Dutch Ovens

A Fun Jambalaya Recipe

This jambalaya was adapted from a recipe found on the Internet. The original recipe calls for a Dutch oven; since I have neither a Dutch oven nor a conventional oven, I have made adjustments for the equipment that I do have. I used a toaster oven and a round glass casserole dish that is 9″ in diameter. Start by sauteing the meats and vegetables in a pot on the stove; you may use a skillet or anything with enough surface space to brown the meats. After cooking on the stove, all the ingredients are transferred to a casserole dish before going in the toaster oven.

The original recipe included ham and shrimp; I only used chicken and sausage so everything would fit. The first time I made this jambalaya, I used an entire cup of rice and an entire cup of chicken broth. I have since cut back on these two ingredients, and it still makes plenty of rice.

If you do not have Cajun seasoning on hand, you can substitute cayenne pepper or make your own seasoning mix with the instructions below. The following recipe makes about 3 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. You can cut back on the spices according to your preferences.

Cajun Seasoning

Mix the following ingredients together and use in jambalaya or other dishes.

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
dash of thyme
dash of basil

Making The Jambalaya

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 pound of kielbasa, sliced
half a red onion, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup converted or parboiled rice
1/2 cup chicken broth
one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a pot or cast iron skillet. Add the cut up chicken and cook for 4 minutes per side. Set the chicken aside. Add the sausage and brown both sides, 3 minutes. Set aside.
Add the rest of the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper, bay leaf, rice, broth, tomatoes, and Cajun seasoning. Put the meats back in. Bring to a boil. Preheat the toaster oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Transfer the contents of the pot to a casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7 1/2 Quart Bouillabaisse Pot

If you have a slightly large family or love to cook regularly for many of your loved ones at once then your cooking needs can be satisfied only with a Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7 1/2 Quart Bouillabaisse Pot. This French Bouillabaisse wonder not only exudes that traditional look but is also rugged enough to cook your favorite dishes on a daily basis.

This cast iron pot is similar to a cast iron dutch oven in terms of performance but looks just like a classic French pot with a narrow base so as to fit on most gas, ceramic, and electric stoves. Whether you love to cook brown rice or stew different meats for a longer period of time, this heavy-duty and large pot is sure to cater to all your boiling, stewing, roasting, and simmering needs. These attractive pots are available in 3 colors, namely Cobalt [Blue], Flame [Orange], and Cherry [Red]. You can also make delicious sauces or use the pot as a wok to stir up some delicious dishes.

Creuset 7 1/2 Quart Bouillabaisse Pot

The Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7 1/2 Quart Bouillabaisse Pot has a 7 ½ quart cooking capacity that should easily suffice for a medium to large family for their daily cooking needs.
The cast iron construction ensures even heat spread inside the pot for perfect cooking of all its contents. The tight and heavy lid along with the sloping sides ensures that moisture and juices given off during cooking are retained to produce juicy meats and vegetables.
The specialized enamel coating that is a Creuset trademark ensures that food does not stick to the inside of the pot or emit that burnt aroma.
This cast iron enameled pot can withstand up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit heat during cooking while its keep-cool knob on the lid can handle up to 450 degrees.
The two looped handles on either side of the pot ensure complete safety while shifting the Creuset Pot to the stove or from the stove directly to your dining table. The stunning looks of this pot will make it the focal point of all eyes once you walk into the dining room with your Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7 1/2 Quart Bouillabaisse Pot.
This pot comes with a limited lifetime warranty that could just turn into a formality if you maintain the pot as per the instructions provided by Le Creuset.
This versatile pot is great for both cooking and baking.

Reviews – Bouquets & Brickbats

Most fans of Le Creuset have simply loved this oversized Bouillabaisse Pot from this French company that is well known for its expertise in creating top quality cast-iron products from specialized sand molds. The large size made cooking, boiling, braising, and simmering very easy while the narrow bottom made it an easy fit on most stoves. The flat bottom was also loved by most users since it could easily be used on a variety of heat sources. Some buyers were concerned about the high price of the Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7 1/2 Quart Bouillabaisse Pot, since this pot is priced at around 290 US Dollars, although most agreed that the features offered by this stunning pot were indeed well worth the price.

