Terra Cotta

Cookware for Every Day and Every Way

By Suzy Feine

Every great chef in Italy owns a clay pot. In fact, great chefs in most countries do. In Africa, they use the Tagine, a clay pot with a cone-shaped lid; the Spanish used the lidless Cazuela; in Provence, the Tian is used both for cooking and serving; in Japan, Donabe pots are popular.

Clay pot cooking uses a singular pot constructed entirely of clay or "terra cotta," the Italian word for "baked earth." This versatile pot can be used for a variety of foods in an endless array of flavor combinations. From tough cuts of meats to delicate fish layered atop julienne-cut vegetables, clay pot cooking brings out the genuine flavors in all foods.

The porous nature of clay and the construction of the pot lend to this unique form of cooking. Heat is diffused uniformly throughout the pot in such a manner that foods cook gradually and evenly, as opposed to a stainless steel pot where cooking occurs primarily at the base. When the clay pot is saturated with water and placed in the oven, the water slowly evaporates, creating steam within the pores of the clay. Foods form their own juices through this process, creating a natural and healthy alternative to cooking with added fats and liquids.

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