Name: Instant Pot Couscous with Chicken, Fennel, and Peppers
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons ground fenugreek; ½ teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for serving; 1 pound ground chicken; 1 onion, chopped; 1 fennel bulb, 2 tablespoons fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces; 1½ cups pearl couscous; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2¼ cups chicken broth; 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper, sliced ¼ inch thick; ¼ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

In this Israeli-inspired dish, we seasoned some ground chicken with slightly sweet fenugreek and floral cardamom and sautéed it in the Instant Pot, creating a fond in which we cooked fennel and toasted pearl, or Israeli, couscous. After deglazing the pot with broth, we cooked it all under pressure until the couscous plumped up. Smoky roasted red peppers added complexity, and walnuts brought a pleasing crunch.

Before You Begin

Be sure to use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast (also labeled 99 percent fat free) in this recipe. Do not substitute regular couscous in this dish, as it requires a different cooking method and will not work in this recipe.

Instructions

Combine fenugreek, salt, pepper, and cardamom in bowl. Using highest sauté function, heat 2 tablespoons oil in Instant Pot until shimmering. Add chicken and 1 teaspoon spice mixture and cook, breaking up any large chicken pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to separate bowl.

Add onion, fennel pieces, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to fat left in pot and cook, using highest sauté function, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and remaining spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 4 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Stir in red peppers and chicken and any accumulated juices. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with walnuts, parsley, and fennel fronds, and drizzle with extra oil. Serve.