According to archaeological finds, clay pot cookery can be traced back thousands of years, when food in an earthenware pot was put in the glowing ashes of an open fire. What was important for the taste of the food was not the fire but the pot. The Romans, lovers of good wine and good food, used pots made of a special type of earthenware.
Everyone knows that a nutritious diet is essential to maintain good health but even the healthiest foods can loose nutritional value when preparation processes allow valuable nutrients to escape. Clay pots are an easy cooking method that seal nutrients in and also cut down on fats.
Some of today's most popular cooking techniques can either deplete nutrients in food (as in the case of over-steamed vegetables) or add fat (as in the case of frying meat or fish). Clay-pot cooking avoids over-cooking while it eliminates the need for added fats. Soaking your clay pot in water before it is placed inside the oven allows it to create and maintain moisture that cooks recipes to perfection, while preventing the nutrients from escaping.
Meats can be trimmed of all fat and poultry can be cooked without skin and still come out moist, tender, flavorful and browned with no need for basting. Meat, potatoes, rice and vegetables can all be cooked together to make nutritious and flavorful one-pot meals, or they can be prepared separately.
Clay-pot cooking not only saves nutrients, but also saves time. Simply soak the clay pot in water for 5-10 minutes, place ingredients inside and place the whole pot in a cold oven set at 400-450 degrees. Then just walk away. Work out with your favorite celebrity, play with the kids, or soak in the tub for the 45 minutes to an hour the clay pot needs to cook your meal to perfection.
Clay pots are available in a variety of sizes, to hold a 17 lb. turkey or a 2-4 capacity pot. They are unglazed to ensure perfect absorption, so that ample moisture is available in the cooking cavity.
One example of a clay pot, the Romertopf, is made of special porous clay and is unglazed inside and out allowing it to "breathe" during the cooking process. By soaking the pot in water before cooking, moisture is absorbed by the clay. The tiny water particles are released during cooking, penetrating and blending with the natural food juices, increasing flavor, and tenderness-enhancing aroma.
留言列表
