How To Make Luxurious Food With An Instant Pot

Following the success of the Instant Pot there have been many guides to using them in different ways. For students, for families and even for outdoor use when camping. What about making luxurious meals in them though?

 The whole point of an Instant Pot is making meals at home a breeze and easy to do. But does that mean that you have to eat boring stew and soup all the time? 

What meals can an Instant Pot handle?

Chicken is one thing the pot cooks very well. It can even cook a whole chicken without any problem. It leaves the chicken moist and tender and if you prefer the skin to be crispy then a quick visit to the grill will sort that out. Roast beef works particularly well too as does a nice tender beef stroganoff. It can help you prepare meals for dining at home easily with minimum fuss.

Classic recipes in short time

Coq au Vin is a French classic and although it is not seen today as much as it used to be it is a lovely dish but normally takes some time to make. This is a long braise that makes silky smooth chicken and you would expect it to take between an hour and two hours.

 With the Instant Pot it takes only around 15 minutes. First you brown the vegetables, chicken and bacon a little in the skillet just to add some colour. One set back of the Instant Pot is that it doesn’t fry (making it a healthy option). Then all the ingredients are added to the pot for 15 minutes and cooked under high pressure. This leaves chicken so tender you can cut it with the edge of a spoon. 

What about seafood?

Actually there are dozens of recipes for seafood dishes available at your fingertips. Searching the internet will yield ideas for seafood chowder, fish biryani, Thai curry with prawns and salmon dishes. You can even cook lobster in an Instant Pot. 

What other functions are available?

The pot won’t just cook under high pressure. It has slow cooking facilities to help cook amazing beef goulash or soups. It can keep the food warm for late arrivals, has a saute function and a sous-vide function too.

Sous-Vide method of cooking

This method became very fashionable a few years back with every professional it seemed trying it out in their restaurants. It allows the food to be cooked exactly as the ched wishes every time. The food item to be cooked; fish for instance, is placed in a special bag which is then vacuum sealed. It is cooked at a very exact temperature in a water bath. It is said that the results are unable to be replicated by any other cooking techniques.

 The Instant Pot has a sous-vide method meaning the regular home cook now has access to this exciting way of cooking. Corrie Cooks can show you what sous-vide cooking is and how to use an Instant Pot with this function.

Some foods that cook well with this technique are eggs, tougher cuts such as brisket plus pork and lamb. It works well with meat because it retains the juices and the flavours. 

Is cooking with an Instant Pot really luxurious?

Okay, so cooking at home is never as much of a luxury as going to a fancy restaurant or having someone else cook for you. In these strange days of lockdowns and social distancing however it can be nice to know you can very easily put together something very nice from quality ingredients with little trouble.

 If some of the recipes seem a little tame then jazz them up. Switch ingredients out for others that hit the right spot with you. 

Everyday uses

You don’t always have to equate luxury with lobster and steak. Sometimes it can just be perfectly cooked scrambled eggs with freshly toasted bread. These types of cookers are able to knock out basics like eggs, rice and potatoes. They can also do yoghurt, jam and ice cream. If you’re still looking for something a bit more special though there are even recipes for wagyu beef in an instant pot, now that would make a special chili con carne. 

In conclusion

While this might not be everyone’s idea of luxury these cookers can allow anyone to cook something with quality ingredients at home in a short amount of time. Not many people go to restaurants everyday or have their own world class chef so these pots have their place and can produce a seriously good Thai shrimp curry quicker than having a takeout delivered.

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