Recipe Talk

I AM BAKING A PORK ROAST IN A CLAY-POT BAKER, AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I CAN, AND WHEN. ADD RICE TO IT? ANY OTHER INGREDIENTS, SUGGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREAT.WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MEAL IN "ONE" SO TO SPEAK. I AM NEW HERE AND REALLY EXCITED. I LOVE TO COOK AND EXPERIMENT WITH DIFF. RECIPES. HELLO TO ALL FROM "SWEET HOME ALABAMA"

Clay-Pot Orange Chicken
Ingredients
1 (3 to 4 pound) chicken
Salt
Pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 medium oranges, peeled and sliced (reserve the rinds)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Arrowroot

Instructions
Presoak pot, top and bottom, in water for fifteen minutes. Wash chicken, inside and out, under running cold water. Rub inside of chicken with salt, pepper and pressed garlic. Stuff with orange slices, peeled. Place chicken in pot, breast down. Grate the orange rind and sprinkle over chicken. Add orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, allspice and brown sugar. Place covered pot in cold oven. Turn temperature to 480 degrees F. Cook 90 minutes. Ten minutes before done, remove from oven, pour liquid into saucepan. Return the pot, uncovered, to oven for final 10 minutes to brown the chicken. Meanwhile, bring sauce to a boil and thicken with arrowroot. You may want to add a bit of brown sugar to the sauce, to taste.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic (Clay-pot) Recipe

Do not fear the large amount of garlic in this recipe. Garlic cloves are nutty and mellow when cooked whole. This classic recipe includes vegetables for a meal in one pot. If you do not have a clay cooker, you can use a large covered Dutch oven and reduce the oven temperature to about 375 F.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crumbled

1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp crumbled sage leaves

2 Tbsp lemon juice

40 cloves garlic, whole, peeled (about 2 heads)

3 carrots, cut into 4-inch lengths, large ends halved lengthwise

6 baby new potatoes, scrubbed, skins on

1/2 pound pearl onions, blanched and peeled

1 whole large frying chicken (4 to 4-1/2 pounds)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

Soak top and bottom of 3-1/4-quart (3.25 L) clay cooker in water for 30 minutes; drain. Line bottom and sides of cooker with parchment paper.

Combine olive oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, and lemon juice in a large zip-top bag.

Squish to combine. Add garlic cloves, carrots, potatoes, and pearl onions. Seal bag and turn until all vegetables are coated. Scoop out the vegetables (reserving the marinade) and place them around the outer edge of the clay cooker, leaving room for the chicken in the center.

Use the remaining marinade to coat the chicken, rubbing it into the skin. Place the chicken in the center of the clay cooker, breast-side up. Sprinkle chicken and

vegetables generously with salt and pepper. Cover.

Place in a cold oven and set temperature to 475 degrees F. (250 degrees C.). Bake until chicken is tender and juices run clear when thigh is pierced, about 1-1/4 hours. Remove cover and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until chicken is crisp and brown.

Carve chicken and drizzle with pot gravy. Serve with the whole garlic cloves, vegetables, and French bread.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

Swiss Chicken with Mushrooms (Clay Cooker) Recipe
Ingredients
1 fryer chicken, cut up
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 tsp paprika
4 green onions, chopped
12 to 18 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 pint sour cream
1/4 pound swiss cheese, grated

Instructions
Presoak pot, top and bottom, in water for 15 minutes.

Shake chicken pieces in bag containing the flour, oregano, paprika, marjoram and garlic salt. Keep the remaining flour mixture.

Brown the chicken pieces in a frying pan, quickly, with the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Place the browned chicken in the pot, add the chopped green onions and the sliced mushrooms.

To the chicken drippings in the frying pan, add white wine and half of the sour cream; heat and thicken with a small amount of the flour mixture that was previously used to coat the chicken. Pour this whole mixture over the chicken. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Spread the grated swiss cheese over the chicken and place the covered pot in the cold oven. Set the temperature to 480 degrees F and cook for approximately 45 minutes (depending on the amount of chicken you are cooking; check after 30-35 minutes).

When chicken is done, remove pot from the oven and pour off the sauce (carefully) into a sauce pan. Thicken the sauce with the remaining sour cream and a small amount of the left-over flour from the coating step. Serve the sauce with the chicken.

Yield: 4 servings

Pork and Fresh Oysters in Clay Pot Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 pound boneless pork butt, cut in 1-1/2-inch cubes
8 medium fresh Pacific oysters (OR one 10-ounce jar)
4 green onions
1-1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp brown bean sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 piece dried orange peel
2 Tbsp medium sherry
Cornstarch paste
1/2 cup peanut oil
Chinese parsley for garnish

MARINADE:
1/4 cup medium sherry
2 tsp thin soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp 5-spice powder
1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions
Marinating:
Combine marinade ingredients in bowl large enough to hold pork. Mix well. Add pork, cover, and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Braising:
Drain pork, taking care to remove pieces of garlic. Heat oil in wok until it begins to smoke. Fry pork cubes, a few at a time, until brown and crusty. Do this quickly to sear meat without cooking it through. Drain in Chinese strainer or on paper towel. Strain and reserve cooking oil.