When you want a dependable cast iron dutch or French pot that can easily cook up large quantities of foods or liquids without breaking into a sweat then Le Creuset has just the giant pot for you. You will not only be impressed with the smart looks exuded by the Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7 1/2 Quart Bouillabaisse Pot but will also fall in love with its consistent and even cooking. Dig out your favorite recipe and give this good quality pot a try.

Dutch Ovens and Fascinating Facts About Them

Dutch ovens and fascinating facts about them tend to reveal a very famous, and historical, kind of cook pot that’s been well-known in America and parts of Europe for centuries. Made of cast iron and featuring thick walls, it comes with a top that fit tightly over the open pot. It’s still popular to this day and learning a bit about the oven might even prove to be somewhat entertaining.

Some Dutch Oven Fun Facts

A product of the Dutch of the 17th century, it was an ingenious device in both design and the materials it was made from. The Dutch, of course, of that day were highly motivated when it came to creating and then exporting many different goods. Soon enough, the little oven/cook pot began to make appearances all over Europe and Great Britain, which came to prize it highly.

The British themselves, who were also known for ingenuity and their own mercantile spirit, experimented with changes in design and manufacturing until a new version of the pot was patented in 1708. It was sent in great numbers over to Britain’s American colonies, as a matter of fact, where it became equally as valued and appreciated.

The Americans, not content to leave the little oven unchanged, added in order that it could be placed over hot coals and also make design changes to the lid, enabling other hot coals to be placed on its top without contaminating the food within. The oven’s pot also became somewhat shallower and the oven became wider as a result.

Cast Iron Dutch Ovens

Cast iron is a metal that can be susceptible to rust, but a special “seasoning” process was developed to deal with that problem. With a little bit of experimentation on the part of many different people, a specific kind of seasoning process was developed to help ensure that the bare cast iron wouldn’t be as susceptible to rusting once it was coated with certain substances.

Users of the pot in those days would take animal fat, usually, and coat the cooking surface of the pot in it. Once that was accomplished, they’d heat the pot to seal in the oils, which kept the pot from rusting, basically. Periodic re-applications of fat were, of course needed and they were almost never scoured or washed used any sort of soap. These pots are kitchen utensil friendly as well, almost any material works well.

Such seasoning processes are used even to this day, because most people feel that the best-made Dutch ovens are those that come with bare cast iron to allow their owners to engage in the seasoning of the oven by themselves, which is half the pleasure of owning such a cook pot. They are still a prized asset among many owners, who use them to cook, fry, stew or roast most any food, for what it’s worth. Not only are they great for cooking, bakers figured out long ago that they are great for baking as well!

Cast Iron Dutch Ovens, The Campsite Multi-Tool Of Cooking

Remember seeing cowboys cook with cast iron dutch ovens? Every good camper knows how handy a multi-tool can be when out in the wilderness, but have you ever thought about multi-tool cookware? That is exactly what you could call a cast iron dutch oven, the multi-tool of cookware. Just like how a mutli-tool can do everything from cutting rope to turning into a pair of pliers, a dutch oven can cook everything from a delicious hardy breakfast to even rolls for dinner.

Now, you might be asking yourself, how can you cook bread in a dutch oven, with only hot coals, outside, and no oven? Well, to answer the question, it is actually quite simple. First, place the dough in a tin pie pan, then place a couple of small coals on the bottom of the dutch oven, and place your pie tin on top of them. The space between the bottom of the dutch oven and pie tin helps hot air circulate and helps to prevent the bottom of the rolls from burning. For the next step, you will need a dutch oven with a flanged lid, that is a lid with a raised outer border. This border, or, flange, helps to hold hot coals on top of the lid. The coals on top is what helps it to cook like an oven and will give your rolls perfectly browned tops.

