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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Have You Tried Cooking in Clay?

By Jana Banks

Recently our family enjoyed a delicious pot roast dinner served with steamed asparagus on the side and sweet baked bananas for dessert. And how were these scrumptious dishes prepared? In clay! Generally, when we plan on roasting a turkey, baking a fish, cooking a chicken or steaming fresh vegetables, we usually use cookware made of stainless steel, aluminum, copper, or ceramic. However many people around the world use cooking vessels made of clay. Even here in the United States there are many loyal clay pot users who imagine the only people who don't enjoy clay pot cooking are the ones that haven't tried it.

Thousands of years ago, Romans would prepare their meat by covering the food in clay and toss the "clay pot" into hot embers. As the moisture would leave the clay from the heat, the meat would be cooking on the inside of the pot. Once the clay dried, it would be pulled from the embers and cracked open to reveal the delicious, juicy, cooked meat inside.

Clay cooking is generally thought to be quite a healthy way to cook food because the food does not need any additional oils and fats added to create moist and tender results. Before cooking, the cookware should be soaked in water before placing the ingredients inside. This is done to allow the clay to absorb the moisture, which is a factor that helps to deliver such juicy results. If a pot is placed in a pre-heated oven it is likely to crack, so always be sure to set the filled clay pot inside a cold oven prior to setting the temperature at approximately 450 degrees. Check your recipe for the exact temperature recommended.

You can browse the web for many great recipes designed for cooking in clay. One I tried recently was Beggar's Chicken. The recipe called for chicken legs, but I went with cutlets instead, adding the required spices such as ginger and garlic and the sherry and soy sauce flavorings. I served it with pasta and a balsamic salad and it was very delicious. The chicken was particularly tasty, flavorful and tender.

You can even use a covered clay pot as a stockpot for soup or a slow cooker for your favorite chili or stew. This versatile cookware is perfect for making casseroles, stocks, and more. If you're in the mood for homemade soup, why not make a batch of thick pea soup or cheesy potato soup? You can create a tasty vegetarian casserole or a chunky chicken stew. You and your family are sure to enjoy the fantastic flavors produced by these great slow cookers.

Not only is clay cookware functional, but it's very attractive and perfectly useful as serveware too. Romertopf is a company that produces a popular clay cookware line that offers a great variety of pots in different sizes and styles. You'll find apple and banana bakers, fish roasters, maxi bakers for a big Thanksgiving turkey, garlic bakers, and much more. Next time you're ready to buy some new cookware for your home, take a look at some of the great clay cookware available and treat yourself to a piece or two - you'll be glad you did. - 17268

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