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Posts Tagged ‘Emile Henry’

Emile Henry

Posted in In My Kitchen, tagged , on July 29, 2011| 54 Comments »

My love affair with Emile Henry Flame Cookware began several years ago when Pete bought me these two tagines as a gift…

We’ve added a few more pieces since then, particularly in the past year as our old bones and sore arms have necessitated a move away from cast iron.

The Flame range ticks every box for us.  Here’s what we particularly love:

  • It can be used on a gas, electric or halogen hob, as well as in the oven and microwave. (Note: we’ve never had a problem with the pots on our gas burners, but my mum had one crack after a couple of years – she has an electric hotplate). Cooking in clay over direct heat is something I derive enormous pleasure from.
  • It washes up brilliantly in the dishwasher – an important consideration for us, as it was becoming logistically difficult to manoeuvre heavy cast iron pots and pans in the sink.  The range isn’t non-stick, but any residual burnt bits have always cleaned away easily with minimal scrubbing.
  • The lead-free Burgundian clay gives the cookware a high thermal mass, resulting in even cooking and improved heat retention.  My curries will often continue boiling for several minutes after the heat is turned off, and still be hot enough to eat more than half an hour later.  Additionally, its extreme thermal shock resistance means the cookware can go from the freezer to the oven without cracking.
  • The stew pots are 30% lighter than comparable cast iron. And as our pots are stored on a high shelf above my head, I’m now at far less risk of a concussion.
  • Finally, the entire range is absolutely gorgeous!  It transitions easily from the stove to the table, and is attractive enough for even the fanciest dinner party.

I have a round 24cm general purpose stew pot in fig…

…as well as a 31cm oval pot, also in fig, especially for curries and poaching large cuts of meat…

…and a 30cm black brasier, which I use for Indian keema and shallow-frying.

These pieces are very expensive, but we view them as an investment. They’re of superb quality, highly functional, and in use almost every day.

Additionally, all of them have been purchased at massively reduced prices – if you’re in Australia, check out the Peters of Kensington website, which offers a wide range of Emile Henry, discounted by as much as 75%.  Remember that only the Flame range can be used on the stove-top.

Edit 06/14: When I first wrote this post, the Flame range was widely available in Australia, but it’s become much harder to find in recent times. Everten Online still sell some pieces, as do Peters of Kensington, but both have a greatly reduced range (mostly tagines).

One thing to note – the cookware needs to be seasoned before use.  There are detailed instructions with the pots, but it’s an easy process –  pour an inch or so of milk into the bottom of the pot or pan and simmer it for five minutes, then turn it off immediately and allow it to cool, before washing. Alternatively, simmer a litre of water with half a cup of rice for five minutes instead of the milk (I’ve actually found the rice works better, as I tend to scorch the milk).

This isn’t a paid or sponsored piece – if you read our blog regularly, you’ll know that I never do those. I’m simply quite infatuated with this 160 year old company and her products.

Here is a clip of Jacques Henry, the fifth family member to run Emile Henry, describing how the Flame Cookware is made. I was impressed to see them using the clay roaster on a barbeque!

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Rhubarb, Berry, Apple and Hazelnut Crisp

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on June 2, 2011| 49 Comments »

My friends Mark and Bruce at Real Food Has Curves create some truly delicious recipes.

In the past I’ve blogged about their Paris-Brest ring, baked numerous batches of their figgy rolls, and eaten copious quantities of their caramelized leek tabbouleh.  Mark’s recent Apricot Rhubarb Crisp inspired me to make a version using the frozen berries we’d bought in Marrickville recently.

The great thing about this recipe is its simplicity – the topping comes together with a stir (because it uses nut oil instead of butter), and the fruit is simply chopped and combined.  It’s so easy, in fact, that I’ve made it twice in the past week – once to try it out, and then a second time as a dinner party dessert.

My version is sweeter than Mark’s, and uses hazelnuts instead of pecans in the topping.  I was excited to discover blanched roasted hazelnuts at Southern Cross Supplies – in the past I’ve avoided buying hazelnuts because I couldn’t be bothered skinning them.  I know it’s not a difficult process, but it  makes such a mess!

Topping:

  • 60g plain (AP) flour
  • 45g rolled oats
  • 70g brown sugar
  • 60g chopped blanched hazelnuts
  • 60g hazelnut oil
  • 30ml maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch fine sea salt

Note: I used my scales to weigh out the ingredients, but Mark also has cup measures listed in his post.

1. Combine all the topping ingredients in a large bowl and stir until evenly moistened.  Preheat oven to 175C with fan.

2. Fill a large roasting pan (I used my new Emile Henry dish) with an assortment of chopped fruits and berries – I used some of our new season rhubarb, about 500g of frozen berries, four peeled and chopped Bilpin Pink Lady apples, and some frozen cherries that I found in the freezer.

3. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cornflour over the fruit and sweeten with some plain or vanilla sugar, then stir gently to combine.

4. With your hands, crumble the topping over the fruit. It won’t cover the fruit completely, which is fine, because the topping is quite rich and needs a fair bit of fruit to balance it out.

5. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is, as the name suggests, crisp.

We accompanied ours with microwave custard, and the batch served six adults, with leftovers.

PS. I forgot to mention that this is a great do-ahead dessert.  I baked the one below mid-afternoon, and then left it on the bench until evening.  It only required a few minutes in the oven to reheat!

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