Clay Pot Cooking

Clay pot cooking requires a clay pot with a tight-fitting lid. Romertopf makes a great clay cooker.

What is clay pot cooking?

An unglazed clay cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid(mine is Romertopf brand) is regularly used in my kitchen for healthy and nutritious one-pot meals. Cooking in unglazed clay has a long history. This type of cooking has been used at least since the Romans in southern Europe and as far north as Germany. In many parts of northern Africa and India they have been in continuous use for even longer.

Because they are unglazed, this cookware should not be exposed to soap or detergent. Any harmful ingredients in the cleaning agents could be absorbed into the open pores of the clay and then transferred to the food during cooking, similar to cast iron cookware. The pores of the clay can also become clogged by soaps or detergents over time. Cleaning should be done by scrubbing in plain hot water and/or by using salt to remove anything that sticks, again similar to cast iron products.

Basil and garlic chicken ready for the oven in a clay cooker

How is clay pot cooking done?

The usual way to use this type of unglazed clay cookware is to soak the bottom and lid in water for thirty minutes to allow the pores to fill with water. Food, generally a one-pot meal of meat or fish and vegetables, is then placed in the cooker without added oils. The lid is fitted and the whole cooker placed into a cold oven. The oven is then turned on to a relatively cool temperature and the food is allowed to cook until done.

The water absorbed by the clay is slowly released as steam, preventing sticking to the pot or burning. I like to set the oven to 250 for a dish such as the whole chicken shown. It is allowed to bake for around one hour(3-pound chicken) and then the temperature is increased to 325 for another 20-30 minutes.

This slow, moist cooking renders fat from the meat and produces a beautifully moist and tender finished product with firm skin. All nutrients and flavors are retained and infused throughout the food, making for a much more flavorful, aromatic and nutritious dish that traditional baking or roasting.

Clay pot basil and garlic chicken fresh out of the oven

What foods are best for clay pot cooking?

I use method often for whole chickens, as shown here, and also for pork roasts, turkey thighs or breasts and larger pieces of fish. Unglazed clay cookers work especially well for curries. Pork loin with a red chile rub is another personal favorite, with the flavor and aroma of the chile infusing the entire roast, right to the center and no tougher layer of meat on the outside.

Any juices remaining is the pot after dining makes an excellent base liquid for soups and/or sauces. There is often a delicious soup or stew for lunch on the day after a clay pot meal. This is made even easier because the soup ingredients can just be added right to the clay pot and put back into the oven. Two meals for very little extra time, effort or dirty dishes and almost no nutrients are lost along the way.