First time cooking in a fully glazed cazuela

[KennethT]

I received this cazuela many years ago as a gift.

 

 

 

As you can see, the bottom is glazed also, except for the 2 rims it sits on.

 

I've never actually used this for cooking in all the years I've had it - I've only put a towel in it and used it to keep tortillas warm (I preheated it in a 150F oven for a while first).

 

Everything I've found discussing curing a cazuela before use talks about ones with unglazed bottoms - soak it for 12 hours, drain, rub it with garlic and then bake or put on a flame tamer or something.  But what about a fully glazed bottom?  Does this need soaking and curing if I actually wanted to use it in a 300F oven?  Since it's almost fully glazed, I can't imagine what soaking would do for it.  Plus it does say that it's oven safe - unfortunately I don't have the packaging or documentation that came with it so I don't know if they recommend some sort of curing process first - and I can't find it on Sur la table's website. I guess it's been discontinued.

 

Any help would be appreciated!

[heidih]

Seems like the soak for round one would be simple and a good pre-caution  https://www.paellapans.com/Cazuela-Care-a/160.htm

[KennethT]

15 minutes ago, heidih said:

Seems like the soak for round one would be simple and a good pre-caution  https://www.paellapans.com/Cazuela-Care-a/160.htm

But if the whole thing is glazed (bottom also) how will any water get in other than through the two miniscule (by percentage of surface area) circular ribs?

[Smithy]

I doubt soaking would hurt OR help the fully glazed cazuela. As you note, there isn't much porous area to allow the water to enter. As Heidi notes, it shouldn't do any harm. My unglazed pots and tagines were all soaked before curing or first use. It was instructive to see how much air they contained in their interstices. My glazed casserole dishes have never been soaked, except for cleaning after use if necessary. Nothing has ever cracked.

[heidih]

2 hours ago, KennethT said:

But if the whole thing is glazed (bottom also) how will any water get in other than through the two miniscule (by percentage of surface area) circular ribs?

In my poorly expressed way I was trying to say it couldn't hurt and was a simple soak Glad @Smithy was able to give you an experience based answer. My only experience is cooking in unglazed.

[weinoo]

I’d certainly heat it up slowly and with a little something in it like oil or fat.

[Annie_H]

Glazed ceramics, used for decades, and more, make me nervous. 

I don't understand the 'seasoning' once in the home. And fully glazed. I hauled one home from a SurLaTab sale in SoHo a half dozen years ago....I used it immediately, then ordered another half dozen on-line. For gifting that holiday. (RG bean, spice blends, etc). Frustrating mine has no 'maker marks'. We all have so much crap not used...this one is a stellar favorite for all things baking. If I had to pare down to 2 dozen most used....from 300, a good ceramic casserole, mine specific, would be a top-ten keeper. I have roasted, baked, from pasta, eggs to frittatas...chicken Marbella...no soak, wipe easy clean rinse and into the dishwasher. (I paid 15$ on sale)

Mine are black glazed inside and sides. Raw ceramic bottoms. 

[weinoo]

26 minutes ago, Annie_H said:

I don't understand the 'seasoning' once in the home.

 

It keeps the unglazed ceramic from the potential of blowing up or cracking in the stove or on the stove top.

I'd say you got lucky - so far.

 

Quote

for premium results when cooking in your new Tagine or Tangia (glazed or not glazed), it is highly recommended, if not mandatory, that it is seasoned before initial use

 

https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/kitchen/clay-pot-cook-season-clean-basics

 

 

Quote

 

The following clay pots should be seasoned before first use to temper them for cooking.

 

Donabe, Flameware, Chinese Clay Pots, and Bean Pots: Combine a 4:1 ratio of cool water and cooked white rice to fill the pot halfway. Set the pot over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer, and adjust heat to maintain a gentle bubble until the rice softens into a porridge. Turn off heat, and let stand until cool. Discard the porridge, and clean the pot (see right).

