My kids have very…um…interesting tastes. They’re picky eaters, but in strange ways. Nothing will explain better than this recipe.

My plan was to make risi e bisi – Venetian rice and peas, a variation on risotto.

I asked the kids – are you OK if I mix peas into the rice? Their reaction?

“Eeeewww!”

Then I asked: What about edamame? They eyed me suspiciously, then two out of three agreed to try it.

Peas are too much. But edamame? Sure, they’ll eat soybeans. As I’ve said before, my kids are picky eaters…but, they’re picky eaters across a lot of cultures.

This is where I put my “no pressure cooker, no worries” disclaimer. Not today. I’m sure there are Italian grandmothers itching to rap me on the knuckles with a wooden spoon for saying this, but…this is one case where you are much better off using a pressure cooker. Traditional risotto? Thirty minutes of stirring, adding stock a ladle at a time, waiting for the rice to absorb it before adding the next ladle…forget it. PC all the way.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Risotto with Edamame

Adapted From: Lorna Sass Pressure Perfect

Cooking time: 6 minutes

Equipment

Pressure Cooker (I used an Instant Pot 6 quart electric pressure cooker)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups short grain rice (Arborio or Carnaroli are traditional)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (if using homemade stock)
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into rough 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed (run water over them for a few minutes to thaw)

Directions

1. Saute the aromatics

Heat the olive oil and butter in the pressure cooker pot over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saute until the onion is softened, about five minutes.

2. Saute the rice

Stir the rice into the onions until it is coated with the oil and butter. Cook the rice, stirring occasionally, until it turns a pearly white color, about four minutes. Add the white wine, stir, and cook until the wine is absorbed by the rice.

3. Cook the risotto

Stir in the chicken stock and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker, bring it up to high pressure, and pressure cook for 6 minutes (8 minutes in an electric pressure cooker). Quick release the pressure when the time is up. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the scalding hot steam.

4. Stir in butter and edamame

Add the butter to the rice and stir until it melts. Stir in the edamame, then cover the pot and let stand five minutes to heat the edamame through. Serve.

Notes

• If you want a traditional risotto, substitute shredded Parmesan for the butter, and frozen, thawed peas for the edamame.
• In the end, only one of the kids was willing to try the risotto. The other one asked if we could separate the two, so they could eat them individually. He then happily munched on the bowl of leftover edamame. Questions I wish I asked before serving…

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts:

Pressure Cooker Risotto with Goat Cheese
Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Pressure Cooker Osso Bucco
My other pressure cooker recipes

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