Cast Iron Dutch Ovens Are Really Versatile

Cast iron dutch ovens are not just great because you can make a variety of meals in them, but also because you can even cook with the lid. There are not too many lids I know of that I can use as a lid and a cooking device. Cooking with the lid of the could not be simpler. All you need to do is flip it upside down and place it over some hot coals to warm it up. To test the heat of the lid, you can simply sprinkle a couple of drops of water on it. If the water sizzles around, the lid is warm enough. If the water just sits there, it is not warm enough. If the lid is too hot, the water will quickly sizzle away. With the lid turned upside down and properly heated, you can use the lid to cook sausage, bacon, eggs, and even pancakes. Because of the shape of the lid, you will be able to make perfect single pancakes each time.

These are just a couple of examples of what you can cook with in your cast iron dutch oven. If you love cooking and camping, then a cast iron dutch oven is the perfect camping tool for you. Your friends and family will be amazed at the delicious meals you create with your dutch oven. The only hard decision for you will be deciding which recipe to cook next time.

BBQ Beef Brisket Recipe for Your Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Can you cook great BBQ in your cast iron Dutch oven? Absolutely, I’ve got a great recipe for Dutch oven BBQ beef brisket. But why cook beef brisket in a Dutch? Why not just use your smoker grill?

Well, maybe you don’t have a smoker grill that can hold the temperature at 225F. Or, maybe you’re out camping and still want good barbecue. Or, maybe you just love cooking outdoors in your cast iron Dutch oven.

Whatever your reason, the point is, you can make delicious BBQ beef brisket in your cast iron Dutch oven. The trick is to use a trivet to raise your brisket off the bottom of the Dutch. This prevents the meat from boiling in its own juices so the meat will keep that good barbecue texture. But, more on this later, let’s get to the recipe.

BBQ Beef Brisket Recipe

Use a 12 inch camp Dutch oven.

Place 7 coals underneath your Dutch oven.

Place 14 coals on the lid of your Dutch oven.

This gives you about 300F.

Place your trivet in your Dutch oven and preheat.

Dry Rub

¼ cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 (4-pound) boneless beef brisket

You can of course use your own dry rub if you prefer but, I do suggest using dark-brown sugar. It will caramelize on your beef brisket and adds good maple flavoring.

To prepare your beef brisket, rub your dry rub into all sides of the brisket. Then place the brisket fat side down onto the trivet inside your pre-heated Dutch oven and let cook for about three hours or until done.

At 300F, beef brisket needs to cook 30 to 45 minutes per pound. When I did this the other day, it took right about 45 minutes per pound. You will need to replace the coals about every hour, and use a charcoal chimney to prestart the coals.

Which Cast Iron Dutch Oven Should You Use?

Well, we’re cooking outdoors with coals, so, you need a camp Dutch oven. All camp Dutch ovens have a raised flange on the outer edge of the lid. This allows you to place coals on the lid. And most camp Dutch ovens have legs on the bottom so you can place coals beneath it.

I used a Bayou Classic 8.5-qt. cast iron Dutch oven. This Dutch has the flanged lid of the camp Dutch oven but does not have legs. So, I used a tripod stand with chain to suspend the oven above the coals.

Both types of ovens work very well, I own both types and use both quite often. But, the Bayou Classic is a more versatile Dutch oven. The flat bottom allows you to cook with it on the stove top, in the oven or on a camp stove. And, with a tripod stand you can cook over coals or a camp fire.

The Bayou Classic oven even comes with a fry basket so you can use it as a deep fryer. I have deep fried lots of fish and chicken with. But, let’s get back to the BBQ brisket.

Use Your Trivet To Ensure Even Heating

As I mentioned earlier, by using a trivet, you raise the meat above the bottom of your pot. This allows the heat to circulate all around the brisket, sort of like a convection oven. The meat gets cooked evenly and thoroughly and, the moisture stays trapped inside the oven.

The result is an incredibly moist and tender BBQ beef brisket. In fact, I think I like the Dutch brisket better than any brisket I’ve cooked on the smoker grill. When I cook brisket on the smoker grill it tends to be more on the dry side. But in the Dutch, the moisture stays in the meat.

