Caring for Clay Pots (or Claypots)

[Wolfert]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2005Mar15.html

Interesting piece this morning in the Washington post on curing an Indian tandoor.

I cure some unglazed Moroccan pots with a mixture of grated onion, oil and salt and bake in an oven until the seasoning turns black. Then I let the pots cool in a turned off oven.

Certain tagines such as the one from the Rif at www.tagines.com are cured by simply mixing oil and wood ash and rubbing into the clay and baking until dark in color.

In Turkey, I learned the hard way not to soak some unglazed pots in water until they have been rubbed with oil and baked. The pot broke into small pieces!

The lachamba pots are soaked and oiled and baked. Recently, I was told to simmer the la chamba pots in milk to make them even stronger.

Smithy uses molasses to cure her Egyptian pots.

The French rub garlic all over a previously soaked and dried daube before baking it.

Anyone know other cures for unglazed pots?

Edited March 16, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[Smithy]

Interesting article. It makes the methods discussed here sound pretty easy, doesn't it?

I wonder why the milk works to make the black Chamba pots stronger? In this case does 'stronger' mean less susceptible to thermal shock, or less susceptible to breakage when dropped?

[fifi]

Yes, thanks for posting that article and starting this thread. Between the various tagine and braising discussions going on this will be very useful.

For the Black Chamba, I just did what was suggested: Fill about 2/3 full of water and put, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. I was nervous about putting them in a hot oven so I started cold and started timing when the oven reached temperature. I didn't know what to think about the covers so I put them in a sink of hot water for a while. Then I heard this strange sound, from all the way in the living room. I homed in on the sink and saw these interesting trails of tiny bubbles coming up and this odd sound. I took it to mean that the lids were singing to me.

The literature mentions the milk, but for sealing, and that isn't usually necessary. I have now cooked in them and don't see a need to seal.

The scientist in me is always wondering about the chemistry of all of this. Unfortunately, I was lousy at inorganic chemistry.

[Wolfert]

In the Washington Post article, all the Indian chefs mention the lactic acid in milk or buttermilk as part of the process.

That's when I remembered the restauranteur Manka's comments about simmering milk to make her chamba pots stronger.

Then I remembered that I knew this or something similar. I checked in one of my own cookbooks, 'P>W> world of food,' and I read the following tips on page 340:

" Dealing with a cracked cazuela (a tip from Rosa Rajkovic, a chef in New Mexico): submerge the entire dish in milk in a wide pan, bring slowly to a boil, and cook l hour. The crack welds itself together, and the dish is as strong as new."

I might as well post the remaining material from that page concerning the curing of a Spanish cazuela so we have all the information in one forum.

Soak the entire cazuela in water to cover for 12 hours. Drain and wipe the bottom dry. Rub the unglazed bottom with a cut clove of garlic. Fill the dish with water to 1/2 inch below the rim, then add 12/ cup of vinegar. Place the dish on a heat diffuser over low heat and slowly bring to a boil. Let the liquid boil down until only about 1/2 cup remains. Cool slowly and wash. Your cazuela is now ready for use---the garlic created a seal.

Smithy: I started this forum because I'm so worried about your moussaka claypots. I don't know if they should be soaked first. See my earlier posting on Aegean pots.

Edited March 17, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[peanutgirl]

I know there are numerous threads on tagines... that's what caused me to order the medium sized Rifi from tagines.com. ( as well as some of those cute colorful spice and condiment ones!).

Given your explanations on curing Paula... please explain one last time about how to cure the Rifi. Is it as simple as OO and wood ash? The site says:

TAGINE SEASONING

In order to use your cooking tagine and get optimum taste from your recipes, it is highly recommended if not, mandatory that it is seasoned before initial use. Please follow these simple instructions below for maximum results:

1.

The new tagine needs to be first submerged in water for at least 1 hour.

2.

Rub the inside of the base and lid with olive oil.

3.

Put into a cold oven and set temperature at 350 F and leave for 1.5 to 2 hours.

This process will strengthen your tagine and insure addition of a distinct flavor that tagine lovers seek at every use.

