The use of in cooking predates written history and is still used today in many cultures. Most foods cooked in are baked or roasted and will take longer to cook, at higher temperatures than a traditional oven pan. Most clay pots on the market today are made of terracotta and are oven safe to around 500 degrees F.
Instructions
1. Wash the clay pot before the first use. Use plain water. Baking soda can be added to the water if the pot has any odor.
2. Place the food you plan to cook in the clay pot. Do not add any additional water or oil; the food will cook in its own juices. Place the cover on the clay pot.
3. Place the clay pot in the oven on the center rack. Do not preheat the oven; this can cause the pot to crack. The pot needs to warm up gradually.
4. Add the additional preheating time to the normal cooking time of the food. If the recipe says that the food should roast for two hours and your oven takes 20 minutes to preheat, do not check the food until the entire two hours and 20 minutes has passed.
5. Set the oven temperature to about 100 degrees F hotter than specified in the recipe.
6. Remove the clay pot from the oven using hot pads or oven mitts. Set the pot on a heat-safe trivet or on an unused stove burner and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Remove the lid from the pot and serve the food. You can remove the food from the pot or serve straight from the pot.
8. Wash the pot with plain water and baking soda using a plastic scrubber to remove any baked-on grime.
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