How To Use a Dutch Oven
The Dutch oven is a deceptively simple-looking piece of commercial kitchen equipment. Dutch ovens don’t have dials, fancy features, attachments, or floor-standing racks. A Dutch oven is essentially a stew pot. However, it's an essential tool for any commercial kitchen that uses slow cooking to combine flavorful ingredients and create magical taste sensations.
What Is a Dutch Oven?
A Dutch oven is a large, heavy pot, usually made of cast iron and sometimes coated with interior and exterior enamel linings. The pot has a tight-fitting lid to trap and retain heat and moisture. Bright exterior enamel makes many Dutch ovens colorful, while the interior lining prevents flaking or rust. Enamel-coated Dutch ovens are very popular with commercial chefs.
As for the name, many attribute the term “Dutch oven” to a man named Abraham Darby. This eighteenth-century English ironmaster patented a cooking pot he named after the Dutch cast iron manufacturing process he used. The Dutch oven became very successful in France, where it is known as a cocotte.
What is a Dutch Oven Used For?
Chefs use Dutch ovens to slow-cook stews, sauces, soups, and casseroles. Commercial kitchens also use Dutch ovens to sear meat, make braises, and even bake bread. The thick, enameled walls of a Dutch oven make it oven-safe.
How to Use a Dutch Oven
Using a Dutch oven is fairly straightforward. Typically, you take the following steps:
- Preheat your regular oven.
- Heat the Dutch oven on the stovetop on medium heat. Depending on the recipe, you may need oil or butter to prevent ingredients from sticking.
- Add ingredients, stirring to ensure the oil or butter coats all ingredients.
- Place the lid on the Dutch oven if needed, then bake or simmer for the desired time.
The tight-fitting lid of the Dutch oven ensures food stays moist and retains liquid that would otherwise evaporate, leaving your roast, chicken, or other ingredients dry. Some recipes call for extra steps like pre-searing meat or blanching vegetables to take out starches, but the key to most Dutch oven recipes is to keep temperatures low and simmer what's inside until it’s bathed in its own juices. Use a Dutch oven to create a perfect garlic-studded pot roast, or bathe a chicken leg in tomato sauce.
Caring for a Dutch Oven
Like other cast iron cookware, you must season a Dutch oven if it lacks an enamel coating. To do so:
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Using soapy water and a stiff brush, scrub the Dutch oven, then dry it thoroughly.
- Use a paper towel to rub cooking oil over the Dutch oven and lid. Choose an oil with a high smoke point.
- Place the Dutch oven upside down in your oven with its lid, and bake for one hour. The oil may smoke, so make sure you have adequate ventilation.
- After an hour, turn off the oven and let the Dutch oven cool before use.
Thoroughly dry Dutch ovens without enamel coatings before storing. Clean enamel-coated Dutch ovens with soap and water treatment.
Beyond Dutch Ovens
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