Cooking with Clay Pots
Cooking with Clay Pots
Clay pot cooking is my favorite way to cook food. Clay pot cooking is also the way my mother cooked food as my father loves foods which are stewed and poached or boiled. It is my favorite cooking utensils aside from rice cooker and wok as the food I cooked are suitable for the clay pot cooking. We call it "palayok" or "banga" in my native tongue Filipino. My father always wanted soup so it is like shooting birds with one cooking for my mother, you have soup and your favorite dish cooked in a clay pot. Back then, it was easy to buy it (available in fresh markets everywhere) and every household in the village has clay pot for cooking, favorite dishes like pork or beef stew or poached seafoods. Clay pot cooking is considered an ancient method of cooking but then it is gaining popularity because of the quality of the food that is cooked with it becomes succulent, savory and tender as it is cooked with steam cooking. it brings the best in pork, beef and poultry - as well as other foods. You can almost anything with a clay pot. They come in various sizes as well.
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Claypot chicken rice famous food cooked with clay pot cooking --
Basic clay pot which comes in different sizes
Roast with clay pot -- Romertopf clay pot
bamboo utensil for perfect combination with clay pot cooking
Why claypot cooking?
Clay pot cooking is as old as the Roman times that is why the Romertopf clay pot which is popular in some European countries literally mean -- Roman pots. Our ancestors used this type of cooking as I have said the food is more flavorful and tastier as it is cooked slowly by steaming process wherein the juice and flavor of the food is not lost. If anybody of you who tried this one already can attest to this.
I usually put the clay pot it in the oven when I cook unlike what my mother does in which cooking is done with a direct heat from cut woods. Even when we have oven my mother will still prefer the woods for cooking, the food preserve the flavor more and tastier when you use firewood she will say, but of course I cant do that here anymore, with the fast life and everything is done in a jiffy here in the US.
The basis of clay pot cooking is cooking with steam as the food is slowly cooked and seeped through the main food which is being cooked (achieving the tastier and more flavorful food).
- Clay pot cooking is best for food with liquid used for cooking like stews -- pork stews, beef stews, seafoods poached or boiling.
- For caseroles and lasagnafor example you can use the Romertopf clay pot for better result as the shape is designed for it
- For roasting beef, pork and other meat products clay pot cooking ware is also best like the Romertopf clay pot
- You can also cook rice with clay pot, following the steps on how to prepare the clay pot for cooking discussed below here (submerging the clay pot first with water for twenty minutes). It makes the rice still warm after cooking it.
- You can boil anything with clay pot like corn, potato, eggs and fishes
- You can steam anything by using clay pot.
The food cooked with a clay pot retains its high temperature for a long period of time, so you don't need to worry if you eat later or visitors will arrive later
Traditional outdoor claypot cooking
Where to Buy Clay Pot for Cooking
There are many places to buy clay pot, I bought mine online including the Romertopf clay pot. They are available at big supermarkets as well. When I migrated here in the United States, I found a clay pot at supermarkets but I bought one at amazon. I compared the prices and the size i want. I cooked with oven plus my rice cooker and wok, but actually you can also cook rice in a clay pot so when I am not rushing I use the clay pot for rice cooking and mainly meat stews-- pork, seafoods and beef and other meat.
Clay pot cooking
How do you cook with clay pot cooking?
- Before you put the food in the oven, let the clay pot submerged in water for twenty minutes, this is done so that the clay pot will absorbed more the heat for prolonged cooking as it is steaming and cooking the food with steam
- The clay pot can stand heat because it absorbs the heat more in the utensils making the food cooked by the heat of the steam alone
- This is deemed nutritious as it slowly cooked the food and the nutrients are not lost in water as it is cooked with steam with the clay pot
Cleaning the Clay pot
- To clean the clay pot don't use soap as this will effect the taste of the food you will cook with the clay pot later on, as it seeps the soapy taste. It is best to wash the clay pot with water ad salt or baking soda.
Bamboo utensils (spoons) or bamboo ladle good for stews and soup is a good combination for clay pot cooking.
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Always choose the unglazed clay pot for cooking not the pot used for collections or displays
Clay Pot Cooking -- Romertopf clay pot
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Comments
Wow...I have never cooked with a clay pot before. Interesting!
I do not cook with clay pots but this hub reminded me of our relationship to God. He is the potter and we are the clay. Like the picture, He is molding and fitting us for heaven.
Thank you for the inspiration that may not have been your intention.
Love and hugs,
Forever His,
What an awesome past time. I may recommend scaling down the first picture, because it looks a tad bit grainy. I can't complain about anything else, thanks for sharing!
I too enjoy cooking with clay pots. I make a terrific ratatouille in a clay pot that is marvelous.
