This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Marcel’s Culinary Experience
490 N. Main Street
Glen Ellyn
www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com

Event:
Cooking Under Pressure Class
Thursday, September 12
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
$80 per person (includes dinner plus 20% discount on pressure cookers purchased that day at Marcel’s)

Pressure Cooker Chicken with Lemon and Olives
4 Servings

Ingredients:
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs herbes de Provence, divided
8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 large white or yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth (plus more if using an 8 quart pot)
1/2 cup oil cured or Kalamata olives, pitted
juice of 3 lemons
1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves with soft stems, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, for garnish

2 Tbs all purpose flour
cooked orzo or papparadelle for serving

Directions:
Preheat the pressure cooker, lid off, over medium heat.  Add 2 T. olive oil.  Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and half the herbes de Provence. When the oil is hot add the chicken, skin side down and sear, without disturbing, 5 minutes. Turn and sear the second side for 3 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent.  Add the garlic, remaining herbes de Provence, and rosemary leaves and cook 30 seconds. Add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan until it’s cleaned of any browned bits.  Add the remaining 1 T. olive oil, the chicken broth and the lemon juice.  Return the chicken to the pan, top with the fresh parsley and olives.  If your pressure cooker is 8 quart or larger, add another ½ c. of chicken broth. Close and lock the lid.  Turn up the heat to high until pressure level is reached, then reduce the heat to the minimum required to maintain the pressure.  Cook minutes 10 minutes at high pressure. Open the cooker via the cold water method, or the natural method by allowing the cooker to stand, off heat until the pressure reaches normal level. Remove the chicken to and arrange on a platter or bowl of cooked orzo or papparadelle and tent with foil.  Ladle out a half cup of the pan liquids and whisk it with the flour.  Pour the slurry back into the pot and boil until the liquids are thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. To serve, spoon the liquids over the chicken and pasta and garnish with the toasted pine nuts.

Pressure-Cooker Apple-Almond-Ricotta Upside Down Cake
Makes one 7½” round cake

2 cups water
2 sweet-tart apples such as Cortland or Pink Lady, peeled, then one sliced and one diced
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 egg
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, preferably without stabilizers
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and ground cardamom
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
confectioner’s sugar for serving

Directions:
Add the water to the base of the pressure cooker.  Place a footed steamer basket into the cooker.  Brush the bottom and sides of a 4 quart tempered glass or round metal cake pan with vegetable oil.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, then brush the top of the parchment with oil and dust the entire pan with flour. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with the turbinado sugar, then arrange the apple slices decoratively on top.  In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, ricotta, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla until blended.  Combine the flour, ground almonds, spices and leavening powders in a small bowl and whisk to blend, then add to the cheese mixture, blending completely.  Stir in the diced apple.  Scrape and spread the mixture over the apples in the pan.  Lower the pan onto the steamer rack. Close and lock the lid.  Cook over high heat until the pressure is reached, then reduce the heat to the minimum required to maintain the pressure.  Cook 15-20 minutes at high pressure.  Remove the pan from the heat and let stand at room temperature until the pressure drops to normal level.  Remove the lid and test the cake by inserting a toothpick near the center.  If the toothpick does not come out clean, lower the pan back into the pan, close and lock the lid, then cook at high pressure a few more minutes.

Remove the pan from the cooker.  Place a serving platter on top of the pan and carefully invert the cake onto the platter.  Remove the parchment, replacing any apples that have stuck or moved.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve.