The Pressure Is On!

It's cold, soup is warm.  Let's make soup! Or is it stew? Whatever...
I have been desperately wanting a pressure cooker/canner for some time now.  And guess what? My good Mama gave me one for Christmas! So out of the box it came, and out of the barn came a hen for the pot.  Don't fret the hen's demise. She lived a peaceful, cage-free life here on the farm for the past ten months.

So, here is the first recipe I concocted for my new Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker...

Chicken and Vegetable Stew / Soup

1 whole, small chicken (2-3 lbs.) cut in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp. of chicken bouillon powder (or 3 bouillon cubes)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 medium onion, quartered

3 carrots, 1-inch diameter, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 medium potatoes, cut into halves

3 tablespoons butter

Add the olive oil to the pressure cooker and heat to medium-high heat without the lid on. Brown your chicken on all sides. Pour water in cooker (make sure cooker has cooled down and is not excessively hot). Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pressure cooker.

Secure the pressure cooker lid in place. Place regulator on vent pipe and cook 20 minutes at 15 lbs pressure. Allow the cooker to cool to zero pressure on its own. Remove meat and separate from the bone and add back to the broth and vegetables. Throw in a little fresh chopped parsley. Test for seasoning, and thicken the broth with a little cornstarch if you’d like.

Delicious. Fast, hot and easy – just like I like my… Wow, where was I going with that one?

But what a great stew though. It can be thrown together in a flash and ready to eat on any of those nasty winter nights. The broth is heavenly. And don’t forget to shamelessly pour yourself some home brew and add a slice of crusty bread.