Barcelona Blue Terra Cotta Cazuelas - 4.5 Inches (4 Dishes)

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Description
Use and Care
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Rustic serving dishes
Handcrafted in Catalunya
Serve cold or hot tapas
Safe for oven use with proper care
Food safe, lead free
Size - 4 x 4 oz/0.5 cup

These cheerful cazuela dishes will add a dash of color to your table. Our terra cotta cazuelas have a deep blue glaze with handcrafted handles. They are great for serving hot or cold tapas, from Marcona almonds to stuffed olives. You can even serve garlic shrimp or patatas bravas hot from the oven.

Cazuelas are a classic serving dish in Spain. They are a nice size for simple tapas, we also like to use them for holding diced herbs or garlic for recipes.

Our potter forms each cazuela, then adds small, pinched handles by hand – called “orejas” in Spain. The intense blue glaze is food safe and lead free, and these are a great everyday dish for serving Spanish snacks.

These cazuelas are specially made for us in the town of Breda, famous for quality terra cotta cookware since Roman times. The rustic dishes hold heat, helping to keep food warm after the dish is brought to the dining table.

As each piece is hand painted, the exact color may vary.

Use and Care

To clean, soak in sudsy water and scrub with a soft brush to remove any hardened food.

This sturdy clay cookware is safe to use in the oven or on the stovetop. Before cooking with your cazuela, you will need to cure it using the directions below. If it has not been used for cooking for an extended period of time, it should be cured again prior to use.

Avoid intense heat such as flame applied directly to the dish. A flame tamer or other type of buffer is necessary. Introduce heat in a gradual process whenever possible rather than placing it in the target heat level.

If the cazuela is properly cured it should be able to handle temperatures up to 500°F, such as in a pizza oven, provided it is heated gradually.

Standard curing method - Soak the entire dish in water to cover for 12 hours. Drain and wipe dry. Rub the unglazed bottom with a cut clove of garlic (we are not sure how the garlic works, but why argue with tradition?) Fill the dish with water to 1/2 inch below the rim, then add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Place the dish on a flame-tamer over low heat and slowly bring the water to a boil (no flame tamer? Crumple a sheet of aluminum foil and create a ring that you place over your burner to create about an inch of space between the heat and the cazuela). Let the liquid boil down until only about 1/2 cup remains. Cool slowly and wash. Your cazuela is ready for use - the garlic has created a seal. This technique has been used since the Middle Ages. It seasons the pot, kills bacteria and hardens the unglazed parts.

Alternate curing method - Especially if you intend to use the cazuela to cook strongly flavored fish or seafood. After soaking, rub the inside of the base with olive oil and put into a preheated 300°F oven for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the heat and let cool.