Monday, November 11, 2013

Bamboo steamer on a Digital Pressure Cooker... old meets new in the most glorious, tasty, perfect way! Rice, Dumplings then fish, 2 ways.

I was walking through my kitchen with a new bamboo steamer basket a friend gave me.  I stopped beside the pressure cooker.  I opened the lid and plunked the steamer onto the cooker: SHOCK, the steamer basket fit PERFECTLY onto the pressure cooker insert.  A tight fit on the side which, in my mind, meant all the steam would go through the basket.  Oh, I need to play with this.....

SO, no housework, crafting, sewing or knitting got done.  I dropped Connor at ODA and dashed to the store to get the supplies for the experiment.

Bok choi ($1), cabbage ($.88), fish ($1.83), frozen pot stickers($2.99).  Ok, sounds like a culinary experiment even I can afford!!

I'll summarize for you now:  perfect.  Absolutely bloody perfect.  The pot stickers, from frozen:  perfect.  The bok choi:  perfect.  The fish: perfect both ways.

I put 1 1/2 inches of water in the insert of the pressure cooker and turn it onto saute  I closed the lid, no locking or loading, and waited for the water to boil.  It was fast.  I put the steamer, lined with cabbage leaves, onto the cooker and timed each according to the times below:

These times are in the bamboo steamer, over hard boiling water and obvious steam.

Frozen pot stickers/dumplings:  15 minutes
Bok choi:  5 minutes
Fish:  on cabbage leaves; 5 minutes
Fish: in a bowl with sauce on the steamer:  10 minutes.

Here are a bunch of play by play pics for you:

The bamboo steamer a friend gave me...line it with cabbage, or lettuce, or spinach, or any greens that aren't bitter or just some parchment paper
   
All lined, throw the frozen pot sticker dumplings on the leaves (I added some bok choi that I had), put the lid on
   
Now, wait for about 1 1/2 inches of water and a pinch of salt to boil hard in the pressure cooker, I set it to saute.  Put the steamer basket on top.  LOOK HOW PERFECTLY IT FITS!!
   
Like it was MADE for it!  NO gaps at the sides AT ALL so all the steam goes straight up and through the streamer.  This has to be good
  
While I waited, I made this sauce:  A bit of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce and brown sugar, stir and taste till you like it.


Timer set, 15 minutes.  Oh NO WAY, they are glistening, soft, moist, tender, perfectly cooked.  Wow, how did I NOT know about this?
  
I transferred the dumplings to a plate.  We ate them.  Really REALLY fast.  Perfect.
   
While we eat the dumplings, I put a plain piece of Pangasius, my new favorite white fish, on the cabbage leaves.  No sauce, no nothing.  No salt, no pepper, nothing at all.  I want to see what it TASTES like. 

Timer:  5 minutes.  Tender, flaky, juicy, flavorful, healthy, absolutely bloody delicious
 
NEXT experiment: 
The other half of the fillet, in a dish with some of the dipping sauce drizzled on it and a sliced green onion. 

Timer:  10 minutes.  Tender, perfect, the best of the bunch experiment.  Connor begged me to go to the store to buy more fish.  I am tempted.  
   
Cooked absolutely perfectly!  This is EASY!
  
It's flaky and tender and easy and healthy and healthful and quick and there aren't enough adjectives to describe how delighted I am with this experiment, these experiments.
 
Another round of dumplings?  YOU BET!

VERDICT: 

The standard large bamboo steamer basket fits perfectly on top of the insert in the Nesco Digital pressure cooker.  Go get both of these, the easy of cooking, set up, cleanup and the ridiculous flavor makes any weeknight meal the easiest thing you've ever put together. 

I did make a batch of the 'sticky' rice before we started which added a whole 12 minutes to the game. 

I cannot recommend this method highly enough.  Truly.  I'm astounded at how well it came out.  I'm already thinking salmon, custard, vegetables and all manner of things I can steam in my bamboo basket on my pressure cooker.  I didn't even have to turn on the stove.  It's all good, very very good. 

/Enjoy

4 comments:

  1. Its awesome to note how the bamboo steamer made their way into a pressure cooker. With the other ingredients combined in, what a stunner !

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  2. How did you get the bamboo rack out? What tools to avoid burns?

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    Replies
    1. the rack sits on top and just long handled tools and kitchen towels saved my arms :)

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