Clay Pots For Cooking

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

It's a great way to cook. I'd seen these Romertopfs at sales for
years. One day, probably because picking were slim that particular
day,  I bought one++a nice big one that will hold a small turkey.  I
had  been missing out.  They aren't just fad items.  They produce
excellent dishes. Meats cooked in 'em don't  dry out.  HOW IT WORKS:
Clay is a porous material.  When the pot is saturated with water and
put into the oven, there is a slow evaporation of steam from within
the pores of the clay itself.  During the cooking process, the food
forms its own juices.  These juices cannot escape until the pot is
completely dry.  Fortunately, when the pot becomes dry, the food is
cooked!  Because wet clay does not become as hot as metal, it is
necessary to  cook at a higher temperature than is usual, (450F rather
than the  customary 350F).  However, in spite of this high temperature,
the  danger of burning is minimal and can only take place if the food
is  cooked for too long a period of time.  As a general rule, if you
add 100 degrees F. and 30 minutes to the  cooking time of any recipe,
it can be adapted for use in a clay pot.  For instance, if you normally
cook a 3 pound chicken at 350F for 1  hour, you will need to cook it in
a clay pot at 450F for 1 1/2 hours.  The manufacturers of clay pots
recommend that they always be placed  in a cold oven.  However, in an
emergency, I have occasionally put  the pot into a pre-heated 350F oven
and it did not crack nor did the  food come to any harm.  It is also
possible to reheat food in a clay  pot.  Soak the lid in cold water for
10 minutes, cover the pot and pop it  back into a 350F oven for 30
minutes.  CLEANING THE POT:  As you discover the almost miraculous
results of cooking in clay, you  will be using your pot with greater
and greater frequency and it will  quickly lose its brand new
appearance.  Though the pot goes through a  short period of adolescence
when it looks slightly mottled, it  eventually acquires a character of
its own and you begin to find  yourself less concerned about the odd
blemishes which refuse to budge  in spite of the most desperate
scrubbing.  The pot is, in fact, very easy to clean because food will
not stick  to the surface (unless, of course, you burn it on).  Simply
let the  pot cool after it has been taken from the oven and soak it in
warm  water for a few minutes.  Sprinkle the pot with salt and scour it
with a stiff brush. Rinse the pot and let it drain until it is dry.
(As clay is porous, it is not wise to clean it with detergents or
scouring powder.)  I have heard it said that you need a separate clay
pot for cooking  fish, but I have not found this to be so, in fact I
have been unable  to detect any lingering flavors or odors even after
it has been used  for the spiciest of recipes.  However if you do feel
any concern over  the matter, you can soak the pot in hot water adding
three  tablespoons of baking soda to each quart of water.  This will
clean  it very thoroughly and even small black scorch dots can be
coaxed  from the clay with the minimum of effort.  Store the pot as you
would any other utensil.  It is considerably less  fragile than it
appears, and unless you drop it on the floor, it will  survive many
accidental knocks and bumps without complaint.  Do take  the precaution
of storing the lid alongside, rather than on top of  the pot. This
eliminates the risk of the development of mold inside  the pot in case
it was not completely dry.  From "Cooking in Clay" by Irena Chalmers,
Potpourri Press, Greensboro  N.C., 1974.  Posted by Stephen Ceideberg;
September 7 1993  File
ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/cberg2.zip

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