I don't want to ruin it before I even use it.... to soak or not to soak? Also what if I don't have access to wood ashes? I'm assuming it's the patina that will be missing. Is that correct? Or is it a flavor issue as well?

One last question if you don't mind.

I have your Slow Mediterranean Kitchen book and adore it but there's only a few tagine recipes in it. Could you recommend a good book devoted to tagine cookery ( don't be modest if it's one of yours ).

TIA !

[fifi]

CLAY POT WARNING!

I have been leaving my Black Chamba pots on my dining table just 'cause I like looking at them. Now, my table is a crappy butcher block topped affair with no finish on it. After curing them with the water, I noticed that there is a wet spot on the wood where they were sitting. There is enough water retained in the clay that you should provide protection to surfaces that the dampness would damage. (I don't worry about this table but I do have some pieces of furniture that I would worry about that I might have wanted to sit them on just because they are so pretty.)

[Wolfert]

My directions for the riffian tagine are exactly the same as Sami, the owner of tagines.com. writes. The only reason I add the ashis to enhance the color and look. Ask Sami if he doesn't think my addition of ash doesn't make tagines look as if they have had 50 years of loving use!

When I sent him a photo of something I purchased from him after curing with the addition of ash. He wrote back and told me it looked like his grandmother's pot. I took that as a great commentary on my handiwork..

Ok, I'm going to do a bit of bragging here. Forgive me but you asked me for a recommendation for a Moroccan cookbook. In 1973, I published Couscous and other good food from Morocco. It has been in print all this time!

[Wolfert]

CLAY POT WARNING!

This is horrible. Is there any way to repair the table? We really are in new territory here.

The chamba pots are soaked, oiled and baked. Wouldn't the baking dry out the water and the oil seal up the pores?

The timing must be wrong somwhere. I will go to another site and see what they suggest.

Edited March 17, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[rancho_gordo]

I bought the 12" Rifi and the 9" Souss. I cured them both with oil and woodash and they both look great, but it's the second curing that really does the trick. they both look completely different from when they arrived. And they both look great. And they both look completely different from each other.

I wish I had gotten the bigger Souss as the 9" is pretty small, but I'm making up my own chard recipes and it's fine for vegetables and small meat.

To those like myself who find the whole concept really intimidating and exotic, I think you can think of the tagine as an earthenware casserole and relax a bit. The lid design is clever as it stays cool to the touch (the knob, anyway) and I'm sure the bell or triangle shape does something clever to circulate air. But it's an ideal braising vehicle and you should relax. I'm just starting to. But also be aware that because it's earth and porous, you'd probably want to only cook Morrocan food in it, or Middle Eastern. And in the two things I've cooked, there's a lot of moisture, so maybe follow most recipes, cut the liquid and watch the levels.

Paula, is this about right or have I made things up?

[peanutgirl]

Thank You... Thank You... Thank You Paula!!!

I wlll most definitley seek out & buy the book you mentioned :smile!

Now, if I can ban the Chamba site .... doubtful since it's all desirable!

This and the LC is all Fifi's doing ... in a good way ( for an addict anyway )

edit to add: I did write Sami an email

Edited March 17, 2005 by peanutgirl (log)

[fifi]

CLAY POT WARNING!

This  is horrible. Is there any way to repair the table? We really are in new territory here.

The chamba pots are soaked, oiled and baked. Wouldn't the baking dry out the water and the oil seal up the pores?

The timing must be wrong somwhere. I will go to another site and see what they suggest.

←

As they say in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . . .

DON'T PANIC!

I have done much worse to this table. It is fine. This is probably going to happen with just about any unglazed and porous clay. Being a curious sort, I kept moving the bean pot and it retained enough water to make a mark for about three days after I cooked that chicken dish that I put in the eGCI.

[Wolfert]

Paula, is this about right or have I made things up?

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Edited March 17, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

Another warning. Do not set any pots like this on a highly polished surface, glass for instance, and scoot it around.

You will find scratches in the glass or ???

