At the Table

Southern Comfort in an Instant

By: The Local Palate

Sheri Castle shares favorites from her 2018 cookbook of classics re-imagined for the multicooker

The small appliance known as a multicooker—what most of us call an “instapot”—is a new way to cook, or at least new to most of us. The use of these pots is sweeping through our communities. Home cooks who have fallen under the spell of their pots are spreading the word to their friends and family. Instapot popularity is viral.

In early 2018, I got the opportunity to write a cookbook intended to help cooks make good use of their instapots to recreate their Southern favorites, whether that’s a classic recipe or a fresh take on Southern ingredients and flavors. The result was Instantly Southern: 85 Southern Favorites for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot (Clarkson Potter). The experience left me persuaded and excited that timeless recipes can keep up with the times. You can prepare many family favorites in these pots with equal or better results, and the function of these pots offers us new techniques and recipes to add to our repertoire. Remember: Using an instapot is a way to cook, not a replacement for cooking.

So what is an instapot? It’s a small countertop appliance that offers several modes of one-pot cooking. One of the most popular is low- or high-pressure cooking. Fear not; these are not the volatile rattletraps that our grandmothers used. There’s no reason to fear a bean explosion on the kitchen ceiling. Electric multicookers are smart machines with numerous built-in safety features. To compare this type of pressure cooking to old-timey pressure cookers is akin to comparing a brand new car to a Model T.

And why would someone with a well-stocked kitchen want to use an instapot? There are lots of reasons, but my favorite is that they encourage people to cook, and I believe in home cooking. There are cooks who will tackle a recipe in an instapot that they wouldn’t consider on the stovetop, and I applaud anything that reduces impediments to people cooking great Southern food. Another boon is time management. Even the most experienced and confident cooks have occasion when saving time and streamlining tasks would feel like a minor miracle, and pressure cooking can make some recipes doable after work instead of over an afternoon, without compromising the recipe in any way. Some dishes will turn out better than ever before.

I wrote Instantly Southern to share my enthusiasm for home cooking with fellow cooks (at all skill levels) who are cooking in a variety of circumstances. A multicooker is a smart addition to any kitchen, but what excites and encourages me most is what they can do for people with tiny kitchens, or perhaps no kitchen at all. Think about people on vacation (take it to the beach house, cabin, or RV) or who work on the road and spend days in a hotel room. Consider those who live in a tiny studio apartment, dorm room, shelter, or a FEMA trailer following the loss of their home in a natural disaster. With one pot, one outlet, and a few groceries, people can make complete, delicious meals for themselves and for their families. They can feel empowered, filled, and comforted, and that’s integral to the heart, soul, and role of Southern cooking. That matters to me. A lot.

An instapot is new to many of us, but there’s nothing new about curious Southern cooks who are willing and eager to embrace new techniques, conveniences, and ingredients—even new ways of thinking. As I say in the introduction to Instantly Southern: “Storied food, world-class cooking, and sharing meals in fellowship with friends and family are among the most enjoyable and treasured Southern traditions. A multicooker will help, so let it.”

Instant Tips

  • Instapot cooking is still cooking, so don’t skip the fundamental techniques
  • that we know add flavor and make for great recipes: steps such as searing meat, simmering a sauce, or finishing with a squeeze of citrus and smattering of fresh herbs. Trust your palate and your experience whenever you cook, including with an instapot.
  • When converting a recipe from stovetop to instapot, consult a similar, reliable recipe for guidance on cooking times and amounts of liquid. If you ever have doubts about a cooking time, start with less time. You can always cook a recipe longer, but there’s no turning back from overcooked food. If a recipe turns out only a little undercooked or not as thick as you like it, the best option is to simmer it uncovered on the sauté function.
  • Cooking times in Instantly Southern (and all instapot recipes) cannot accurately tell you the amount of time it takes the pot to come up to pressure or for a full natural release of pressure. That’s because there are too many variables, such as the type and density of the contents, the ratio of liquids to solids, the starting temperature of the food, and so forth. Some pots have a digital display that will let you monitor the rise and fall of the pressure, but you cannot control the speed at which it occurs.

Green Curry and Vegetable Medley

This green curry was inspired by the best mango lassi Castle ever tasted (from the Cruze Farm food truck at the Knoxville Farmers Market), which was made with buttermilk instead of yogurt.

Five-Minute Mac and Cheese

This is homemade comfort and joy, quicker and easier than ever because you do everything right in the pot. It’s ready to serve in the time it would take a saucepan of water to come to a boil on top of the stove.

Red Beans and Rice

Dried beans and other legumes are often the first thing that people prepare in their multicookers. This version of a New Orleans staple comes together in record time.

Bourbon and Cola Beef Short Ribs

This dish is inspired by the classic braised beef recipes that appear in almost all vintage community cookbooks of the South. Castle has updated the idea a bit with fresh onions, herbs, and cola sweetened with cane sugar.

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