Fast and Slow Recipes
I'm planning on trying the Spicy South African Beef Stew With Olives recipe and I'd like to use my stovetop pressure cooker since I don't have an Instant Pot. So far all the pressure cooker recipes that I've made are for a stovetop pressure cooker and I've read that they have to be adjusted for an Instant Pot because the stovetop pressure cooker uses a higher pressure than most Instant Pots. How should I adjust this (and other Instant Pot recipes) for the stove top pressure cooker?
Comments
Hi Chris - Thanks for your question! Since our Fast and Slow cookbook focuses on electric pressure cookers and we didn't test our recipes in a stovetop pressure cooker, I can't offer an exact revision. However, I can give you some general guidelines that should help you. Since stovetop pressure cookers release a small amount of steam as they cook, some amount of evaporation occurs. Electric pressure cookers are so tightly calibrated that they do not release steam at all. This may mean you need to add a little bit more liquid, likely no more than 1/4 cup. This is especially true for recipes that are pressure cooked for more than 30 minutes. I'd say for this recipe a tablespoon or two might be enough. Also, since a stovetop pressure cooker works at higher pressure (usually 15 psi vs. 10-12 psi for electric pressure cookers) they will cook faster than an electric pressure cooker. A general rule is about 3/4 the cooking time of an electric pressure cooker. So, for this recipe that cooks at high pressure for 25 minutes, a stovetop pressure cooker would only take about 18-20 minutes. You will probably have to experiment and use a little bit of trial and error to get it perfect since all stovetop pressure cookers are slightly different. Hopefully these guidelines will help in your efforts! Best, Lynn C.
Thank you, Lynn!
I want to make cider-braised lentils in the new Fast and Slow cookbook. Directions say to add lentils, cider, and two cups water. Water is not mentioned in the ingredients list. Is it three cups cider + two cups water, or one cup cider +two cups water?
Teresa
Hi Teresa - you should add 3 cups of cider and 2 cups of water. We don't list water in our ingredient lists since everyone has water available. Best, Lynn C.
I've made three of the recipes so far, and they've been very good. However, when I made the Austrian beef goulash, I felt the meat interior tasted a little flat. I think if I increase the salt, the result should be better. Will it?
BTW, the goulash recipe was the first time I ever used the flour thickening method cited at the end of the recipe and the no browning meat method. The result surprised me with nuanced flavours and a silky sauce that tasted almost creamy, but had no cream. I really liked the recipe. I have always used green pepper in my goulash, but the dill was a huge surprise in the nicest way. I also was very surprised by the Crimini Miso pasta recipe. I have never used my IP for pasta before and it was a delicious recipe to serve vegetarians with lots of meaty flavour but no meat. Loved it.
In my personal opinion, if you add water to a recipe, include water in the ingredients. Many times, I run over the ingredients to make sure I've included everything. If I misread the text, the ingredients list straightens me out.
Hi Ann - I'm glad you've liked what you've made so far. For the Austrian goulash I think the meat isn't seasoned because their is a fair amount of salt in the low-sodium beef broth that is added to the pressure cooker. However, if you feel like the meat could use more seasoning, feel free to season the meat with salt and pepper before adding it to the pot.
I will pass your thoughts about water in the ingredient list to the editorial department. I actually agree with you!
Best,
Lynn C.
Just love the flavors of recipes we have tried in Milk Street Fast and Slow but a couple of the recipes have had problems with being overdone. The Butter Chicken after 3 hours was partly in shreds and the Cauliflower was mush in 12 minutes. I wondered about the times but trusted the cookbook. Boneless and skinless chicken cut up should be done in a an hour I would say and the cauliflower in about 5 or 6 minutes. Please tell me if my thinking or execution is incorrect.
Thank you.
Dawn Clark
Hi Dawn - I'm so sorry you had issues with a couple of the recipes from Fast & Slow. It sounds like you made the Butter Chicken using the slow cooking instructions, is that correct? I double-checked the recipe and it does specify using the "Low" setting when slow cooking so I just wanted to make sure you used the correct setting on your Instant Pot. If you are pressure cooking the chicken only takes 10 minutes. For the cauliflower, I do know it's really important to ensure the size of the head of cauliflower is between 2 and 2 1/2 pounds. If it's underweight the cauliflower will definitely be overcooked. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.