I have ruined a lot of glass (and other) tabletops over the years with the many pottery pieces I have.

I have glass polishing equipment because of my glass artwork but if you don't, this can be expensive.

Now for the wood ash substitute.

If you have any dried corn cobs, such as the ones used for decor around harvest time, or simply buy an ear of corn (or more than one), cut the kernels off the cob and roast the cob in the oven or on the barbecue grill, if you happen to be using it, until the cob chars. You can even cut it into chunks to roast it in the oven until it chars.

Indian potters in the southwest use charred corn cobs when they fire pottery directly in coals, setting the cured "green" pottery on a bed of corn cobs then heaping more around and inside the pottery so the heat is even around and inside the pot.

For your purposes you can crumble the charred cobs in a mixture of oil and salt to rub onto the unglazed pot.

[fifi]

. . . . .

T3.he problem of moving from one cuisine to another and using the same pot has surfaced lately in my work. I haven't quite decided what to do about certain recipes. On the other hand, the Riffian pot is a wonderful cake baker without the top. I made a Turkish yogurt and semolina cake in it and it turned out 'best of class.'

←

Is this a problem or an opportunity? In the case of a tagine, I would think that the longer you use it, it will develop its own flavor "patina" for lack of a better word. Now, with a tagine, you are going to be cooking within the same seasoning family so that might not be a bad thing.

What I would worry about is a clay pot that got used for a fish dish, to take what may be a worst case scenario, then used for chicken, maybe.

The bean pot is probably going to be used for Southwestern, Mexican and Mediterranean types of recipes. I have decided not to worry about it.

Would doing more extensive curing with oil help? I am thinking that you are never going to keep water out given the porous nature of the stuff.

[Placebo]

The use of milk for stregthening and repairing clay pots may be due to the casein in it. Apparently (my coworker learned this the WSU Cheesemaking Short Course last week) casein, which is one of the primary proteins in milk, dries very much like Elmer's glue. So, it may be the binding action of this protein in drying that makes this work. They were telling the class this in terms of the importance of cleaning the equipment as rapidly as possible so that nothing can dry on.

[fifi]

Casein . . . Elmer's Glue . . . Of Course! *slaps forehead*

[Richard Kilgore]

The lachamba pots are soaked and oiled and baked. Recently, I was told to simmer the la chamba pots in milk to make them even stronger.

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I am getting confused as to what to do. The insert sheet that came with the la chamba pot did not mention oiling it. Just heating it in the oven at 400 F for 30 minutes 3/4 full of water, cover off, after washing with soap and water and rinsing. I have done that and now see tiny crazing in the finish. Are you suggesting oiling it, too. If so, at what point. If I simmer it in milk, at what point do I do that? Both oil and milk treatments? Is the tiny crazing normal? Like Fifi, I simply soaked the lid in water. Should I be doing something else to it, too?

[Wolfert]

Richard:

Here is another site providing pretty much the same directions on curing your la chamba pot

http://www.tierranegra.co.uk/inst.html

As the chambas age and are used for a long time, they tend to lose some of their blackness and turn a little reddish. I keep them looking spiffy by oiling them from time to time.

The milk idea sounds like a good one from all I have read including the Washington Post article posted upthread as well as the chees\ casein introduction to the conversation. I would do as an extra precaution in the same manner as the restauranteur Manka does if in fact you will be using the pot a great deal. She uses these same chamba pots in her restaurant and they take a lot of beating. By the way, her very famous restaurant is in Inverness along the California coast about an hours drive from where I live. She is famous for her game dishes.

I never noticed any tiny crazing, but perhaps it is just normal. These are artisanal pots and you get these special effects. If it bothers you then call Nidia and ask her about it. She is very helpful and I am sure she will either contact the folks who make the pots or simply know the answer and advise you. Please tell us as well.

RAncho___Gordo: I love the deep polished wood look of the Riffian tagine. Yes, you are right that the Souss one takes on a completely different look...more mysteriously gritty but attaractive. It is all in the clay and we need to respect it.

Well, you know that.

