Cloud White Terra Cotta Cazuelas - 4.5 Inches (4 Dishes)

Description
Use and Care
Other Items

Handmade cookware
Rustic dish with white glaze
For tapas or cooking small dishes
Oven to table
Food safe, lead-free
Size - 4 x 4 oz/0.5 cup

These charming little cazuela dishes will become a favorite in your kitchen! Our classic terra cotta dishes have a cheerful white glaze, and are great for serving tapas and other small bites.

Cazuelas are a favorite in our kitchen, just the right size for holding diced herbs or other ingredients for recipes. They are also excellent for serving chilled olives or roasted nuts when you are ready for a snack.

These cazuelas are made in Catalunya, where each one is formed and small handles are added by hand – called “orejas” in Spain. The clear and bright white glazes are food safe and lead free, excellent for serving your favorite tapas.

These cazuelas come from the town of Breda in Catalunya, where they have been making terra cotta cookware since Roman times. The local clay produces a terra cotta that holds heat, great for keeping meals warm even 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.