Dean on wed 28 sep 11
Does anybody have any experience making Ethnic-type covered baking dishes f=
=3D
or things like baking chickens?=3DA0 They're sold through a lot of housewar=
e =3D
outlets.=3DA0 They're unglazed and porus and all the commercially made ones=
a=3D
re red clay, possibly terra cotta.=3DA0 What you do is pre-soak the pot in =
wa=3D
ter for fifteen minutes or so, load it with food and put it in a 350-375 de=
=3D
gree oven. When you take it out =3D0Ayou set it on a towel so that it is no=
t =3D
shocked by the coolness of the =3D0Acounter. The unglazed surface allows mo=
is=3D
ture to be absorbed and that's =3D0Athe secret to baking/braising food in t=
he=3D
m. The moisture of the pre-soak is retained and actually helps seal the lid=
=3D
while it's cooking. The lid seems to be about the same size and volume as =
=3D
the base. I'm thinking =3D0Athat the weight of the large lid also helps kee=
p =3D
a seal while baking. =3D0AThey're used in a few cultures but I think the Ge=
rm=3D
ans are the more =3D0Afamous makers/users of the technique.=3DA0 A friend w=
ant'=3D
s me to make a couple.=3DA0 I'm wondering if I could use stoneware clay and=
j=3D
ust bisque it or if a more specialized body and temperature would be needed=
=3D
.=3D0AThanks,=3D0ADean=3D0Alightwavepottery.com=3D0A
Hank Murrow on thu 29 sep 11
On Sep 28, 2011, at 10:08 PM, Dean wrote:
> Does anybody have any experience making Ethnic-type covered baking =3D
dishes for things like baking chickens? They're sold through a lot of =3D
houseware outlets. They're unglazed and porus and all the commercially =3D
made ones are red clay, possibly terra cotta. What you do is pre-soak =3D
the pot in water for fifteen minutes or so, load it with food and put it =
=3D
in a 350-375 degree oven. When you take it out=3D20
> you set it on a towel so that it is not shocked by the coolness of the=3D=
20=3D
> counter. The unglazed surface allows moisture to be absorbed and =3D
that's=3D20
> the secret to baking/braising food in them. The moisture of the =3D
pre-soak is retained and actually helps seal the lid while it's cooking. =
=3D
The lid seems to be about the same size and volume as the base. I'm =3D
thinking=3D20
> that the weight of the large lid also helps keep a seal while baking.=3D2=
0=3D
> They're used in a few cultures but I think the Germans are the more=3D20
> famous makers/users of the technique. A friend want's me to make a =3D
couple. I'm wondering if I could use stoneware clay and just bisque it =3D
or if a more specialized body and temperature would be needed.
Dear Dave;
Any terracotta body will work as you describe. As for forms. we have =3D
used casserole style pots for this, but the best are tagine style pots =3D
as used in Indian cooking. The tall teepee shape really brings the =3D
juices back down into the meat/stew and the result is very delicious. =3D
First experience with them was in Vancouver BC at an African restaurant =3D
there run by a friend........ http://www.nyala.com/ the 'goat watt' =3D
was to die for, and convinced us to try using a tagine for our cuisine.
Good eating! Hank in Eugene
Snail Scott on thu 29 sep 11
On Sep 29, 2011, at 12:08 AM, Dean wrote:
> Does anybody have any experience making Ethnic-type covered baking =3D
dishes for things like baking chickens? ...I'm wondering if I could =3D
use stoneware clay and just bisque it...
An actual earthenware body will be stronger=3D20
than an underfired stoneware body.
-Snail=3D
Sumi von Dassow on fri 30 sep 11
Snail
Isn't an earthenware body vitrified and non-porous at its maturing
temperature? The point of making this baking dish is to leave the clay
porous. Do I misunderstand the nature of earthenware clay? This is
something I have never been quite sure of.
Sumi
>> Does anybody have any experience making Ethnic-type covered baking dishe=
s for things like baking chickens? ...I'm wondering if I could use stonew=
are clay and just bisque it...
>>
>
>
> An actual earthenware body will be stronger
> than an underfired stoneware body.
>
> -Snail
>
>
--
Sumi von Dassow
www.herwheel.com
sumi@herwheel.com
douglas fur on sun 2 oct 11
Sumi von Dassow
"Isn't an earthenware body vitrified and non-porous at its maturing
temperature? The point of making this baking dish is to leave the clay
porous. Do I misunderstand the nature of earthenware clay? This is
something I have never been quite sure of."
There's a lot of muddiness in the definitions of terra cotta, earthenware
and fine earthenware
Its like a graded line from porous red clay to white vitreous ware. This
overlaps what we call mid-range stoneware which could also be called
Agrillaceous Fine Earthenware* but that would only add to the confusion. I=
t
would be fun to say... Yas I'm doing tests on a Calco-phosphatic
Argillaceous Fine Earthenware body now..."
DRB
Seola Creek
* (*Argillaceous* minerals may appear silvery upon optical reflection and
are minerals containing substantial amounts of clay-like components)
Snail Scott on mon 3 oct 11
On Sep 30, 2011, at 10:42 AM, Sumi von Dassow wrote:
> Snail...Isn't an earthenware body vitrified and non-porous at its =3D
maturing temperature? The point of making this baking dish is to leave =3D
the clay porous. Do I misunderstand the nature of earthenware clay?
We can argue cone/temperature ranges, but I would=3D20
posit that 'earthenware' is, as the term suggests,=3D20
'earthy', softer, less glassified and more porous than=3D20
the 'stonier' (harder, less porous) stoneware clays.=3D20
I do not know of any traditional-type earthenware=3D20
body that can fully vitrify to non-porosity. Those=3D20
low-fire bodies that become impervious are not among
what I would call 'earthenware', as they usually have=3D20
to be laden with extra fluxes to the point where full=3D20
vitrification brings them to or past the point of slumping.=3D20
It's not temperature alone that defines an earthenware,=3D20
but it is a factor. I suggest that to be an earthenware,=3D20
the clay body would be one which, at its maximum=3D20
non-slumping level of vitrification, still retains some
porosity. If a body becomes fully vitrified and nonporous=3D20
at higher temperatures, that just means it wasn't really=3D20
an earthenware at all, but a stoneware.
An earthenware clay will have a particular point of=3D20
optimum vitrification, but that point will not be as=3D20
fully vitrified as a stoneware at its own optimum=3D20
vitrification point, which in turn is not as vitrified=3D20
as a porcelain at its respective vitrification point.
There's no hard, definite line separating these clays,=3D20
but the distinction is still meaningful.
-Snail=3D
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