Instant Pot Test: Trying out my Whole Chicken and Potato One-Pot in the Ultimate

I've been more than a little concerned about the new Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid as I couldn't see how I'd be able to remove that inner pressure cooking lid without scalding my fingers. But oh the idea of having a hinged lid is so tempting and I really don't love lifting that heavy air-fryer lid in and out of the cupboard with my Duo Crisp. And then Black Friday came and the Ultimate's were available for a fraction of the price in one store in the UK. I had to drive 35 miles to get one, but I did it! And now I get to try this new version of my beloved Instant Pot out. Will it replace my Instant Pot Duo Crisp? Only time will tell.

Seriously, I'll be giving the Ultimate a really good test before sharing my full thoughts on it, but one of the first things I wanted to try was making a whole chicken, so I cooked up my One Pot Whole Chicken, Roast Potatoes and Gravy Sauce. It was a little fiddly as this new Instant Pot is much shallower and wider but I'm not deterred. You can see the whole thing in my video below and I've made sure to show how that lid works so you can see for yourself if it's something you might be intererested in. My fingers remain unburned (so far).

If you've got this pressure cooker, I'd love to hear your experiences so drop me a line or hop onto the comments on youtube. I need tips!

In the meantime, on with the testing.

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Instant Pot Duo Crisp Whole Chicken, Potatoes and Gravy

Yield: 2-4

Author: Susan Kelly

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

This time saving dish combines cooking a whole roast chicken with potatoes and a rich gravy sauce all in one pot- the Instant Pot

Ingredients

• I Tbsp Olive Oil
• I medium onion
• 1 stick celery
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp mustard
• Some sprigs of rosemary and thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.75 cups (330 ml) cider
• 1 large chicken (mine was 1.75k, about 3lb)
• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1-2 tsp of gravy mix (optional)
• Seasoning, including white pepper if you have it

Instructions

1. Dice the onion
2. De-string and dice the celery
3. Dice the carrot
4. Peel and crush the garlic clove
5. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and cook the onion, carrots and celery on sauté until softened
6. Add the bay leaf, cider, garlic, soy sauce and mustard and stir
7. Add the herbs to the chicken cavity then place in the Instant Pot on a trivet above the liquid and veg. Place to one side to give room to add potatoes later. (you will need to line it up to avoid the lid remover ring digging into the chicken)
8. Cook on pressure cook for 10 minutes and with quick release selected
9. Peel and quarter the potatoes then rinse and soak while the chicken is still cooking
10. Quick release will happen automatically.
11. Open lid when indicated and add the potatoes in a foil open parcel (see video) for parboiling
12. Pressure cook for a further 5 minutes and quick release
13. Brush oil on the chicken and potatoes and season with sea salt
14. Swap to the air fryer lid and air fry on 190c or 375 F for 10 minutes. Check often and shield the chicken with foil if it begins to over brown before the potatoes are ready.
15. Tip: Swap the foil parcel to the other side of the chicken to keep the potatoes evenly browning if needed
16. Test the chicken with an Instant Read Thermometer - final temperature should be 74C or 165F
17. Remove the chicken and put to one side to rest. remove potatoes and close up the foil parcel to keep them warm
18. Remove the bay lead and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce in the bottom of the pot, adding more water as needed. Add some gravy mix to thicken if needed.
19. Use sauté to reheat if needed. Add soy sauce and white pepper to taste and serve