The Best of Clay Pot Cooking

by Dana Jacobi

Overview

Since Roman times, cultures around the world have been enchanted with cooking in clay and the juicy, full flavors it preserves in any dish. Today's healthminded cooks will find an added bonus: Clay pot cooking is practically foolproof and often fat-free. In The Best of Clay Pot Cooking, Dana Jacobi takes a fresh look at cooking in clay pots and comes up with over 40 easy and delectable recipes, from soups and stews to breads and desserts. Some reflect traditional uses for the clay pot, such as roasting poultry and beef; others are inventive new dishes drawing on ethnic influences — Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon, for example, or Salmon with Ginger & Lime, Shrimp & Ham Jambalaya, Black & White Chipotle Chili, Moroccan Semolina Bread, or Banana Bread Pudding. And all these are prepared with minimum fuss, maximum flavor, and enormous nutritional value.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780002250511
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/01/1995
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	1,026,225
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.75(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Dana Jacobi is the author of The Natural Health Cookbook. Her articles have appeared in Food & Wine, American Health, Food Arts, and Natural Health magazines.

Read an Excerpt

Mediterranean Fish Stew

Serves 4

French and Spanish influences combine in this golden flsh dish. The tarragonis typically French, while saffron and almonds were added to Spanish cooking centuriesago with the arrival of the Arabs from North Africa. Firm fleshed fish,such as cod or scrod, halibut, or turbot, work best. Unlike most fish dishes, this oneimproves after it sits, so consider making it in the morning or even a dayahead. Simply leave the fish slightly underdone so it will be pefectly cooked afterthe stew is reheated. For a satisfying meal, all this needs is crusty bread.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
Pinch of saffron, crushed
1-1/2 pounds firm white fish fillets, cut into 4 pieces
Salt & black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Instructions:

In a medium-size skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Transfer the mixture to a soaked 3-quart clay pot.

Add the clam juice, broth, wine, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of the tarragon, and the saffron. Cover the pot and place it in a cold oven. Set the oven temperature to 450'F and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven, add the fish and cover. Return to the oven until the fish cooksthrough, 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the stew and fish into 4 serving bowls. Garnish with the remaining tarragon and the almonds, and serve.

If making the stew ahead, add the fish to the clay pot, stir to coat well, then transfer the stew to a large plastic container. The fish will partially cook in the stew. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Transfer the stew to a pot and bring to a simmer on the stove top until heated through.

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Indonesian Beggar's Chicken

Serves 6

Tamarind, lime, cilantro, and a touch of chile give this chicken its classic Southeast Asian flavor. Indian and Asian food stores carry tamarind paste. Serve the chicken with fragrant basmati or jasmine rice.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 serrano chile, seeded & chopped
1 anchovy fillet, drained & chopped
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
One 4-1/2 to 5-pound chicken

Instructions:

In a blender, combine the onion, cilantro, garlic, tamarind paste, chile, anchovy, soy sauce, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Blend to a paste.

Rinse the chicken, dry with paper towels, and place on a plate. Smear the inside of the chicken with one third of the spice paste. Smear the remaining paste over the outside of the chicken. Cover the chicken loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Transfer the chicken to a soaked 3 quart clay pot. Cover the pot and place it in a cold oven. Set the oven temperature to 450'F and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until the drumsticks wiggle easily.

Remove the chicken to a serving plate. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, pour the pan juices from the pot into a small bowl and let sit until ready to serve. Just before serving, skim off any fat that has risen to the top. Carve the chicken and serve with the pan juices.

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Editorial Reviews

The clay pot is a charmingly rustic, traditional cooking implement that's shown up in upscale cookware shops in the past few years -- consequently, it's also shown up in a lot of home kitchens, where it's most likely been gathering dust. This book is all it will take to convince readers to wipe their pot off and try cooking something besides roast chicken in it. Dana Jacobi's appealing recipes prove that anything from vegetables to shellfish to bread to desserts can be improved through cooking in a clay pot.

bn.com Review