Help me make the most out of my $100 enameled cast iron pot!

August 15, 2016 6:59 AM

I just put down $100 on a new pot that's 4-quart capacity, and oval-shaped. It seems that before I got it, every single recipe called for an enameled cast iron pot for a braised this and a braised that. (Sometimes even bread!) So, please share with me your absolute favorite recipes that have to be made in a cast iron pot. I'm already eyeing a lamb shank recipe with pomegranate molasses.
posted by SkinsOfCoconut to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

Peperonata!
posted by Frowner at 7:19 AM on August 15, 2016

If you don't have a pizza stone, cast iron can give the same sort of crispiness to a pizza crust or loaf of bread.
posted by XMLicious at 7:32 AM on August 15, 2016

For bread, the ever popular No Knead Bread recipe is my go-to for bread in a cast iron pot.

I have also successfully used it to make "no stir" risotto. I can't find the recipe I use from a book at home (and I can't remember the book's name) but this is the general idea. When I make it, at the end I stir through a can of salmon, a can of mushy peas (trust me!), some random herbs, and a knob of butter.
posted by like_neon at 7:41 AM on August 15, 2016

A 4-qt pot will not be big enough for most no-knead bread recipes, unfortunately.
posted by praemunire at 7:45 AM on August 15, 2016

Not exactly summer fare, but beef stew, especially boeuf bourguignon. Cooks illustrated has an excellent recipe, but alas, it's behind a pay wall.

Julia Child has a recipe as well, using a "fireproof casserole" but as far as I know, they don't make those anymore, so cast iron enamel is really the only way to do it.
posted by Llamadogdad at 8:56 AM on August 15, 2016

Ah I didn't realise your pot was only 4 quarts, sorry.

But I have another bread based suggestion, I just remembered I also use mine to make stuffing!
posted by like_neon at 9:04 AM on August 15, 2016

French Onion Soup (or just caramelized onions). This recipe calls for a 7-quart, but it can be scaled down in fairly obvious way.

Not a ton of effort to caramelize 3 lbs of onions; caramelized onions are the best thing ever.
posted by contrarian at 9:40 AM on August 15, 2016

This Chicken in Milk recipe is very tasty indeed. For your smaller pot, you could scale the recipe down and cook pieces of bone-in chicken instead of a whole bird.
posted by lizbunny at 11:32 AM on August 15, 2016

Beef and Guinness Short Ribs! Yum! There are a lot of recpes out there, but here are two we've tried and loved:

from Food Network

from Big Girl Small Kitchen

(As a note that might be helpful for some, we rarely have homemade beef stock, but frequently have chicken stock, and just used that instead the first time we made this. The second time, we used stock we had made with the bones and scraps from the first time.)

We just got our enameled cast iron casserole too, and the first thing I did was caramelize some onions (for what dish? I don't even remember right now, but Caramelized! Onions! omg!), and it was a dream. I've had so much trouble with this in the past, it's been worth it just for the caramelized onions, to be honest.

I mentioned a couple of recipes on our list to try in an earlier comment on the site: "Baked Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Onions; Coconut Lime Braised Chicken Thighs; Eggplant And Country Ham Ragù (it has cocoa! Intriguing!)"

I also have Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce queued up, and I'm looking forward to trying another recipe we love for authentic Hungarian Goulash (from a Hungarian) in the new casserole. I also found this "How To Cook Beans in the Oven" with tips on a no-soak method using the casserole.
posted by taz at 11:36 AM on August 15, 2016

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.

Don't bother with the pastry rim, I use a double sheet of foil to cover the pot and seal it with the lid. The garlic cooks to delicious mildness. After the chicken's been eaten, I puree the garlic cloves, and then I have the most delicious garlic spread which can be used in all sorts of delicious ways. The chicken is sublime, falling apart tender with the most gorgeous flavour.
posted by essexjan at 2:33 PM on August 15, 2016

Chicken Braised With White Wine and Mustard

This is a classic, simple and really delicious recipe. It is my favorite non-grill/bbq chicken recipe.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 10:02 PM on August 15, 2016

Thank you all for your amazing answers! As for the no-knead bread, it's actually big enough for a 1 lb loaf, so no worries there! :) I'm going to make the caramelized onions first, because I love that stuff on everything.
posted by SkinsOfCoconut at 11:23 PM on August 16, 2016