It’s probably fair to say that I’m a wee bit obsessed with clay cookware.
It all started five years ago when I bought my first Römertopf baker. A year or so later, we gave away all our Le Creuset enameled cast iron (which I’d come to loathe by that time) and switched to the Emile Henry Flame range. We’ve never looked back (here’s the post I wrote about it in 2011).
Clay cookware isn’t for everyone, but for me, it’s a perfect fit. At a soul-deep level, cooking in clay makes me happy. I love the look and feel of the pots – the colours, the weight and the texture. I love the smooth glide as my silicone spoon moves food around in them. I love the earthiness, the way they hold and diffuse heat, and the gentleness of the cooking process. Whether it’s real or imagined, I genuinely believe food cooked in clay tastes better.
Somewhat surprisingly (to me), I’m completely unperturbed by the fact that clay is less durable than either stainless steel or cast iron. My Emile Henry pieces have proven to be very sturdy (although my mum has had a pot crack), but the Römertopfs are quite battle-scarred, boasting chips and scorch marks, yet these only seem to add to their charm.
. . . . .
The latest additions to my clay collection are these gorgeous Portuguese ceramics. It began with our flaming birthday pig…
..and has expanded to include this beautifully decorated dish. We baked a lasagne in it the first night I brought it home…
After dinner, I put it straight into the dishwasher. This is how it came out…
The white petals are already tinged a little pink from the tomato sauce, but I don’t mind at all…
. . . . .
Today, I heated my Spanish cazuela on the hob and made Tanya’s delicious chorizo tapas…
The Black Forest Smokehouse chorizos were very flavourful, but I agree with Chica (Tanya) – cooking in the terracotta pot really did add something special to the whole experience…
. . . . .
I know it probably reduces their lifespan, but all my clay pieces go into the dishwasher. As we get older, the ease of clean up and the lighter weight (Emile Henry Flame pots are 30% lighter than their cast iron equivalents) are key considerations for us. Both the Emile Henry and Römertopf brands are guaranteed lead free – not all clay is equal, so it’s always worth checking before you buy.
Tell me, are you a fan of clay cookware? Or do you prefer cast iron, copper, or some other alternative?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
In 1970 I bought a (clay) Cock Pot from a kitchen shop in Hemmel Hempstead UK. It was unglazed on the outside and the lid featured a mould in the shape of a dressed chook (lying on it’s back). The instructions said to soak it in water before adding the seasoned chook to the glazed interior and cooking as per normal. I treasured that pot and whenever we had to move house it was transported on my lap to the new kitchen. The flavour and succulence of chook roasted in that pot I have never been able to replicate. You are so right Celia, there’s something special about clay for oven cooking. And I don’t need any more pots but it sounds as though I should be looking toward a Römertopf baker. thank you
Sandy, it does indeed sound like a Romy might replace your cock pot! That’s exactly how you use it – soak first, then bake. I saw custom made pots like the one you describe on River Cottage – they looked amazing! :)
Am not a fan of the enamel iron cookware as it is just too heavy for me to handle when it is full. To be honest, I use my crock pot a huge amount. In winter there is nothing better than a hearty crock-pot meal, and in summer it is the perfect way to minimise heat in the kitchen, while still stewing a chicken to perfection, or a roast to delectable tenderness. And the Romertopf is growing on me!!
Ardys, that makes perfect sense given how hot it can be in Alice! My mother always had a crock pot on the go, but I’ve never been a fan myself – isn’t it interesting how different our preferences are! :)
Am I reading your blog right that you can put some clay ware on the hob to brown?? I was always of the idea that they only went into the oven?? If you can put them on the hob – which of yours are able to do that?
I too love my romertopf. I was totally in love with it back in the late 80’s and then starting moving and shedding all my kitchen stuff that I dearly wish I still had! I now have a romertopf again and it is sizzling with pork stuffed with almonds, apricots, prunes, currants and a fresh apple as I type! Thanks so much for your wonderful posts – I really do enjoy them.
Lorelle, the Emile Henry FLAME range cooks brilliantly on a gas hob – this I know from personal experience. It also works on electric and halogen cooktops, but they recommend a diffuser with electric (my mum’s is electric, and she managed to crack an EH pot). The Spanish cazuela dish that I bought from Chefs Warehouse can go on the hob as well – it’s traditionally used for tapas. They’re round flat dishes, whereas the EH range have casserole dishes and tagines and more. One thing though – the Emile Henry must be the FLAME range – they’re the only ones that can go on the hob. Thanks for reading! :)
Celia darling, I love clay too… truth is I simply don’t have the room for too much any more… the Romertopf is a treasured item… I love a little of each of my cookware for different cooking tasks.