Tagines: Submerge pot and lid in water overnight. Wipe dry, and rub interior with a very thin layer of neutral oil. Place lid and base separately on rack in a cold oven, and heat to 325°F. Bake 2 hours. Turn off oven, and let cool completely without opening oven door, at least 4 hours.

 

 

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

I’d certainly heat it up slowly and with a little something in it like oil or fat.

I started it in a cold oven set to 275 with a tablespoon of reserved duck fat in teh bottom.  Once preheated was finished, I took it out, spread around the duck fat, then added cut up potatoes and duck legs on top, then back in at 275 for the foreseeable future.

[weinoo]

5 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I started it in a cold oven set to 275 with a tablespoon of reserved duck fat in teh bottom.  Once preheated was finished, I took it out, spread around the duck fat, then added cut up potatoes and duck legs on top, then back in at 275 for the foreseeable future.

Perfect!

[palo]

A question - how is a all glazed clay pot different from something like a corning ware (pyrex) casserole dish? I have used unglazed before and appreciate its advantages

 

p

[CentralMA]

On 9/7/2021 at 1:08 AM, palo said:

A question - how is a all glazed clay pot different from something like a corning ware (pyrex) casserole dish?

 

Cllay pots, especially "low fired" i.e. red ware type are extremely porous. Even glazed they can accept and lose moisture. Once you get into the upper ranges of kiln temperatures (cone 8, cone 9 and higher) the clay becomes vitreous, like glass, less able to absorb moisture. And like any clay vessel that is of a lower temp firing, bring the temp up slowly, no sudden shock to the body of the vessel.

 

Found this on spanishtable.com:

 

Cazuelas are kiln fired at 200°C and are brittle when new. They should be soaked in water for six hours prior to use for the first time. If you live in a very dry climate you may want to resoak occasionally. Once their moisture content is restored, they can be used over direct flame (gas or electric range) on low to medium (high heat not recommended), in the oven, or in the microwave. They may be washed in the dishwasher if they are placed so the rims do not bang against another dish as this may cause chipping. The cazuelas are durable if given minimum care & not subjected to abrupt temperature changes.

 

https://www.spanishtable.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/cazuelarecipes.pdf

 

[Smithy]

On 9/7/2021 at 12:08 AM, palo said:

A question - how is a all glazed clay pot different from something like a corning ware (pyrex) casserole dish? I have used unglazed before and appreciate its advantages

 

p

 

In addition to @CentralMA's answer above, I'll note that the unglazed clay pots produce more intensely flavored sauces because of that porosity. Somewhere around here is a protracted conversation about unglazed vs. glazed. It began in the Truth About Braising lab discussions and went on in the cooking forums, thanks to Paula Wolfert's suggestions. I'll post links when I find them again.

[weinoo]

2 hours ago, CentralMA said:

 

Cllay pots, especially "low fired" i.e. red ware type are extremely porous. Even glazed they can accept and lose moisture. Once you get into the upper ranges of kiln temperatures (cone 8, cone 9 and higher) the clay becomes vitreous, like glass, less able to absorb moisture. And like any clay vessel that is of a lower temp firing, bring the temp up slowly, no sudden shock to the body of the vessel.

 

Found this on spanishtable.com:

 

Cazuelas are kiln fired at 200°C and are brittle when new. They should be soaked in water for six hours prior to use for the first time. If you live in a very dry climate you may want to resoak occasionally. Once their moisture content is restored, they can be used over direct flame (gas or electric range) on low to medium (high heat not recommended), in the oven, or in the microwave. They may be washed in the dishwasher if they are placed so the rims do not bang against another dish as this may cause chipping. The cazuelas are durable if given minimum care & not subjected to abrupt temperature changes.

 

https://www.spanishtable.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/cazuelarecipes.pdf

 

good post, and certainly the reason to soak / season both glazed and unglazed cazuelas. I don’t wash mine in the dishwasher either, since the once time I did, I felt like it picked up a funky smell maybe from the d/w soap.  It cleans so easily after a simple soak I. Plain water for 1/2 an hour.