I was not aware of cooking in clay pots and have learned something new. Thanks PDH, :) great information.
This brings back memories of my mom's claypot cooking. I love the way food tastes in claypot, very distinctive and usually they like to burn the bottom layer a little to give it a smoky flavor. Nicely done and rated it up. Congrats on your nomination too!
For years I have heard how good food can be when cooked in clay, but I never tried it. I thank you for this article. This is something I need to try.
Marvelous hub, just marvelous.
Miata, I have never cooked with a clay pot but I think I will get one and try it out. Very interesting hub.
Congratulations on your nomination in the contest. Your chicken soup hub was great and I voted for it.
Maita, you always challenge my cooking skills with these posts!!!
I think the food taste so much better. I remember in Singapore they cook in claypot and the food was absolutely wonderful. Thank you for a great hub, well written.
Hello Pretty-I totally agree with you,I have had a few chances of eating foods cooked in clay pots,and this I am talking about the man made raw clay pots,heated on wood fire, that takes a little extra time but you can eat this a little more than you want to.Maita,Thats beautiful.
Hi Maita...Great Hub on a subject dear to my heart...My grandmother gave me her clay pot with a recipe for her wonderful 40 clove garlic chicken...I have to make this dish at least twice a month...Thanks, Larry
Maita, meat and chicken tastes best when cooked in clay pots but who has the time and patience in today's fast paced life!! I have had it many times when I am on tours of interior areas on work!! In rural India, clay pots are still very much in use!!
Thanks for highlighting the subject on hub pages!! :)
Cooked foods in clay pots taste great and very popular in SA.I was wondering if it is possible to cook online with clay pots :)
Clay pots i would break them in a couple of weeks I am always dropping hot things...
dream, yes I still use it though, and food taste better really, Maita
Andromida -- online clay cooking hehe, Maita
Barry, hmmm, be careful the are hot, food taste better in clay pot, yes, Maita
Hi Maven, Larry, thye must be a treasured clay pot, and you can also buy at amazon, Share the recipe for the garlic hehe, Thanks, Maita
Oooooh....I never knew these existed! I'm with you...my rice cooker is my favorite thing in my kitchen..lol..it gets used every other day. I think one of these clay pots sure could become one of my other favorite items!
I have made many crafty things out of clay pots, even grown some pot in clays, and have always loved their earthy texture and burnt orange glow, but i have never cooked in a clay pot, that will be my next fun thing to do. thanks for the tips. ~~~MFB III
Have just discovered the tajine, and having read this realise it is another version of the clay pot. I now realise that I bought one of these in Turkey without realising what it was. Many thanks!
Hi Maita
I really enjoy reading your hubs as you cover such a wide range of subjects - this one is no exception. Amber:)
I've never used clay pots in cooking. I know my mom had a couple a while back. You get so used to the typical Corningware and stuff like that, and you forget that there might be better ways—more traditional ways to get the job done.
Might have to check some of these out.
i love your variety of subject matter. when i check in on your hubs one always catches my eye. and all worth while reads.
ray
Clay pot is traditional cookware. My mother always use this cookware sometimes. And the food tasted was delicious and it also tasted so natural. Thank you very much!
Prasetio
What you going to cook for me???
Love all that I have eaten in the philippines, no matter how cooked...
Maita excellent hub - thanks for explaining new techniques and different cultures with clay pot cooking
I can't wait for the soup you promised !
This sounds interesting although probably out of my league as a cook (I'm a lousy cook....). It would fun to taste foods cooked in a clay pot to see what the difference in taste would be like. Thanks for once again sharing your expertise.
Mike
GREAT ARTICLE PRETTY HORSE...ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE "CROCK POT" COOKING...I LOVE THIS METHOD TOO...FOR TOUGH CHEWY CHEAP CUTS OF BEEF...MAKE THEM FORK TENDER...BE WELL MAAM....
I agree with your father, soup is fantastic, love a good warm soup, next to tea soup is a must. I enjoyed learning about cooking with clay pots, thanks for the history as well it's delightful. :)
I have been meaning to get some clay pots. They cook food so wonderfully and chicken comes out so moist.
This is an informative article about clay pots. I like your videos, too. Great hub!
Claypot cooking is so so good, the flavors are just sublime. Great hub!
This particular article of yours reminded me of the olden way of cooking in my place which might look ancient but surely the best system of cooking but hygienically and otherwise.
myownworld 23 months ago
Oh this reminds me of some of the clay pots used in south asia, esp. in the villages where most of the cooking is done in them. And they claim, the food tastes much better too compared to the one cooked in a metal pot! Hope you do well my friend, sending you all my love... and great hub as always! xx