Liz, I don’t know how you resisted all those years when you had the shop. I reckon I’d have just walked stuff home! :)
LOL…. I did tell you why… : )
I love the Rometopf, but for some bizarre reason gave mine away when I was having a crazy clear out. Now of course I regret it. I remember slow cooked bean stews and lamb dishes made in deep narrow necked pots as a child. You were never sure what you’d get as the spoon disappeared into the neck and scooped out the eight hour cooked goodies. You’re so very right, terracotta brings it’s only flavour to the food, maybe it’s the gentleness of the cooking? GG
GG, I think that might be it. I know I find the process very soothing – everything simmers in a very non-violent way.. :)
I love my Chasseur enameled cast iron pots. I was reluctant to make the financial outlay initially, even at POK discounted prices but our two beloved blue pots have been a great investment and paid themselves off by enabling me to create great meals from cheap cuts that feed us for days, and added so much to my cooking confidence, which I sorely lack. We use them all year for winter slow cooking, summer roast for cold meats, and everything in between. I have a ceramic tagine and baking dishes which I use regularly, and if I had storage space I’d be swayed by your love of clay… maybe one day.
Oh, how I desperately wanted to love my Le Creuset pots! We bought three – a Dutch oven, a small pot and a roasting pan – using a mix of FlyBuy points and cash. Even with the points, they still cost a fortune! But they just didn’t work for me – they stuck, needed soaking overnight to clean, which meant I’d wake up in the morning to an oily sink, and I could never get the stains out. I think in hindsight it was probably because I tried using them on the hob – they’d probably have been fine if I’d just kept them for oven baking. I’m so glad you love yours! :)
Interesting. We don’t experience any of that with ours, hob or oven. No harder to clean that the ceramic lasagna tray. One day I’ll weaken and a Romertopf will follow me home.
It probably didn’t help that the enamel on mine was white.. ;-)
I too am a fan of this cookware – we use it a lot in Spain and it’s so very cheap. Cents for tiny tapas dishes and just a few euro for bigger pots. If they weren’t so heavy and fragile I’d send you a load! So glad you enjoyed the chorizo – yours look amazing. Cooking in terracotta really does do something special to the flavour. We often slow cook bean (soupy stew type dishes) in them and they turn out amazing!
Tanya, it was such a simple recipe, but the flavour was huge! I didn’t have a decent sherry (could you please send that too? :)), but I subbed a good white wine, and it was just the best lunch. Thanks again!
Celia, do you have: Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share by Paula Wolfert? I just bought it, along with two other Paula Wolfert books. She is really into clay pot cooking. Every time I look at it I think of you.
Oh yes! It’s on my dining room table right now! :)
Aah.. I thought you might, it is very good.
Does anyone know what has happened to Paula? Such a fantastic and kind woman and so talented who did not deserve to come down with Alzheimer’s!! I was in her ‘Moroccan’ FB group until about two years ago and absolutely cherished it . . . I piked out of FB as personal time simply would not allow . . . . hers is one of the priceless memories . . . .
This is so interesting Celia. I love my Chasseur but I haven’t really used anything else so I wonder am I missing out? Further investigation required. Have a great week & happy cooking x
Jane, I don’t know that you’re missing out, especially if you love your Chasseur. We didn’t love our cast iron, so we had to find an alternative, and this is just what we ended up with! :)
You convinced me Celia. I was an Emile Henry convert from your first post back in 2011!
Hooray! Glad you’re happy with them, Claire! xx
I have an enormous Staub cast iron pot which I adore. It is large enough to hold a whole leg of lamb. I do wonder how long I’ll have the strength to haul it in and out of the oven though. It weighs a ton!
They do get heavy, don’t they! That was a big thing for us – I nearly pulled our heavy Le Creuset onto my head a couple of times from the overhead shelf where it lived! :)
Oh my goodness! It’s my back and knees I worry about!
I love my Le Creuset and won’t switch even though they are hefty :)
Good for you! Oh how I wish I could have loved mine! :)
I’ve never been super into clay, but this is gorgeous!
Thank you! As I said, I’m a bit hooked on them! :)
I don’t have experience with a clay pot but would love to give it a try someday!
Laila, I think you might enjoy using one – they’re a gentle, soothing way to cook, if that makes sense. They’re a bit fussier than steel or iron pans though – some can cope well with going on the cooktop, but others (most) can’t. Some like the Romertopfs need to be soaked first and then put into a cold oven to start, others like the Emile Henrys are more resilient. In a way, they all seem to have a personality and a temperament – maybe that’s why they appeal so much to me! :)
I use a little of everything! Everyday is usually my copper core stainless pots and pans. I also use cast iron or enamel cup coated cast iron. I have though about clay for bread but haven’t bought anything yet. You just may convince me yet!
Gretchen, I like baking bread in clay, but it’s not my favourite use for it (unless you count the pizza stones as clay, in which case I use them all the time). As a product of the presoaking and cold oven start, the Romertopf produces tender, fine crumbed loaves which are great for sandwiches, but not always what I want – I’m often after chewy, holey sourdough. Your copper core pots and pans sound interesting! :)
Good to know. I also use a pizza stone often. It is the sandwich breads I need to work on. We love crusty, but the kids want something softer for sandwiches.
I love my enameled cast iron cookware but as you’ve mentioned, the older you get hauling it out of the cabinet gets tiring and as a result I often grab the stainless steel. One thing you’ve convinced me of though is to definitely give the clay a go. I think you’re right about it adding flavor or perhaps it’s the clay that allows the flavors to be enhanced. I do love that dish you used for the lasagna. One question out of curiosity, when you say you put it right in the dishwasher, do you pre-soak or scrub it down a little first?
