Under Pressure!

Makes me think of that Queen song!

I recently bought a Pressure Cooker - I admit, it did have something to do with Australian Masterchef and the fact that they were using them (the power of advertising I admit).

I bought a Tefal Clipso.  from Peters of Kensington. There were a couple of reasons for buying this one.

1. It had foldable handles.
2. It had a cool locking and unlocking device which I thought was safe.
3. A cook book came with it by Australian author Suzanne Gibbs (Margaret Fultons daughter)

So armed with my trusty credit card and an idle 15 minutes of research I bought this baby and it was duly delivered 2 days later.

I then set about working out how to use it. I had promised my husband that since I had "invested" in this piece of gadgetery that I would use it this week while I was at home.

BUT, since we had people coming to look at the house (it's up for sale) he didn't want me to do anything until after they had been - my husband remembers his mothers pressure cooker and the mess that sometimes occurred.

I believe they have come a long way since - well I hoped so.

So tonight - with my trusty recipe book, a free range chicken and the pressure cooker I set about making my first meal in it!

So the recipe I used was from the The Pressure Cooker Recipe Book (not the most imaginative title but it does what it says on the pack).

I selected Roast Chicken with olive oil and Garlic - but with a couple of changes - well I did read the instruction manual that came with the book and it said you need a minimum of 1 cup of liquid and this recipe didn't have it.

Ingredients

1.7kg chicken (I used 1.8 free range)
1 lemon halved
Salt & pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup oil
500gms new potatoes
1 whole head of garlic - all cloves peeled
A bouquet garni of bay leaf, parsley and thyme
1 cup of white wine (my addition)

Method

With paper towel rub the chicken to dry it and then rub half of a lemon over it and then season with salt and pepper.

Once you have rubbed the chicken with the lemon squeeze it as you will add this later. (Not the chicken but the lemon!)

In the pressure cooker pot place the oil and heat, put the chicken in and brown on all sides. I don't think I brown it enough but I was anxious!

Once browned to your satisfaction, add the garlic, the water, in fact all other ingredients and then quickly put the lid on the pressure cooker and lock and as mine has a timer put that on 22 minutes or 20 if you want. Heat should be high.

Once the pressure has come up and it is hissing the timer (in my case) will automatically start so you know to turn it down to low and then wait.

A whole 20 or so minutes.

I admit I did regularly check it, aware that at any minute the lid could come flying or some other disaster beset me. My husband was worried it would be raw as a normal baked chicken takes 90 minutes.

After the allotted time, the timer went off and so I had to release the pressure.

Again this is rather well designed as you have a dial that you slowly turn round to allow the pressure to be released and the little indicator goes down to tell you it's safe.

I took off the lid - what would I see?

A lovely, already falling of the bone meat and it was cooked, with a wonderful sauce at the bottom.


(Yes this is after I divided up between us - see not as brwn as it could have been)

So I knew I hadn't burnt it - which was good, it wasn't raw, even better.

So I took it out of the pot and placed on a warm plate and covered whilst I attended to the sauce.

I took the bouquet garni out and then the cloves of garlic which I mushed through a strainer and then put the pot back on the heat to reduce a little. You could add a little cream or chicken stock but the white wine made it yummy.



To serve just divide as required, it was so tender it was no problem at all.

I served with mashed sweet potato (kumera) peas and corn and to be honest I didn't do the potatoes.

It tasty moist and succulent, very very tender. The flavours that I added had gone through the chicken.

It was one of the best chickens I have had and in quick time.

I can really see how these are a real time saver.

Will I use it again, yes, will I be more adventorous - absolutely. I have the confidence to give it another go.

Besides it makes puddings!!!

Look at the bones!