INSTANT POT CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button and click Adjust button to Sauté More function). Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until indicator says HOT).
• Prepare Chicken Breasts: Pat dry the chicken breasts' skin with paper towels. Season with generous amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.
• Brown Chicken Breasts: Pour 1 - 2 tbsp (15ml - 30ml) olive oil in pressure cooker. Ensure to coat oil over whole bottom of the pot. Place 2 chicken breasts (skin side down) in the Instant Pot. Do not overcrowd. Season the meat side with more kosher salt and ground black pepper. Brown the skin side (don't touch it for 3 ½ minutes). Flip and brown the meat side for 1 ½ minutes. Remove and set aside.*Pro Tip: The chicken skin will stick to the inner pot in the beginning, but it will release itself at the 3-minutes mark.*Note: If you are preparing 4 chicken breasts, repeat this step for the other 2 chicken breasts.
• Sauté Onion and Garlic: Add diced onion in the pressure cooker. Sauté for roughly 2 ½ minutes until soften and lightly browned. Add minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
• Sauté Celery and Carrot: Add in chopped celery and carrot. Sauté until the vegetables are slightly browned (roughly 3 minutes).
• Optional layer seasoning: taste and season with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.
• Deglaze: Add a dash of sherry wine in the Instant Pot and deglaze by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
• Pressure Cook Chicken Breasts: Add 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, a pinch of salt, rosemary, and thyme (rub the herbs with your fingers to "activate" them). Give it a quick stir and layer 2 - 4 browned chicken breasts on top. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes + 10 minutes Quick Release (after pressure cooker has finished cooking, wait 10 minutes then carefully release the remaining pressure). Turn off the heat. Open the lid carefully.
• Thicken Gravy: Set aside the cooked chicken breasts on a chopping board. Press Cancel button, then Sauté button to heat up the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, mix 2.5 tbsp (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tbsp (45ml) cold water. Mix it in one third at a time until desired thickness. Taste the gravy and season with more salt & black pepper if necessary.
• Serve: Slice chicken breasts & serve with gravy with your favorite side dishes.