Di, I just scrape any loose food off and then in it goes. If somethings burnt on the base of one of my Emile Henrys (which happens often, as I have an EH wok which I put over a high flame), then I usually scrub it off AFTER it comes out of the dishwasher and has had a chance to soften up. :)
I just have cast iron pans that have no enamel, I wouldn’t buy enamel myself but love the plain cast iron.
Now that IS interesting, Viki! I think I read somewhere that cooking on raw cast iron is supposed to be good for us – giving us minerals etc that we lack in our diets! But it must be an absolute bugger to clean! :)
looks great definitely going to have to try it
I have never cooked in clay but every time I read one of your posts or see something you’ve posted on instagram, I feel like rushing out to the shops. I’m still using Le Creuset but I agree, they are bloody heavy! Your lasagne dish is very pretty xx
Charlie, it’s not just the heavy for us, it’s the washing up! I think we’re getting lazy in our old age.. :)
Celia, last year I bought the clay loaf pans which were on special at Peter’s of Kensington thanks to your heads up, I do like them. I had someone’s passed on clay pot in the cupboard which I now use thanks to your enthusiasm. I still have a chasseur but there is a spot on my left wrist which “goes” when I lift something heavy these days, I think I’ll be moving towards more clay.
Rose, I know exactly what you mean – I gave myself tennis elbow manoeuvring the large pot!
Your decorated pot looks beautiful. All my pots are hand me downs that still work okay. It’s funny how things can taste differently depending on what they are cooked in. Until about 10 years ago my parents had a wood stove in the kitchen and l swear everything tasted so much nicer coming out of that oven
Jody, I’m slowly coming around to believing that – both with the clay and wood-fired ovens. I used to believe food cooked the same always tasted the same, but it’s really not the case – the pot, the heat, even the occasion seem to to affect the final flavour! :)
Roemertopf, this reminds me back of Germany where I was born, my mother cooked all the time with Roemertopf, it was the in thing back than.
Cornelia, isn’t it nice that it’s lasted so long! It’s the thing in my kitchen too – I’m hoping for a revival! :)
My Le Creuset is horribly stained and it’s heavy, but it doesn’t break when I drop it, which is why I love it. I’d worry about clay cracking on the hob as I only use one heat setting – hot because I’m in a hurry.
Anne, that’s interesting – my friend Ali just posted a photo on IG of her cracked LC lid! I think there’s a lifetime warranty on them though, so hopefully she can get them replaced. The clay isn’t bulletproof, but it goes in the dishwasher – swings and roundabouts I guess.. :)
I saw her photo and wondered if my comment was tempting fate. My lids are a bit chipped.
So intricate! I share your love, Celia! I saw that cute flaming birthday pig again, lol ;)
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Julie, aren’t they pretty! Pete’s always worried where I’m going to store it all.. :)
I think food does taste better in our favorite pot (whatever kind it is) because we understand it, we know how it will respond to the choice ingredients we trust it to hold and transform.
I have always wanted to cook with clay, will have to find a choice piece to begin.
Judy, it’s one of those magical things about cooking that people don’t tell you, isn’t it? It’s not just the recipe, it’s the pot or the fire or the humidity in the kitchen – learning to cook is all about experience and figuring out how to get everything to work together as we want.. :)
a cool obsession for sure!
Thanks Azita! :)
celia..i understand your emotional connection to your clay pots..i’m the same with certain objects..it just feels right to use them and there’s a story in them..the food does taste better..even if it is all in our heads it’s still real..
i brought a cubic metre of clay pots back with me from greece decades ago..some were gifts and others i kept but over the years i’ve changed my preference to black matt enamel cast iron pots..the enamel doesn’t scratch, stain or chip..it is heavy though but so far i’m coping ok..x
Jane! BLACK enamel, that’s the secret! Ours were white on the inside, and the staining drove me bonkers.. :) I love your collection of enamel mugs..
[…] been aiming at combining virtual and real life for a meet up with fellow Sydney blogger Celia of Fig Jam & Lime Cordial. However, akin to the storage space I’m without that prevents me from acquiring the […]
I don’t have much clay I have to admit! I’m not sure how long my cast iron pots will last. My Le Creuset has some strange pitting at the bottom. But I never put any of those things in the dishwasher. I’m quite weird about that!
The pitting sounds strange – someone mentioned that LC has a lifetime warranty – if that’s the case, maybe you can get it replaced?
I so need to get one of these Celia- you’re a very good saleswoman! I think your piggy is the cutest :) xox
Isn’t he gorgeous Becca? But when he’s on fire, that smile on his face is positively devilish.. :)
Hi Celia – you have persuaded me. I just bought a romertopf clay pot from an op shop in Cooma – for $5 … I can’t wait to get it home and use it.
Jenny
I hope you have fun with it! The pots we used are glazed – not sure if the older ones are?
[…] you have an earthenware cazuela to make and serve this in, use it (Celia, I’m talking about you!). It really makes a difference to the flavour and is more […]