Clay Pot Cooking - New Adventures (again!)

Years ago I used to have one of these clay pots – it’s like a roasting pan, but made of terracotta clay for anyone not familiar with them. I loved it then and of course – forgot about this marvelous little thing along the way.

A few days ago I had the chance to get another one – and jumped at it. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it sooner. If I remember correctly, food used to taste better in them and there were several other benefits as well. 

These lovely pots can be used for making nearly anything - soups, stews, cooking meats, vegetables, fish or roasting anything. They are durable and sturdy in an old fashioned kind of way.

I have been slowly coming to the conclusion that the older ways of cooking, food preparation and even the foods we ate (in general) were far healthier and perhaps better for us. At least in a wholesome way. 

In my reading and studies over the years I have come across mention of several chefs who did not like to use stainless steel cooking pots or even knives. And there is research out there mentioning how these pots leach iron, nickel and chromium into the food. 

It’s not that I am so very concerned about these metals, however, something that doesn’t add anything to the food might be a better alternative. Plus, these clay pots, stoneware and even old iron pots have been used for millennia. 

In my searches I found several benefits to be gained from using clay pots in particular and I am now planning on using my new pot far more.

1. Alkaline- apparently the clay reacts with the food, reducing pH in acidic foods

2. You will get slow, even cooking because of the porous nature of the pot which retains moisture 

3. Food browns inside the clay pot, even with the lid on

4. Foods can be cooked or baked with a minimum of liquid and no additional fat

5. The clay pot retains heat for sometime after the oven is off, keeping the food inside hot

6. An unglazed clay pot will act as a super steamer, absorbing and releasing liquids as it cooks

Of course as a Nutritionist I am particularly interested in the fact that these pots alkalize the food inside - far too many of us are eating acidic diets and suffer from acid forming conditions and high levels of stress. Anyway this can be reduced is a good thing. 

To use your clay pot there are some basic guidelines to keep in mind - 

• The pot (especially an unglazed one) should be presoaked in cold water for about 15 minutes completely submerged before use
• Place in a cold oven, which has not been preheated
• Do not place earthenware in a hot oven when it is empty – apparently this can crack it especially if it is glazed. 
• Some are designed to be used on the top of a stove, follow the directions from the manufacturer and perhaps use a heat diffuser on the stove element to protect the pot.
• Line with parchment paper if cooking fish, because the pot can absorb odours from the food
• Do not set the clay pot on a cold surface once out of the oven

There are several (or many) types of clay pots available too - such as garlic roasters and bread cookers made from clay. Once again those who use them regularly, really enjoy them and talk about their many benefits. 

Today I used mine to cook a lamb roast - it was marinated for 24 hours in the pot, maintained it's moisture and even browned with the lid on. It also cooked far faster on the lower heat probably because of the steam and heat inside of the pot. 

Overall I am delighted to have found this again after all these years - now I am trying to think of some other recipes to try out so I can use it far more! 

April

New Clay Pot