Pressure cooking is set to experience a renaissance, which makes this comprehensive cookbook very handy.
For decades now the pressure cooker has been the object of numerous kitchen myths and legends. Learner cooks were put off by horror stories of exploding lids and soggy corned beef and cabbage dinners and the hot appliance of the Fifties and Sixties was relegated to the back of the cupboard or languishing on the shelves of op shops around the country. But the appliance manufacturers eventually noticed that cooks in France and Italy had never stopped using these "fast slow cookers" to seal in flavour and quickly cook tasty food. New Zealand cook Lisa Loveday returned from a European trip determined to get to grips with using a new style pressure cooker. Her experience with the Food in a Minute advertorials and commercial food brands means she has her finger on what everyday cooks want - fast meals they can get on the table that are still tasty and healthy.
As well as learning that modern pressure cookers have safety locks and timers which make the explosions or over-cooking hazards a thing of the past, Loveday discovered unexpected bonuses - pressure cookers save energy, they save washing up (use the same pan for browning and cooking) and they can be used for things like jams and preserves. The book has a useful generic summary of how to use the pressure cooker, quick cooking times for pulses and legumes and super-fast soup recipes for winter. Recipes include old-time favourites like jam roly poly, as well as a roast chicken that takes only 20 minutes (once the cooker is up to pressure) and a deeply rich braised pork belly in 45 minutes. Once you have mastered the techniques (not hard) you can go back to Mum and Gran's recipe books for more comforting tastes and flavour explosions, not lids exploding.
Lamb shanks with tomato and lentils
Serves 4 - 6
Mouth-wateringly tender meat falling off the bone is what lamb shanks are all about. Combine them with red wine, tomato and French puy lentils and you have a sure-fire winner.
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 lamb shanks
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 cup puy or green lentils
1 x 400g can tomatoes in juice or puree
1 1/2 cup dry red wine1 1/2 cups liquid vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Place the pressure cooker pan without the lid over a medium-to-high heat. Add the oil and brown the lamb shanks. Remove the shanks from the pan and set aside.
2 Add a little more oil if necessary and saute the leek, garlic and celery for 2-3 minutes. Return the lamb shanks to the pan, then add the remaining ingredients.
3 Position the lid on top of the pressure cooker and lock it into place. Set to high pressure (2). Bring up to pressure and maintain this pressure for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the pressure to reduce naturally.
Serve on mashed potatoes or cheesy polenta with your favourite greens.
Tip
If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornflour with enough cold water to make a smooth paste. Stir the paste into the gently simmering liquid in the pressure cooker at the end of the cooking time. Stir for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency.
Be in to win
Weekend Life has one copy of The New Zealand Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Lisa Loveday, $34.99, published by Renaissance Publishing, to give away.
Email your contact details to life@nzherald.co.nz with "The NZ Pressure Cooker Cookbook" in the subject line by Thursday May 12.