Clay Pot:
In cool, pre-soaked clay pot, combine water, bean sauce, dark soy, minced ginger, dried orange peel, and sherry. Bring to boil, then add braised pork cubes. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and trim green onions, cut into 2-inch sections. Drain oysters. When pork has simmered 30 minutes, add onions and oysters. You can stop the dish before adding oysters and onion. Cover and cook at medium heat for 15 minutes more. Turn up to boil, dribble in cornstarch paste to make light gravy. Serve with garnish of parsley.

Yield: 4 servings

CHICKEN WITH CHEDDAR AND GREEN CHILIES
(Serves 6)
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3 lb. meaty chicken pieces
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (4 oz.) diced green
chilies
1/2 can regular strength
chicken broth
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

This is a Clay Cookery recipe, but I think with an
adjustment to oven temperature, you could use conventional
cooking.
Soak top and bottom of clay cooker in water 15 minutes;
drain. Coat chicken pieces with mixture of flour, chili
powder, salt and cumin. Combine celery, onion and garlic in
cooker. Top with chicken and green chilies. Pour in chicken
broth. Place covered cooker in cold oven. Set oven to 450 degrees.
Bake, stirring once or twice, until chicken is tender and
brown, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove chicken from cooker. Skin
and discard fat from cooking liquid in cooker. Stir sour cream
into cooking liquid until smooth. Return chicken to sauce.
Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts and browns,
about 10 minutes. Wonderful with rice.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH WALNUTS
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
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3 whole chicken breasts (about
3 pounds or 1350 g), boned,
skinned and cut in halves
3/4 tsp. (4 mL) salt
pinch of white pepper
1/4 lb. (115 g) mushrooms, cut
into quarters
1 shallot, finely chopped or 1
Tbsp. (15 mL), finely
chopped mild onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. (10 mL) lemon juice
1 tsp. (5 mL) Dijon-style
mustard
1/3 c. (80 mL) dry white wine
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) crumbled dried
tarragon leaves
1/3 c. (80 mL) coarsely
chopped toasted walnuts*
1/2 c. (125 mL) whipping cream

Soak top and bottom of 2 to 3 1/4-quart (2 to 3.25 L)
clay cooker in water about 15 minutes; drain. Sprinkle chicken
breasts on both sides with salt and pepper; place in cooker.
Sprinkle with mushrooms, shallot and garlic. Mix lemon juice
and mustard; stir in wine. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with
tarragon. Place covered cooker in cold oven. Set oven at 400 degrees
(200 degreesC). Bake, stirring gently once, until chicken breasts are
tender and light brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Pour cooking
liquid into medium skillet. Sprinkle chicken with walnuts;
cover cooker to keep chicken warm. Add cream to cooking
liquid. Heat to boiling; cook, stirring occasionally until
sauce is slightly thickened. Pour over chicken and walnuts.
Oven-simmered in a clay cooker, chicken breasts remain
moist and juicy, a lovely foil for toasted walnuts and a well
seasoned cream sauce. Good accompaniments are fluffy rice and
steamed asparagus spears.
Note: To toast walnuts, spread in shallow pan and bake
in oven with chicken until brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

GAME HENS WITH APPLE STUFFING
(In Clay Pot)
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2 Cornish game hens
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 apple, peeled and thinly
sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 1/2 c. apple cider or
chicken broth
2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 strips bacon, cut in half

Soak the clay pot in water for 10 minutes. Place a
tablespoon of butter in the cavity of each hen and truss
securely. Combine the onions, apples, celery, bread crumbs,
cider or broth, sage, salt, pepper and egg in a bowl. Place
this mixture in the clay pot. Place Cornish hens on top of the
stuffing mixture, breast side up. Cover breast with bacon.
Cover the pot and place in a cold oven. Adjust the heat to
450 degrees and cook for 1 hour.

CHICKEN SOUP AND DUMPLINGS

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1/2 stewing hen (3 1/2 to
4 lb.)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 c. water
4 tsp. instant chicken
bouillon
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

Dumplings:
1 1/2 c. unsifted all-purpose
flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
2/3 c. milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp. cooking oil

Place chicken in water-soaked clay* pot. Stir in
remaining ingredients except dumplings. Cover with water-

soaked lid. Microwave for 15 minutes on High. Stir well,
turning chicken pieces; re-cover. Microwave for 75 to 80
minutes on Simmer or until meat is fork tender. Remove chicken
from broth; set aside to cool. Drop dumplings by tablespoon-
fuls into soup. Re-cover and continue cooking for 10 to 12
minutes on Simmer or until dumplings are no longer doughy. Let
stand, covered 5 minutes. Remove chicken from bones and cut
into small pieces. Return chicken to clay pot and serve.
Dumplings: Combine dry ingredients in medium mixing
bowl. Blend milk, egg and oil in 2-cup measure. Pour into
flour mixture. Stir until moistened. Makes 5 to 6 servings.
*Corning Ware dish and lid may be substituted for clay
pot.

I've heard about claypot cooking but never tried it myself. Does anyone have any information on how to get started? I think it's such a neat idea.

I haave a clay pot that was used with my old Litton Microwave oven many years ago. Can I use this clay pot in the oven?