The one thing missing in the Dutch oven BBQ brisket is the smoke. I use liquid smoke, but it’s not the same. I think next time I might try placing a couple of wood chips in the bottom of my oven. Maybe that will give me the right amount of smoke.

Anyway, if you like cooking in your cast iron Dutch oven, give this BBQ beef brisket recipe a try. It really is delicious.

Dutch Oven Campfire Recipes – The Devil’s Cherry Cobbler

It is your turn to do the campfire cooking on this weekend’s outdoor camping trip and you have all of your campfire recipes laid out, trying to decide which ones to use. You want to impress your fellow campers with your expert culinary skills, but you don’t want to be stuck in the camp kitchen while they have all the fun either. This 1-pot, 1-step dinner desert will make sure they remember you. And it is so easy you can prep it in 5 minutes, set it on the fire, and forget it until it’s done. The result will be a campfire desert they will talk about for years.

The Devil’s Cherry Cobbler desert is cooked in a cast iron Dutch oven, and served from it too. Less mess, less clean-up. The only cookware you will need is a cast iron Dutch oven and a large serving spoon.

The Devil’s Cherry Cobbler Ingredients:

2 – 18-19oz. boxes Devils Food cake mix
3 – 22oz. cans cherry pie filling
1 – 20oz. bottle Dr. Pepper
1 – stick butter
1oz. cooking oil

Preparation:

Open the Dr. Pepper ahead of time so the carbonation can fizz out, you don’t need fizz for this campfire recipe.
Pour 1oz. of cooking oil into a clean cast iron Dutch oven and use a paper towel to wipe the inside of the pot with it. Leave any leftover oil in the pot.
Open the cans of cherry pie filling and pour them into the pot.
Go ahead and drink about half of the Dr. Pepper, you only need half a bottle for this recipe. Pour that into the pot too.
Pour both boxes of Devils Food cake mix on top of the cherry filling and Dr. Pepper. DO NOT STIR!
Slice the stick of butter into patties and distribute around the top of the dry cake mix.
Put the lid on the Dutch oven, you’re ready to bake.

Cooking:

With this cake-like campfire recipe, you want your Dutch oven to work like an oven, so make sure you have plenty of hot campfire coals to use. You will need a good bed of coals, at least the same diameter as your Dutch oven, with enough leftover to form a good layer on the lid of the Dutch oven.

This recipe will take 35 – 45 minutes to bake. After 20 minutes lift the pot and rotate it about 90 degrees one way, and rotate the lid 90 degrees the other way. Check the coals on the lid; they may need to be replenished.

After 30 minutes lift the lid and look inside, the cake should look semi-dry all over, and starting to pull away from the pot walls on the top. When the cake looks dry and is pulling away from the sides of the pot all the way around, your desert is done. Remove it from the fire and dump the coals from the lid.

One last tip:

When you ladle each portion onto your fellow outdoor camper’s plates, be sure to “flip” the portion over so that the top cake part lands on the bottom with the cherries on top. This is the crowning touch that makes it a true camp cobbler.

This campfire recipe will serve about 15 campers, with maybe a little bit leftover for seconds. And there will be requests for seconds! This is a never-fail camp dessert that always leaves them talking about how great a camp baker you are. And you have time to enjoy their accolades because all you had to do for clean-up was set the Dutch oven back on the fire and let it bake itself clean

Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens were made for baking. In the hands of a practiced baker, a Dutch oven will create beautiful breads and desserts. (Though some of us tend to burn breads in a Dutch oven.)

You can always bake bread in a well-oiled Dutch oven but instead of baking directly in the oven, consider this method: Put the dough in a baking pan and the pan in the Dutch oven.

A good friend of ours told us of her success baking bread with a pan inside of a Dutch oven. She used a mix for Irish Potato Bread. This mix creates a large loaf and she made it according to package instructions. She formed the dough into a round loaf and placed the dough in a greased nine-inch metal pie pan. She then set the pan atop small rocks in bottom of her twelve-inch Dutch oven. She put the lid on the Dutch oven and the oven on ten briquette coals. Another fourteen briquettes went on the top. She baked the bread for 45 minutes, turning the lid occasionally. She was baking at an elevation of 7,000 in the Sequoia Mountains.

