Clay Cookware For Every Kitchen

My cousin is a great cook. She recently had my family over for a visit and made us an amazing meal of roasted chicken and potatoes with a decadent baked banana dish for dessert. When I asked how the meal was prepared I found out they had cooked everything in their clay cookware. Most of us will roast our poultry or bake our fish or cook fish, soup, and vegetables in the standard pots and pans – cookware made of copper, aluminum, glass, ceramic or stainless steel, aluminum. But around the globe there are populations who commonly cook in clay vessels. There are many in U.S. who have become big fans of cooking in clay as well and can’t imagine not have clay cookware in their kitchens.

I had never heard of cooking in clay before, but it turns out that many people have been using clay for cookware over thousands of years. It dates back to when beef or poultry was packed in mud and placed into a fire’s embers. While the clay dried in the fire, the meat was cooking inside. When finished, they would then break the clay open to enjoy the delicious, juicy meal that had cooked inside.

Another great thing about cooking in clay is the wonderfully healthy aspects to the cooking method. That’s because the moisture released from the clay replaces the need to add extra oils and fats to the dish. Clay cookware must be soaked in water prior placing the ingredients inside so that the porous material can absorb the moisture that will later be released during the cooking process. Never place a clay pot into a pre-heated oven as it may cause it to crack. Instead place the filled pot into a cold oven prior setting the oven temperature, generally in the low to mid 400 degrees.

You’ll find an array of recipes available that have been adapted for cooking in clay. One example of a tasty dish is Beggar’s Chicken. You simply combine chicken legs with a few spices such as ginger, pepper, and garlic plus some flavoring sauces such as sherry and soy. After baking in your clay cooker, serve with a side of rice pilaf, pasta and a fresh salad or vegetable.

Clay pots also serve perfectly as slow cookers and stockpots too. You can make any number of your favorite soups, stocks, and casseroles in these versatile cookers. Whether you’re in the mood for a rich pea soup, a creamy potato soup, a layered vegetarian casserole, or beef stew, the clay cookware cooks evenly and slowly producing perfectly flavorful foods your family is sure to enjoy.

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.

If you’d like to try making your own bread for your dinner, check out this great Clay French Italian bread baking pan. You’ll find there are a lot of great bread pans available to make your homemade bread in.