October 12, 2018 | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

October 12, 2018

I finally succumbed to the hype and bought an Instant Pot, and I think I'm hooked. Among other things, I've made black beans (the recipe will appear in the Nov/Dec issue), white beans, and Butter Chicken-- all very good, and much faster than my traditional stove top method. The real test, though, was a pot of red beans and rice; I cook mine low and slow for about 4 hours, and they develop a nice, thick, natural creamy gravy, and I was skeptical that the Instant Pot would produce to my gold standard. But it did! They were delicious and creamy in an hour. The biggest drawback I've encountered so far is not being able to taste and season as I go.

Below, I've linked to a recipe for chicken stock for soup that I believe will go into regular rotation in my kitchen. Normally, I make stock using necks, wings, backs, and carcasses, because it cooks for so long all the flavor is leached from the chicken-- not going to waste a whole chicken on that. But in this version, I brown off the chicken, then cook some aromatics behind the chicken (I don't use carrots because I don't like a sweet stock), then return the chicken to the pot with water to cover and cook it under high pressure for just over half an hour. The chicken is falling-off-the-bone tender in that amount of time, is moist and tasty, but has added plenty of flavor to the cooking liquid.

After it cools a bit I pull off the meat, and add the skin and bones back to the pot with the cooking liquid. I cook that under pressure for another hour then strain the stock. After it's refrigerated overnight, the fat that congeals on the top is perfect for flavoring matzo balls and dough for dumplings or a chicken pot pie topping; the cooked meat makes sandwiches, chicken salad, or most anything you'd use tasty cooked chicken for. And the stock! It's so good, it inspired me to make egg noodles from scratch for a pot of chicken noodle soup.

Do you have a newfound favorite in one of these new pressure cookers? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line!

Enjoy this week's recipes, share them with family and friends, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind.

Best regards,

Susan

Susan Ford, Publisher and Editorial Director

Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

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• BBQ Shrimp Sliders • Instant Pot Chicken Stock • Fried Catfish Sandwiches

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	Baked Stuffed Crabs It's unusual to find stuffed crabs on restaurant menus these days; this was one of my mother's favorite seafood dishes. By all means bake the portions in individual ramekins if you don't have access to whole crabs; just make sure you use delicious Louisiana crab meat. Click to forward this email and recipes.

	Sicilian Fish Stew This easy stew is full of the flavors of Sicily. Substitute tuna, halibut, or even snapper for the swordfish; have plenty of crusty bread on hand for sopping up the broth. Click to forward email and recipes.

	Grilled Chicken on a Stick From Chef Donald Link's cookbook, Donald Link Down South, this easy recipe is a Sunday afternoon grill favorite. It includes a recipe for Alabama White Barbecue Sauce, a versatile condiment you'll find many uses for. Click to forward email and recipes.

	Fried Mac & Cheese Bites These indulgent bites of creamy, cheesey goodness are a great choice for an appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, or out on a buffet at a tailgate party. My Louisiana Kitchen & Culture subscribers will find the recipe on page 58 of the September/October edition; subscribe today and get your own copy. We're offering a trial for just $10.00. Click to forward email and recipes.