I’ve never been much of an early adopter of the “must-have” items, but I recently caved and drank the Kool-Aid. Chances are you or somebody you know is the owner of an Instant Pot, the multifunction pressure cooker that can produce fork-tender pot roasts in less than an hour, cook beans without soaking, and even make yogurt. The phenomenon of the magic is users have become almost cult-like, and every cool parent wants to be a part of the club. Fans engage in social media conversation of Biblical devotion, big promises, and confessions of undying love. “And on the seventh day, God threw some chicken and herbs in the Instant Pot and the universe was complete.” Is IP's master plan to invade all our kitchens and preach to anyone who's felt overwhelming guilt cooking dinner in a normal amount of time knowing they could have done it in 20 min or less?
The promise of creating nutritious meals for our families in an instant is an intoxicating, spiritual remedy overworked and time-lacking parents are searching for, but buying the appliance is only half the battle. Actually, using that bad boy has led to lots of anxiety and support groups. Why are there so many buttons? Is it going to explode? Did I just purchase a time machine for $169? As it turns out, Instant Pot was founded by a group of engineers, not chefs, and after unboxing, I, too, was convinced this robot was built by NASA. I went to a liberal arts college, not MIT. But, in my kitchen, good intentions do not go to die. I could hide under the table during the pressurizing noises, wait for the explosion and be too afraid to run over and unplug the dang thing. But the IP is supposed to revolutionize my life, right?
Ironically, the joke is the learning curve on the Instant Pot involves several months of just letting it sit on the counter so you can get used to each other, followed by a six-week rice internship before graduating to shredded chicken using only the manual settings. After about a year of that, you're ready for some heavier lifting. While I am not a Pothead yet, I’m no chicken either. I did get a high from figuring out my new appliance on my own and made a pretty tasty dinner in the process. Who knows, maybe I will use it again in the future, but for now I’d rather take a Xanax.
Under Pressure Whole Roasted Chicken
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4-pound) whole roasting chicken
1 cup chicken stock
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 lemon, juiced
Fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano, rosemary for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder.
Remove giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Season chicken, cavity and under the skin with salt mixture.
Add chicken stock and garlic to base of pot.
Set Cook & Crisp Basket in pot and place chicken in basket breast side up.
Assemble pressure lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the SEAL position.
Select PRESSURE and set to high for 22 minutes.
When pressure cooking is complete, allow to natural release for 15 minutes. Carefully remove lid when pressure has been released.
Brush chicken with melted butter and squeeze lemon juice over. Top with fresh herbs if desired.
Close the crisping lid and AIR CRISP at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes and ensure its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Serve immediately.
