My kitchen is the heart of my home. My friends all like to hang out in there instead of in my more spacious living room.
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My kitchen is the heart of my home. My friends all like to hang out in there instead of in my more spacious living room.
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We Italians have a saying – Dura piu' una pentola fessa che una nuova, which (freely translated) means “A cracked pot lives longer than a new one”. Taken at face value, this is a saying about the durability of crockpots, although there's also a hidden meaning about elderly relatives who constantly complain about their aches and pains but are nevertheless happy to stick around. I love terracotta cooking pots. They have all the advantages of flavour-enhancing slow cooking, plus they're so stylish! Nothing shouts “food lover!” so much as a clay pot on the kitchen shelf. Glazed or unglazed?There are different kinds of clay pots. Some are designed to handle higher temperatures, and they are for stove top cooking. Some instead are intended for the oven and can't be used on the stove. If you're buying a clay pot, always check the label for advice. Never use an oven pot on the stove or a stove top pot in the oven – all you'll end up with is a cracked pot! Clay pots also come glazed or unglazed. The glaze seals the porous surface of the clay. A glazed pot will absorb heat more evenly, it's easier to clean and you won't have to 'season' it. On the down side, it also stops the circulation of the steam and the absorption of the water. The benefits of clay potsOne reason I like to cook with clay pots is the health benefits. Steam circulates all through the cooking process, and the extra moisture cuts down the fat and oil content. This means for example that I can trim the fat off a cut of meat and it will still cook to be juicy and tender. Incidentally this is also good for the wallet, because I can buy the cheaper cuts and they will still cook well! I've also noticed clay pot cooking is tastier. Due to the alkalinity of the clay, the PH of the food rises during cooking, which means for example that tomatoes are sweeter than they would have been if I'd used metal. Also, since the food is cooked in a closed environment, vitamins and minerals are sealed in. Crock pots are a blessing when I'm busy. Yes, cooking times are a little slower, but on the other hand I don't need to keep stirring the food or constantly watching the pot. In fact you should never lift the lid of a clay pot once the cooking process has begun because the heat escapes and slows down the cooking time. The same goes for crock pots designed to be used in the oven. In fact if you're a break maker, try using a clay pot to bake your bread. You'll find the moisture will make your crusts even crisper! A little care goes a long way!Each time I buy a new clay pot I'm tempted to start using it right away, but I must resist! It has to be seasoned first. Seasoning makes the clay stronger and will stop the pot cracking on the stove top. Clay pots were the first type of cookware humans ever created, so many different seasoning traditions and practices have grown up around them, but the basics are always the same. You can season your terracotta pot on the stove or in the oven according to its size and how you intend to use it. Step one, no matter the type of pot, is to fully immerse it in cold water from 15 minutes to 2 hours – the manufacturer will have some advice on this. You'll hear a quiet bubbling sound as the water finds tiny pores and gaps in the clay. The second step depends on the type of pot you have, whether it's for the stove top or the oven, and glazed or unglazed. Glazed pots don't usually need this step. Seasoning on the stove – fill the clay pot ¾ full with water and place it on a burner, possibly fitted with a heat diffuser. Set the stove on low and heat the pot of two hours, then let it cool naturally to room temperature before drying it. Seasoning in the oven – fill the pot ¾ full with water, place in an oven uncovered and bake at 225F for two hours. Allow to cool before removing it. Some unglazed pots might need to be soaked for a short time before each use. If you're not too keen, look for a pot which is partially glazed. This way you can have all the advantages of both types of clay pot without having to soak it each time you want to use it! Cleaning up is hard to doClay is porous, so you can't use soap or a normal washing up liquid. The soap will soak into the clay and end up in your next meal, which won't help the flavour. To clean the pot, use hot water and a stiff brush to remove the sticky bits. Even if it has been seasoned, the porous surface of the pot can still retain odours and volatile oils from pungent food like garlic, hot spices, hot peppers and onions. To stop these odours becoming embedded in the pot, try using baking soda to remove stubborn stains and any persistent odours and flavours. In any case, the problem will fade the more you use the pot. TemperatureRemember that what a clay pot asks for above all is time. Don't be tempted to raise the temperature all in one go to speed up the cooking time. You pot will crack even if it's been seasoned. The best method is to start off cooking at the minimum temperature and then gradually raise it to a happy medium. Depending on the nature of your stove top burners, you might need a heat diffuser, which will distribute the heat more evenly under the pot. And remember that clay pots retain heat, so they will continue to cook even after the burner has been turned off. If you're not sure how to get the best out of your pot, there are plenty of clay pot recipes on the internet and I'm sure you'll enjoy every one of them. But sometimes, no matter how careful you are, your pot will crack. No problem! You can always transform it into a beautiful planter for your garden! Comments are closed.
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AuthorI love cooking, and when it comes to quality I'm quite fussy. Archives
February 2018
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