French tips for getting the most out of your pressure cooker

There is little doubt that Amazon’s Prime Day ended with thousands more Instant Pots and related devices being shipped to homes in countries across the globe. Once the unit arrives on your doorstep, however, getting into the rhythm of using it can be daunting if you are not accustomed to pressure cooking. While pressure cookers have been around for decades, they never really caught on in the US. Over in France, however, they have been kitchen mainstays for many years. Food52 brings us advice from the French on how to get dinner on the table faster by maximizing your pressure cooker.

Although most people think of soups, stews, or other one-pot dishes when using their devices, you can also use pressure cookers to replace a step in the process rather than replacing the entire process. French cooks use it as a shortcut to speed up softening of  cauliflower for a gratin, or of chickpeas for falafel, to name just two examples.

You can use your Instant Pot to economize. Making stock from leftover bones and using its power to tenderize tough cuts of meat or difficult to cook vegetables helps you take advantage of lower prices while still making delicious dinner fare. Plus, you will use less electricity than you would running your cooktop or oven.

Another tip to ensure you make the most of your unit is make sure your pressure cooker is easily accessible. If the device is out of sight, it’s also out of mind. Leave it on the counter or within arm’s reach so you turn to it more frequently.