“I was surprised and delighted to find that the bread was perfect,” she said. “The crust was brown on top and it was a real treat . . . a great success.”

Bake All Types Of Bread In Your Dutch Oven

You should have similar success baking rolls in a baking pan or a loaf in a traditional bread pan. To get the right-sized loaves for a Dutch oven, consider bread machine mixes or recipes for single loaves. A bread machine mix will give you that single loaf or smaller batch of rolls, just right for a Dutch oven. If you crowd two loaves into a Dutch oven, there may not be adequate air circulation between the loaves. Without adequate space, the loaves will tend to be lopsided.

It is important that you elevate the pan off the bottom of the Dutch oven using small stones so that it does not burn the bottom of the bread. Make sure that you have enough top clearance so that the rising bread does not reach the lid.

You can use this same technique to bake great desserts or pastries. Consider baking sweet rolls or pasties in a raised pan in your Dutch oven.

Dutch Oven & Pure Clay – Made for Each Other

What Is A Dutch Oven?

A dutch oven is the king of the kitchen. It is a very flexible piece of cookware. A variety of dishes can be prepared in it, from soups, stews to all kinds of rice and other casserole dishes. Typically, it’s a two-piece cooking utensil that includes a pot along with its well-fitting lid. It has thicker walls than a regular pot and is used on the stovetop or in the oven. For its flexibility and usefulness, I choose to name it the ‘king’ of the kitchen.

Cooking With Clay Pots

Pure clay is harvested from assorted lands in the US. It is by far the purest material to make cookware. It is naturally inert as it is free from any chemical or metal impurities, unlike conventional metal and ceramic cookware that leach metals and chemicals into the food. Pure clay pots are handmade without using any chemicals or glaze so as to maintain its natural ability to be inert and safe for cooking. It is proven to be 100% non-toxic and healthy. In a world of toxic metal or ceramic cookware, pure clay pots stand out as the healthiest alternative. Hence, I choose to call it the ‘queen’ of cooking materials.

Creating A Clay Dutch Oven

What happens when you pair them both? You get an ideal Dutch oven that cooks your food in the healthiest way possible. It not only doesn’t leach toxins into your food but also preserves its nutritional value with unique far-infrared heat cooking. This heat is food-friendly and cooks without damaging the nutrients.

Pure clay Dutch ovens require little to no monitoring when cooking. Heat given to the pot is held inside so all recipes can cook beautifully just on medium heat, and many times you can conveniently turn the stove off even if the food is not fully cooked… it finishes cooking with the heat retained inside.

Moreover, the steam management properties of pure clay pots are a blessing; the ergonomic design of the pot & lid can uniquely allow steam to circulate inside and let food cook with its own steam pressure. The straight walls of the pot, if the pot is made in concentric circles, the inner flute on the lid and a cool underside of a knob can allow for steam to rise, get condensed and drop right back into the pot. Thus, the water-soluble nutrients are not lost by evaporation.

No more leaching toxins into food — a healthy delicious dish every time you cook in a pure clay Dutch oven. Adding to the benefits, it is easy to handle and keeps getting better as it is seasoned (after 4-5 times of use). Clay also makes excellent bakeware. Experienced bakers are finding more uses for clay bakeware pieces all of the time.

Why Cook With A Dutch Oven?

The popular cookware available in the market is made of metals or ceramics. At cooking temperature, metals leach ions that react with food (a biochemical entity). These metals are then assimilated in our organs and blood with food, and keep accumulating over time. Such toxins (metal and chemicals) are known to cause health problems that may range from allergies, minor illnesses to chronic diseases. Also, the harsh uneven heat from metal cooks food unevenly and damages nutrients in the process. What is left is a nutritionally lacking food full of toxins!

With so many health benefits, who wouldn’t want this perfect ‘couple’ to be a part of their kitchen? It’s high time you switch to a healthy pure clay dutch oven to enjoy delicious food with your family. You will be amazed at how some of your old, favorite recipes will take on new flavors!