Pressure cooker pot-roast chicken with freekeh and greens

delicious. tips

1. Two variations to try:

   Spiced pot-roast chicken with wild rice and a quick coriander chutney
   Put a few fresh curry leaves (optional), a few coriander stalks and 2 bruised garlic cloves into the chicken cavity. Mix 15g butter with the grated zest of 1 lime and 2 tsp curry powder, then rub over the chicken. Sear as in the main recipe. Remove and put 1 finely chopped onion, 2 tbsp chopped coriander stalks and 4 finely chopped garlic cloves in the pressure cooker. Fry for 2 minutes, then add another 2 tsp curry powder, 150g wild or brown rice and 250ml chicken stock or water. Dot with butter. Return the chicken to the pressure cooker and cook as in the main recipe.

   Serve with this quick coriander chutney: whizz 1 large bunch coriander with the grated zest and juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp honey, a pinch of ground turmeric and 2-3 green chillies. Temper this with cooling plain yogurt, if you like.

    

   Pot-roast chicken with 40 garlic cloves
   Brown the chicken as in the main recipe. Put herbs in the cavity and in the base of the pressure cooker: tarragon works beautifully, so does thyme or bay, or even all three. Add about 40 unpeeled garlic cloves, 100ml vermouth or dry white wine and 100ml chicken stock. Cook as in the main recipe. Remove the chicken and garlic from the pot. Squeeze out all the garlic cloves (discard the skins) and return to the cooker, then mix with the cooking liquid. Add crème fraîche and more chopped herbs, if you like, or a squeeze of lemon/lime juice to counter the creamy savouriness.

2. “I’ve given variations to show how versatile a pressure cooker pot roast can be. You can make it in a simple form – a quick browned chicken, a few aromatics and minimal liquid, then 15 minutes at high pressure – but it also lends itself well to being a one-pot meal. Grains work particularly well but potatoes will sit comfortably around the chicken, too, even with the longer cooking time.” Catherine Phipps