A Dutch oven is one of the longest-lived pieces of kitchen cookware today. With its roots going back literally thousands of years, cooking in large pots made of cast iron has always been popular and yielded great results. This style of single pot cooking is having a resurgence now in America, as more and more people are pulling their cast iron Dutch ovens out of storage and firing their stoves back up again.
Instructions
1. Know what kind of cast iron Dutch oven is best for you. If you aren't lucky enough to have a cast iron Dutch oven handed down to you from a relative, then you are faced with the task of going out and purchasing one for yourself. There are a number of factors to take into consideration when purchasing one of these versatile pieces of cookware, but the most important is enamel or no enamel. The pros of buying a non-enameled Dutch oven is that it will be a bit cheaper, and you can use it and care for it the same way you would a cast iron skillet. The cons, however, include the major drawback of not being able to cook anything with a significant amount of acidity in the non-enameled Dutch oven. Even wine and vinegar have reactions with the metal that cause off flavors that can ruin a whole meal. Consider these things before you make your purchase, and choose the one you know will be best for what you usually make.
2. Prepare your non-enameled cast iron Dutch oven for cooking. If you've chosen an enameled Dutch oven, you can give it a quick rinse and store it until you want to use it. If you've chosen a non-enameled model, you must season it as you would a cast iron skillet. First, you must scrub the protective coating off of the inside and out. This is a non-toxic sealant that ensures the Dutch oven doesn't rust before it is sold. Use a scouring brush and very hot water. Once it is clean and dry, coat the inside of the Dutch oven with a small amount of vegetable oil and put it in a 500 degree Fahrenheit oven, upside down, for thirty minutes. Repeat this process three or four times, letting the Dutch oven cool each time.
3. Use the cast iron Dutch oven for stove top cooking. Because of it's great heat distribution, the cast iron Dutch oven is a perfect pot for making soups and stews. Over medium-high heat, put 2 carrots, an onion and three stalks of celery, all chopped into the cast iron Dutch oven, along with eight cups of water. Add three sprigs of flat leaf parsley, three sprigs of tarragon and two sprigs of sage and salt and pepper to taste. Then add one three pound chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, covering for an hour. Remove the chicken and the herbs. Debone the chicken and put the meat back in. Serve at your leisure.
4. Use your cast iron Dutch oven for conventional oven recipes. The cast iron Dutch oven has amazing heat retention, which makes it the perfect vessel for roasting and braising. Sear two chicken halves that have been dredged in seasoned flour in olive oil over medium high heat in your Dutch oven. Remove and cover to retain its heat. Add three cups chopped mushrooms and saute until wilted, then add two chopped shallots. Add the chicken back to the pot and deglaze with a cup and a half of Riesling. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for an hour and a half. Serve the chicken and accompanying sauce with mashed potatoes.
Tags: Dutch oven, cast iron, cast iron Dutch, iron Dutch, iron Dutch