ready for step 11, below.
3. About 2 hours before you plan to serve, prepare the other ingredients by first cutting the salt pork into thin slices and then into approximately 1-cm (or ¾-inch) pieces.
4. Dice the onion.
5. Finely dice or grind the garlic cloves.
6. Peel and chop the carrots into bite-size pieces.
7. Wash the chicken thoroughly, pat it dry, and chop it into about 12 bone-in pieces—wings, thighs, drumsticks, 4 to 6 breast pieces, and the lower spine piece.
   
8. Wash the parsley, tie the stems together with twine, and cut the stems off the bunch.
9. Pour enough olive oil into the pressure cooker to coat the bottom, and heat it over medium-high heat.
10. When the oil is hot, sauté the salt pork until it is browned and slightly crisp.
11. Meanwhile, drain the soaked lentils in a colander and rinse them in cold water to remove all of the soaking water.
12. When the salt pork is browned, add the chicken pieces to the pressure cooker and brown them on all sides.
    
    
    
    
13. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent.
14. Add the carrots and drained lentils, and stir to coat them with the olive oil.
15. Add 300 ml (or 1¼ cup) of water.
16. Add to the pressure cooker the parsley stems, tarragon, and bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and stir to distribute them in the mixture.
17. Lock the lid onto the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions, and turn the heat to high.
18. Cook the chicken and lentil mixture in the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions for 15 minutes at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) .
19. Meanwhile, chop the parsley leaves finely and set them aside.
20. When the pressure has subsided, remove the chicken pieces from the pressure cooker and set them aside.
21. Remove the parsley stems from the mixture and discard them.
22. Add the sherry to the lentil mixture, stirring to distribute it throughout.
23. With the lid off the pressure cooker, return the lentil mixture to the stove and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes more, or until it becomes thickened and creamy in texture.
24. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, add the parsley leaves, and stir gently to distribute them evenly throughout.
    

*PC Muchi Chicken Curry

*PC Muchi Chicken Curry with Smashing Cauliflower, mango chutney, and curd

* Pressure cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 14.)

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 200 g (or 1 cup) of chana dal
• 4 large cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• a piece of ginger root weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• a piece of turmeric root weighing approximately 15 g (or ½ oz)
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of Cayenne pepper
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of paprika
• 1 lb of curly kale
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of medium size carrots
• 2 onions, weighing approximately 550 g (or 1¼ lb)
• 5 g (or ½ tablespoon) of whole cumin seed
• 12 g (or 2 tablespoons) of curry powder (my current favorite is muchi style)
• 6 g (or 2 tablespoons) of ground coriander seed
• 1.3 kg (or 3 lb) of chicken drumsticks
• a 400-g (or 14-oz) can of diced tomatoes, or the equivalent prepared from fresh tomatoes
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. At least 5 hours before serving the curry, place the chana dal in a medium mixing bowl and pour in water to cover the dal by 3 inches.
2. When you are ready to start cooking, first grind together (or grate and mix together) the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt to make a pungent paste.
   
3. Next, in a small bowl or saucer, mix together the Cayenne, the paprika, and 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of water to make a spicy paste. (Ground chili may be substituted for Cayenne pepper if you prefer it.)
4. Wash the kale and cut the stem out of each leaf. Discard the stems and put the kale aside.
   
5. Peel the carrots, wash them, and chop them into bite-size pieces
6. Peel the onions and cut them into thin slices or small cubes.
7. Heat a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
8. Add the onions and cumin seeds, and sauté them over medium-high heat until the onions start to brown.
9. Add the pungent paste from Step 2, spicy paste from Step 3, curry powder, and coriander powder and stir vigorously for 1 minute.
   
10. Add the chicken drumsticks and continue to stir until they are coated with the spices and the skin is beginning to look seared.
11. Add the tomatoes, kale, and carrot to the cooker, and 250 ml (or 1 cup) of water.
12. Drain the dal, rinse it in the sieve, then add it to the mixture in the pan.
    
13. Stir everything together, scraping up any spices that may be sticking on the bottom of the pan.
14. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and, following the manufacturer's instructions, cook the curry at high pressure for 15 minutes (100 kPa, or 15 psi).

*PC Stout Corned Beef

*Pressure cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 8.)

The Ingredients (for 4 to 5 servings):

• 1.2 kg (or 2½ lb) of corned beef brisket
• 10 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 30 g (or 1 oz)
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of whole black peppercorns
• 6 g (or 1 tablespoon) of whole mustard seeds
• 6 g (or 1 tablespoon) of whole celery seeds
• 3 g (or ½ tablespoon) of whole fennel seed
• 2.5 (or 1 teaspoon) of Cayenne pepper powder
• 2 bottles of stout ale

The Method:

1. Thoroughly rinse the corned beef in the steamer basket of the pressure cooker, discarding any spices that were in the package with it.
   
2. Lightly crush the garlic cloves and remove the skins.
3. Place the peppercorns, mustard seeds, celery seeds, fennel seed, Cayenne powder, and garlic cloves into the bottom of the pressure cooker pan.
4. Pour in the stout and heat the pressure cooker pan until the stout begins to boil.
   
   
   
   
5. Turn down the heat and simmer the stout-and-spice mixture for 5 minutes.
6. Place the steamer basket into the pressure cooker on top of the spices.
7. Pour water into the pressure cooker to cover the corned beef by at least 2 inches.
   
8. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and, following the manufacturer's instructions, cook the corned beef at high pressure for 50 minutes (100 kPa, or 15 psi). 
9. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat, and allow the pressure to subside gradually.
10. Remove the lid and allow the steamer basket to cool before lifting it out of the pressure cooker. 

The Story:

This is a slightly spicier version of a recipe I found on a web site that publishes much advice on pressure cooking. It reduces the cooking time from 3 or 4 hours to just under one hour. And the added spices are a big improvement on the few and insipid spices in the corned beef packages that are available to me.

This is one of the side dishes in my St. Patrick's Day 2016 menu.

*PC Stout Corned Beef, Caraway Cabbage, Two-Root Hash,
and Dijon Mustard