6.1 Basics

Most of the recipes below employ the basic pressure cooking function of the device. A couple of general thoughts:

1. They are incredibly safe - not like the stovetop pressure cookers of bygone days.
2. Pressure cookers require steam, and steam requires water. Thus, be sure what you’re cooking has at least 3/4 cups of clear liquid prior to starting. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting the dreaded “burn” notice.
3. Pay attention to the instructions in recipes for the steam release. During a natural release, the food will go on cooking. Sometimes this is fine, but otherwise it can be disastrous (for example slow release of a pasta dish will result in mush.
4. There is a large and active Instant Pot® facebook group, and the books and recipes of Jeffrey Eisner are a common subject. I’ve looked at some of his stuff, and while the basics (preparation, cook times, etc.) are well covered, in general I find the recipes themselves to be rather plain. And as you should recognize by now, plain food is not my specialty.

So read on for some suggestions.