Kettles, pots, casseroles and clay pots are characteristic utensils of the most traditional Mediterranean cuisine. And although they have been displaced in many kitchens by other more modern materials, they continue to endure in many homes and are used to prepare a good baked rice, as well as a ratatouille, a stew or a meat or fish stew. They have no limitations. They are essential in some dishes and, in addition, they give them an incomparable and unmistakable flavor.
Cooking in clay has many advantages, so if you haven’t considered it yet, it may be time to give it a try. These are very versatile containers and you can cook with them directly on induction hobs or stovetops, but they are also capable of resisting the high temperatures of the oven, and those currently manufactured are also usually suitable for the microwave.
Before using it for cooking, yes, we have to season these utensils. To do this, what we will do is completely submerge it in water for at least twelve hours before using it, a process that will make it easier for the pores of the piece to close (we will know that it has finished doing so when bubbles stop forming) and thus we can preserve it for a long time. longer.
We can do it the night before opening the casserole. If it has a lid, it must also be cured. Then, we will dry it with kitchen paper or a soft cloth and leave it face down until it dries completely. Clay is a very resistant material – unless it suffers a fall or a strong thermal shock – and a saucepan or kettle can last between 10 and 20 years, even passed from generation to generation.
Cook with a very juicy point
Its resistance is not the only advantage we find when it comes to standing in front of the stove with clay containers. Of course, cooking in clay is synonymous with cooking without rushing, giving time to the stew or roast. The results are worth it.
Another advantage of cooking in clay is that they distribute the heat very well, evenly, and also the porosity of the clay allows a constant degree of humidity to be maintained and the recipes to turn out very juicy.
In addition, by concentrating the heat a lot, it will take longer to have to reheat our preparations again after cooking. If your clay containers are enameled, it will be very difficult for the food you cook to stick to their surface, ruining the recipe.
Another of their advantages is that they are handmade pieces and purchasing them contributes to local commerce. In addition, they are ecological and environmentally friendly materials.
Of course, if you are not used to cooking with clay, it is important that you know a series of recommendations that will help you complete the task successfully:
- Heat must be applied gradually to avoid thermal shocks, which could break our pot. It is also advisable if we use a fire that is not very strong, and that it does not exceed the diameter of the pot.
- We should not use the food we are going to cook that is very cold or frozen.
- Remember that the handles of clay pots also get hot, so you have to be careful when handling the containers.
- As a lot of heat is concentrated inside, it is advisable to turn off the heat before the recipe is completely cooked to prevent it from overcooking.
- It is very important when removing it from the heat to place it on a trivet and not place clay utensils on cold stone or marble.
Once we have finished using our clay pots or kettles, it is also essential to follow a series of guidelines to clean them correctly so that we keep them as long as the first day:
- You always have to wait until it has cooled down before you can wash it, since if it changes temperature suddenly it can crack.
- We will use soft sponges and never metal scourers. The soap should not be synthetic either, better than the traditional lizard type.
- If after many uses we see that it absorbs and gives off strong odors, which is due to the porosity of the clay, what we can do is clean it with a paste of baking soda and water that we will apply to the surface of the piece and let it act for at least half an hour.
Rice with vegetables in a clay pot
We are going to teach you how to prepare spectacular baked rice with a clay pot. Baked rice is a typical dish from the Valencian Community that is usually cooked with blood sausage, bacon and pork ribs, but we are going to propose a vegetarian and lighter version.
To prepare enough for two diners we will need about 200 grams of round rice (it is worth buying a good quality one because it shows in the final result), a couple of small or one large potatoes, a head of garlic, half a sweet potato and half a red pepper, a very ripe tomato, a carrot, a good handful of already cooked chickpeas, between 350 and 400 ml of vegetable broth, a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and half a teaspoon of some spices such as turmeric, red paprika or pepper, as well as saffron.
The first thing we are going to do is heat the vegetable broth together with the turmeric. Meanwhile, we peel and chop all the vegetables. Slice the potatoes not too thick, as do the sweet potato and carrot. The pepper can be cut into julienne strips.
When we have all the vegetables prepared, we put the casserole on the heat with the olive oil. We add the garlic (not completely peeled) along with the potatoes and when they are golden brown we reserve everything. We do the same with the sweet potato, pepper and carrot. Then we pour the rice together with the paprika, integrate both ingredients well and add the boiling vegetable broth and the rest of the ingredients. Also the tomato cut into large slices and the chickpeas.
The last step is to place the casserole at half height in the oven previously preheated to 180 degrees. We will need at least 25 minutes of baking or until there is no more broth left and a light crust is forming on the surface of the rice.
#Clay #pots #pans #advantages #ideas #dishes #cook
