Cooking in clay pots is not a new idea--it's been around for several thousand years, though today's finely-crafted clay cooking vessels have certainly come a long way from that moment in history when early man covered a chicken with mud and stuck it into the embers of a fire to roast. One thing hasn't changed. When the clay shell was broken and the chicken removed, way back when, it was juicy and delicious--just as meats cooked in clay pots are today.
Clay pots not only cook foods perfectly, they're actually healthier than other cooking methods. For more details www.cooking-groundbeef.com Clay seals in nutrients--eliminating the need for added fats--and carries seasonings deeper into the food, meaning you can use less salt, making clay pot cooking an ideal for low-fat and low-sodium diets.
Cooking in clay pots is an easy and convenient way of preparing a meal. An unglazed clay pot maintains the level of moisture needed for optimal cooking, meaning you can place an entire meal's meat and veggies in the pot, put it in the oven and go do something else for 45 minutes to an hour while dinner cooks, without worrying that it's going to scorch or cook dry.
The secret is the porous clay used to make the pots. You simply immerse both pot and cover in water and let it soak for ten minutes before placing the food into the pot, then put it into the cold oven--no pre-heating! For more details www.cat-head-biscuit.com All the ingredients for your complete meal can be placed in one pot. When it's done, simply take it out of the oven and serve right from the pot. Today's clay pots are attractively designed to go from the oven to the table.
The porous clays used in terra cotta baking pots will absorb a great deal of water. During the cooking process, fast-moving, super-heated water molecules penetrate the foods in the pot, depositing spices from the surface deep within the food. This means you can use less salt--making clay cooking pots ideal for people on reduced sodium diets. Foods stay moist and flavorful while they cook, from the moisture retained in the unglazed bottom of the pot, and the unique clay cooking process seals nutrients within the food, rather than boiling them out.
Steam-cooked veggies, savory soups and yummy desserts are a snap to make using your oven and a covered clay "baker." This ancient method of cooking is a very modern way to prepare healthy, delicious meals that are also fast and easy for the cook.
We recently ate at a friend's home and enjoyed a juicy roast along with fresh steamed broccoli with cheese followed with a surprisingly delicious baked apple with caramel topping for dessert. I was helping her clean up after dinner and saw that she had prepared everything in her clay cookware. This was new to me since I'm used to the standard pots and pans I grew up with - namely made of aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic bakeware, or copper. But it turns out that clay cooking is quite popular around the world, including here in the U.S. My friend raves about her clay pots and thinks everyone should own at least a piece or two in their kitchenware collection. Clay pot cooking can trace its roots back thousands of years to a time when prepared meats were swaddled in mud and tossed into the hot embers of a fire. Then, as the clay dried in the heat, the food began cooking inside. Once the cooking was finished, the "pot" was broken open and the cooked and juicy meat was removed for eating. Clay cooking is generally thought to be quite a healthy way to cook food because the food does not need any additional oils and fats added to create moist and tender results. Before cooking, the cookware should be soaked in water before placing the ingredients inside. This is done to allow the clay to absorb the moisture, which is a factor that helps to deliver such juicy results. If a pot is placed in a pre-heated oven it is likely to crack, so always be sure to set the filled clay pot inside a cold oven prior to setting the temperature at approximately 450 degrees. Check your recipe for the exact temperature recommended. You can browse the web for many great recipes designed for cooking in clay. One I tried recently was Beggar's Chicken. The recipe called for chicken legs, but I went with cutlets instead, adding the required spices such as ginger and garlic and the sherry and soy sauce flavorings. I served it with pasta and a balsamic salad and it was very delicious. The chicken was particularly tasty, flavorful and tender. 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.
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