CLAY COOKING pots have been around for thousands of years, and they're still a great idea. Like cooking in parchment, cooking in clay containers allows whole poultry and other foods to bake in their own juices with little or no added fat. There's no basting and, if the pot's lined with parchment paper extending a couple inches beyond the rim, only minimal clean up.
For a new clay pot with an unglazed interior, follow the manufacturer's instructions for seasoning it, which also strengthens the pottery. The manufacturer's instructions should also indicate whether your pot can go into a preheated oven.
If you have no instructions, here's one seasoning method: Rub the pot and lid, inside and out, with peeled garlic. Fill pot almost to the top with hot water, cover it, and place the pot in a preheated 350-degree oven for 4 to 6 hours. Pour out any residual water and wipe dry.
Clay pots shatter if exposed to extreme temperatures, so never set a hot clay pot on a cool or wet surface. Before using, submerge pot and lid in water for 15 minutes to seal the porous clay surface. The moisture will be released as steam during cooking, keeping the food moist as it cooks.
SUCCESS TIPS
Avoid cleaning unglazed clay cookware with soap or detergent. Instead, let cookware cool slightly; fill with hot water and let stand for a few hours. Scrub surface with coarse salt and plastic sponge. Rinse and air-dry. Stains and dark spots develop naturally on this type of cookware.
As the bird bakes, it bastes in its own juices. If fresh-killed pheasant is available in your area, by all means try it in this recipe. Otherwise, use a fresh young chicken.
Clay Pot poultry
1 pheasant (about 2 pounds) or young chicken (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 green onions, julienned
Piquant Sauce (recipe below)
1. The day before serving, remove neck and giblets from bird. Wash bird well and pat dry.
2. In a small bowl, combine wine, vinegar, garlic, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Place bird in non-porous dish; and marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, turn bird over; marinate other side for 6 to 8 hours more.
4. When ready to cook, immerse clay pot in water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
5. Drain bird, reserving marinade. Salt bird inside and out. Truss bird; butter breast liberally.
6. Line clay pot with parchment paper. Place bird in pot. Pour marinade over bird; scatter green onions on top. Cover with lid.
7. Set pot on centre rack of a cold oven. Turn oven to 475 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 10 minutes to brown the skin. Remove pot from oven; set on a towel-covered surface so the hot pot won't crack from extreme temperature change. Remove bird from pot; let rest 15 minutes.
8. Prepare Piquant Sauce. Carve bird; serve with Piquant Sauce.
Serves 3 to 4.
PIQUANT SAUCE
Juices from baked bird
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons dry red wine
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Skim fat from cooking liquids and pour remaining juices into a saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture and cookover medium heat until thickened. Add wine, vinegar and mustard; whisk to blend. Just before serving, mix in the cooked green onion from the pheasant.
Beer gives baked beef stew a subtle, malty flavour. If you don't have a clay baker, use any lidded overproof casserole.
Beef baked in Beer
3 pounds bottom round, cut in 1-inch cubes
Salt, pepper and flour
5 large onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 small bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 can (12 ounces) beer
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Chopped parsley, for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle cubed meat with salt and pepper, then coat lightly with flour. Mix onions, garlic, bay leaf and rosemary. Line a 4- to 5- quart unglazed clay cooker with large sheets of parchment paper.
2. Alternate layers of onion mixture and beef cubes in parchment-lined casserole, ending with onions. Pour on beer. Cover and bake until meat is very tender (4 to 4 1/2 hours).
3. Mix in vinegar and mustard. Taste and add salt, if needed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Serves 6 to 8.
