Room for dinner

The deep pot gives you room to brown ingredients, build a sauce and cook a whole dish. Use it open, or fit the lid for a braise, roast or slow cook

Cookware: Lennox Hastie Fire Oven Set
Care Topic: Pot
Time: As needed.
Frequency: Whenever you use the pot.

Ingredients

Pot
Bale
Oil
Food

Method

Use the pot on the stove, barbecue or over fire. Set it somewhere steady. The bale lifts it into place, then comes away while you cook. Make sure both ends are fitted before lifting.

For frying or browning, let the iron warm gradually before adding oil and food. For soup or steaming, add the liquid first.

If you are browning meat, give it room. A few pieces at a time will colour better than a potful.

Use the pot open for frying and roasting, or add ingredients and liquid for a longer cook. Leave enough room to stir comfortably.

Add the lid when you want to keep moisture in. Once the liquid reaches a simmer, ease back on the heat.

When the meal is finished, take out any leftovers. Let the pot cool a little, then wash, dry and lightly oil it as usual.

Good to Know

The pot holds 3.6 litres. Its depth makes it useful for dishes that begin with browning and need room for vegetables, stock and a long simmer afterwards. You can do all of that in the same iron.

Onions cooked after the meat pick up the juices left behind. A little stock loosens the browned bits from the bottom, bringing them into the sauce. There is good flavour there.

Cast iron holds its warmth, so a gentle simmer often needs less heat than you expect. Look for a few bubbles breaking the surface. Boiling hard uses up the liquid while the meat still needs time.

After a saucy meal, give the sides and rim a brush as well as the bottom. The liquid may have cooked down, leaving a ring behind.

A full pot carries more weight. Have a heatproof spot ready and keep it level when moving hot liquid.