Dough seal on clay pot

[ravum]

I made the claypot chickpea soup from Paula Wolferts Slow Mediterranean.

I used a claypot and sealed it with dough.After baking, the dough has formed a rigid seal that cant be prised out.Its as hard as a stone.I tried to hit it with a knife,but am afraid of breaking the pot.

How to get to the soup in there?Please help.

[fifi]

Oh dear . . . This is a true dilemma. I have conferred with colleagues, looked in books and have not found a solution. There are a couple of ideas out there. One is to get a drill or Dremel tool and attack it that way. Another approach would be to submerge the whole thing into a sink of water and see if that softens it. The soup may not make it but you may save to pot.

I have looked in the Wolfert book and haven't found the proportions of the flour, water and oil. What did you use? I am beginning to think that might be part of the problem.

I am looking at this from a position of total ignorance, having never tried the technique.

[Wolfert]

I have a question: Did you mix all purpose flour with water and a drop of oil? (Oil helps to break the seal.) Some cooks don't use the oil but I find it helps. You can chisle a hole into one side of the flour and as soon as some steam gets out it will be easy to loosen the top.

There is no formula because different flours take different amounts of water. A rule of thumb is 3/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon oil and enough water to make a paste. It should have been easy to remove.

The dhickpeas will only be better by the long wait.

[ravum]

I have a question: Did you mix all purpose flour with water and a drop of oil? (Oil helps to break the seal.) Some cooks don't use the oil but I find it helps. You can chisle a hole into one side of the flour and as soon as some steam gets out it will be easy to loosen the top.

There is no formula because different flours take different amounts of water. A rule of thumb is 3/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon oil and enough water to make a paste. It should have been easy to remove.

The dhickpeas will only be better by the long wait.

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thanks for the pointers,paula and fifi

I did use a about a tsp of oil and Did try chiselling,didnt work.I ended up taking it to the sink.The seal came off but I noticed there was a gap big enough to put my finger through in places.I managed to not get too much water in there but a little still got in.All in all,pot and chickpeas saved

The chickpeas were still wonderful (inspite of getting diluted).I plan to make Indian style Chana masala using this method.I wont add anything acidic but all spices will go in.

I'm not sure why the dough stuck but will try once more.

[fifi]

Thanks for the tips, Paula. I am wondering now about the characteristics of the pot that may have led to the problem. Are the surfaces between the lid and pot unglazed? I am not that conversant on clay pots, but I intend to get there, so this little detail may be helpful to me.

[Wolfert]

Hi Fifi,

this would be wonderful to find out.

All the daubieres, Chinese sandpots, and other pots that are used with a flour,water and drop of oil paste are glazed at least on one side. When not, the cook is instructed to oil at least one of the rims. Does this help?

[fifi]

Ah . . . Oiling the rims seems to be ultimately sensible. I know that I have seen everything from unglazed clay pots, clay pots that have a full glaze on the rims, pots that have spotty glaze on the rims. Oiling the rim makes sense, I think, in any type. But, I may be wrong. For instance, a fully glazed rim and lid, oiled, may not seal at all. Is that true?

Oh . . . my, my, my . . . The devil is in the details isn't it? You, my dear, are the queen of the clay pots. Your wisdom is greatly appreciated.

I just thought of something. What about the Chamba pots? I am not sure if they are "glazed" or not. (They are my after-Christmas treat to myself.)

[Maison Rustique]

I just thought of something. What about the Chamba pots? I am not sure if they are "glazed" or not. (They are my after-Christmas treat to myself.)

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From the website:

The innate elegance and usability make black Chamba pottery perfect from cooking to serving. There are no toxins used in the production since no glazes are used

Edited to add that the bolding in the quote is mine.

Edited December 21, 2004 by Maison Rustique (log)

[Wolfert]

Unglazed pots probably need oil; glazed don't because they are slippery. And this brings me to the chambra pots.I don't have the black stewing pot so I can't tell you how it would behave with a dough seal with or without oil, but I do have the skillet and aside from loving it for its unglazed properties, it has a very special texture to the touch---extraordinarily smooth which makes me think it has been rubbed with stones.

[jayt90]

Just a thought: if oiling the rim will help prepare the surface, glazed or unglazed, for removing the dough collar, wouldn't a quick spray of Pam work? It is super slippery, and easy to apply...

[ravum]

Are the surfaces between the lid and pot unglazed? I am not that conversant on clay pots, but I intend to get there, so this little detail may be helpful to me.

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My pot is unglazed on both sides.I will positively oil it the next time around.PAM sounds like a great idea..

[Kevin72]

Where else can you go online with a question about the recipe from a book and within a day, the author of that book shows up to answer them?

[fifi]

Where else can you go online with a question about the recipe from a book and within a day, the author of that book shows up to answer them? 

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Ummmm . . . I'm thinking . . . I'm thinking.