I have this book "All About Claypot Dishes" for the longest time but
have never attempted any of the recipes till recently. Cooking with
claypot is a new experience for me. I bought my claypot from a shop near
KL's Pudu market at only RM8.00 if I remember correctly. Or was it
RM7.50. Yup, it's that cheap!
In Asia, claypot is a highly popular cooking vessel as it retains heat very well. It also heats up evenly, thus making the food inside, especially meat, cooked faster while maintaining its full flavor.
So here, I'm going to share in summary what I have gleaned of from this claypot book of mine.
In Asia, claypot is a highly popular cooking vessel as it retains heat very well. It also heats up evenly, thus making the food inside, especially meat, cooked faster while maintaining its full flavor.
So here, I'm going to share in summary what I have gleaned of from this claypot book of mine.
How to pick a good claypot?
The pot should not have any cracks and when a gentle knock is given, it should produce a crisp and loud sound. The lid should cover the pot evenly and nicely, so that the heat and fragrance from the food that is cooking inside will not evaporate quickly. The inside of the pot should also be glazed.
What to do before the first cooking?
Unlike shiny stainless steel pots, a brand new claypot needs to be treated before it is used. To treat it, simply soak it in tap water for a day so that it doesn't crack or break while being used over the stove. After that, boil some water in it, preferably water from rinsing rice. Reason is the starch in the water will seep into the pores of the claypot and thus, helps to strengthen the pot.
How to care and clean a claypot?
Do not heat up an empty claypot. Also, do not immediately soak or wash the claypot after cooking as the sudden change of water temperature may eventually crack it. Wash it with a non-metallic scrubbing pad or brush after the pot has cooled down. After washing, wipe clean and leave to air dry before storing. If the pot has not been used for weeks or months, it's advisable to soak it in water for 1-2 hours before using.
Although the above sounds like a lot to digest, do not feel discouraged as it's really easy to cook with claypot. The food is flavorful and for a strange reason, it makes me feel somewhat wonderfully nostalgic!
Last but not least, here's one of the many flavorful recipes from the book - claypot pork belly with salted fish.
Ingredients:
~ 300 g pork belly, cut into thin slices
~ 25 g salted fish
~ 2 cloves garlic, chopped
~ 6 shallots, sliced thinly
~ 2 to 3 dried chillies, cut into several pieces, remove the seeds
~ 5 slices ginger
~ 4 to 5 stalks spring onion, cut into 3 cm strips
~ 1 large onion, quartered and sliced
~ 2/3 cup water
~ 1/2 tbsp cornflour (dissolve in 3 tbsps water)
~ Some cooking oil
Marinade - 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce; 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1/2 tbsp cornflour
Seasonings - 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 1tbsp shaoxing wine
~ Combine pork belly slices with the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes.
~ Pan-fry salted fish until fragrant, set aside.
~ Heat cooking oil in a claypot. Add shallots, garlic, ginger and dried chillies and fry until fragrant. Stir in pork belly and toss well. Add water and sugar and bring to a boil. Cover the claypot with its lid and simmer over low heat until pork belly is soft. Add a little bit of water one at a time if necessary.
~ Add salted fish and seasonings and continue to simmer for a few minutes more.
~ Add in the cornflour mixture, stir well and let it come to a simmer and the gravy would have thickened.
~ Stir in spring onion and onion. Toss well for a few seconds. It is now ready to be served with rice.
Cheers
petite nyonya