Handsome, inexpensive, and they cook "purer and sweeter." They're Chinese clay pots - includes recipes

Sunset, Dec, 1984

Handsome, inexpensive, and they cook "purer and sweeter.' They're Chinese clay pots

Long used in China, clay and ceramic cooking pots are also sold in the West. Such cookware is integral to the preparation of certain classic Chinese dishes, but in can also be put to general use in Western kitchens. This versatility, plus handsome looks and often bargain prices, makes these pots great gifts.

For centuries, clay pots were used for cooking over fires and charcoal braziers. The clay lends a special flavor to food cooked in it; some say food tastes purer and sweeter. Food can be cooked and served sizzling hot from the same pot.

The collection we show ranges from rough earthenware to smooth porcelain. The coarse sandy pots are used much like covered casseroles. Yunnan clay pots, with their con-shaped interiors, can steam and make soup at the same time. And the steaming bowls can be used in the oven or in a steamer. With each pot, we offer a traditions recipe as well as suggestions for other uses. (You can also cook these dishes in pans you already own.)

Look for the pots in Chinese markets, cookware stores, and import outlets.

As with any ceramic cookware, these pots must be handled with care. Apply heat gradually. Avoid sudden temperature changes, such as setting a cold pot on high heat. Unglazed pots absorb flavors readily, so use a minimum of detergent to clean them.

Sandy pots

Made from a special clay that withstand intense temperatures, these bisquecolored pots can be used directly over heat or in the oven. The exterior is unglazed, often rough and sandy in texture. Wires are often wrapped around the exterior to conduct heat more evenly. A dark brown glaze covers the interior and sometimes the outside of the lid.

Sandy pots come in several shapes with one or two handles; the most versatile is the slope-sided pot shown above. They range from individual-serving size to 5 quarts, and cost $5 to $15. Check carefully for cracks when buying.

Before each use, many cooks will soak a sandy pot in water at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Having absorbed some water, the porous pot heats more slowly and is less likely to break. But there's no need to soak if you heat the pot slowly. Always use a wire diffuser on electric burners. With gas burners, use the diffuser if the pot has no wire wrap.

Traditionally used for Chinese braised meats, long-simmering stews, rice, and casseroles, the pots can also be used for Western-flavored counterparts of the same type. To use an ovenware, put filled pot in cold oven, then turn on the heat.

Beef and Turnip Stew

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 cups water

3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

2 star anise or 1 teaspoon crushed anise seed and 1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches long

3 thin slices fresh ginger, about 1 by 3 inches

2 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths

About 1 pound small turnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

In a 2 1/2- to 3-quart Chinese sandy pot or other pan, combine soy, sherry, sugar, water, beef, anise, ginger, and onions. Cover and bring slowly to simmering over medium heat (if using clay pot on an electric range, use a wire diffuser). Simmer, covered, until meat is almost tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Add turnips and continue simmering, covered, until turnips and meat are very tender when pierced, 45 to 50 minutes longer. Skim off and discard fat. Serve from clay cooking pot or transfer to serving bowl. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Yunnan pot

Named for a province in southers China, this red clay pot with a con-shaped spout in the center is used for wet steaming. The covered clay steamer is set in a larger pan of water; as the water boils, the spout draws up some of the water, which mixes with the juices of the food in the steamer. Pots range from 7 to 9 inches in diameter and cost $11 to $28.

Chicken is often steamed in the Yunnan pot. We offer a Chinese version and an adaptation of the French classic, pot-aufeu. Other cuts of meats such as corned beef or beef shanks also work well. (An alternative to the Yunnan pan is an uncovered bowl in a steamer.)

Yunnan Chicken and Mushrooms

12 small dried shiitake mushrooms

Water

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

1/4 cup dry sherry

4 chicken legs with thighs attached (about 2 lb.)

3 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths

4 thin slices fresh ginger, about 1 by 3 inches

Green onion sauce (recipe follows)

Soak mushrooms in enough water to cover until soft, about 20 minutes; drain. Cut off stems. Mix bouillon with sherry and pour into a 8- or 9-inch Yunnan pot or 2-quart bowl. Arrange chicken, mushrooms, onion, and ginger in pot. Cover Yunnan pot, but leave bowl uncovered.

Place a rack in the bottom of a deep pan wide enough to hold dish, such as a kettle or wok. Set pot on rack and fill pan with enough water to reach halfway up sides of Yunnan pot, or just under bottom of bowl. Cover pan (use foil if pot extends above pan rim) and bring water to boiling. Steam, adding more boiling water as needed to maintain water level, until chicken is no longer pink in thickest part (cut to test), about 1 hour.