An Easy Pressure Cooker Meal

Saute the pancetta in the pressure cooker. That will give you the fat you need for the onions and garlic.

Until recently, I had been irrationally terrified of the pressure cooker. The Husband always thought I was crazy, but the aversion traces back to the early days of our marriage where even the stove had its intimidating moments. Tackling an appliance that could literally explode freaked me out more than it probably should have.

But I’m a big girl now, and I’ve learned that I can make Indian lentils in a pressure cooker! Ok, maybe I haven’t branched out very much since then, but I have to start somewhere, right? (Also: apologies for the lack of a finished product image. Lentils aren’t exactly photogenic.)

Onions and garlic are very happy in the pancetta fat.

I had seen a recipe for a similar stew on Serious Eats, but I modified it to suit my needs. For one thing, I added garlic and a lot more carrots. I also used my very flavorful (and always on-hand) vegetable broth in lieu of the regular old chicken stock.

Since I have a finite amount of time on my hands when I return from baseball practice, I took the liberty of preparing everything ahead of time. Onions were diced, garlic was peeled, carrots had been chopped, and lentils had been rinsed and sorted through for small stones. They were all queued and ready to go when we walked through the door.

Don’t skip the splash of vinegar at the end. If you don’t have sherry vinegar, then use a splash of red. It really brightens the flavors.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Lentil Stew

Print recipe

Serves	6
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	40 minutes
Total time	55 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot

This simple yet flavorful stew is prepared in the pressure cooker, giving you 30 minutes of hands-off time to help the kids with homework, tackle the laundry or (dare I suggest it?) just relax.

Ingredients

• 4oz pancetta (cubed)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 10 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 2lb chicken (with bones and skin)
• 4 carrots (large chunks)
• 8oz French lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Directions

Step 1

In your slow cooker, saute the pancetta until it begins to render its fat, 3-5 minutes.

Step 2

Saute the onions and garlic cloves in the rendered fat until softened, 3-5 minutes.

Step 3

Sear the chicken, fat side down, 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, lentils, broth and bay leaves.

Step 4

Seal the pressure cooker and cook on low for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to cool naturally, 10-15 minutes, then release the valve and open the cooker.

Step 5

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove and shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the cooker. Add the tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Season to taste. Serve immediately

The Results

The Husband was surprisingly enthusiastic. He was planning to take the stew to work the next day, but a scheduled lunch meeting put a crimp in his plans.

The vinegar that crossed nine time zones to come home with me.

The Kitchen Assistant had no problem with them, but was much more preoccupied with a game that he wanted to play with The Husband than actually eating dinner. But he did eat a decent portion without complaint. “I like that you got to use the Spanish vinegar,” he said. “I mean, you brought it all the way from Málaga. It’s been waiting for a recipe.”

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