Fifi There is another Moroccan claypot called a tagra which is special for fish. The tagra doesn't have the conical top and can be used as a gratin pan. It is especially good for baking gratins as well. The clay comes from another region of Morocco and is baked for what I call a tight seal. This tagra is prepared with the grated onion and salt cure mentioned upthread. And, from time to time I oil it to keep it from drying out.

Shad roe with the green herb and paprika marinade called charmoula and a light ragout of fava beans is a popular spring dish in Fez. As soon as the two come into the market here in Sonoma, I'll prepare my recipe and put up a photo. It always looks magnificent in my tagra. Come to think of it, the chamba would be more dramatic...........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..

Edited March 17, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[fifi]

Uh oh . . . I think my propensity for "hypnotizing" folks into buying pots is turning on me. Paula, first it was the chamba. Now she comes up with that tagra. And in the same paragraph she uses the word "gratin." We all know how I feel about gratins. There is evil at work here.

Where does one get a tagra?

BTW . . . Getting curious, last night I stuck my nose in my bean pot. Remember, I have only cooked the lemon chicken in it. I did get a faint whiff of the ingredients in that dish. The aroma was pretty much just like the final combined smells. Maybe the lemon was a bit more pronounced. But it was slight and not enough to concern me for a pot of beans.

I just had an idea. How about I cook a pot of some sort of beans using the Parson's method. I will just cook them plain with salt and no other seasonings and see what happens.

[Wolfert]

I am a very old and dear friend of Russ Parsons. Maybe 25 years??? Is that possible ?

That said, he did two things that I don't believe he should have:

1) He outed me at egullet so now I have to be me and not 'hedgehog.'

2) He doesn't soak his beans.

Other than that he and his wife Kathy are always welcome at my home for lunch.

I still respect and adore him, but I believe in soaking dried beans to their fullest. Even changing the water if necessary.

After a full soaking I put them in a sandy clay pot shaped like a pot belly and add just enough liquid to cover along with grated onion, salt, aromatics. I cover with my wrinkled parchment and a lid, or seal it with an oil-flour-water mix and lid, and bake the beans or chickpeas slowly in the oven for a few hours.

I think Sami has some tagras. If you have my Moroccan cookbook, you'll find detailed directions on how to cure it.

[Smithy]

Uh oh . . . I think my propensity for "hypnotizing" folks into buying pots is turning on me. Paula, first it was the chamba. Now she comes up with that tagra. And in the same paragraph she uses the word "gratin." We all know how I feel about gratins. There is evil at work here. 

Where does one get a tagra?

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BWAAHAHA! I am enjoying this.

Don't forget there's a Raytek out there calling your name, too.

[Smithy]

Never mind, I answered my own question again...

Edited March 17, 2005 by Smithy (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

I've been reading this thread all along and giggling. I have to say that when the Riffian arrives, it is in a pretty big box. My UPS man was quite intrigued when I told him it was a cooking pot from Morocco. Now, at least once a week since I got my pot (about six weeks ago?) he has asked me about it and I have elaborated on clay pot cooking (I'm a convert, thanks to Paula)

On Monday, my UPS man came to my office while I was eating leftover Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives which I had made in my Riffian the night before. I showed him the website to tagines.com.

On Wednesday, my UPS man told me that he has ordered his first tagine and wants recipes.

Now how cool is that???

[Smithy]

I've been reading this thread all along and giggling. I have to say that when the Riffian arrives, it is in a pretty big box. My UPS man was quite intrigued when I told him it was a cooking pot from Morocco. Now, at least once a week since I got my pot (about six weeks ago?) he has asked me about it and I have elaborated on clay pot cooking (I'm a convert, thanks to Paula)

On Monday, my UPS man came to my office while I was eating leftover Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives which I had made in my Riffian the night before. I showed him the website to tagines.com.

On Wednesday, my UPS man told me that he has ordered his first tagine and wants recipes.

Now how cool is that???

←

Oh man, I'd better order mine before they run out!

[Wolfert]

update on curing the Italian clay plates with molasses or ash: zilch

Edited March 17, 2005 by Wolfert (log)