Oven cleaning tips & tricks

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A Dutch oven is actually a thick cast iron pot with a lid and three legs. This kind of oven is referred to by different names in different countries: camp oven, casserole dish, potjie, phutu, cocotte, sac. Since the pot is made of massive cast iron, the heat spreads evenly inside it, baking the food as if it were inside an oven. This is ideal for cooking casserole dishes on an outdoor open fire.

You will need:

- Dish-brush and scourer pad

- Steel wool pad and steel wire hand brush

1. After cooking a casserole that has not been overly dried out, wash the pot,

fill it with water up to half of it, put the lid on and place it back on the fire to

boil while enjoying your meal. The boiling water and steam will soften the food

that stuck to the pot walls.

2. Remove the pot from the fire, pour the boiling water and let it cools down.

Then, clean it with water and dish soap using dish-brush and scourer pad only

to make sure that the pot coating (created by prior seasoning) is not damaged.

Let it dry, paint it with thin layer of olive oil and store it mouth up and lid aside

to avoid rust.

3. However, if the casserole has dried out and the food inside the pot is totally

burnt out, the protective coating can no longer prevent food from sticking to

the pot walls, and you may use a steel wool pad and steel wire brush to do the

job. I wouldn’t recommend to use an oven cleaner as you might taste in the

next time you cook...

In this case the protective coating is damaged by the the aggressive scrubbing.

Therefore, you should re-season your pot, cover it with vegetal oil and store it

for your next cooking.

Done!

How to clean and season a Dutch Oven?

By seasoning Dutch oven you create a protective coating that will prevent food from sticking on the pot interior. Seasoning also protect the pot from rusting.

Usually, Dutch oven arrives from the manufacturer coated in wax or shellac. The coating should be removed using hot water, soap and scourer pad.

After thoroughly drying the oven with a towel, it should be seasoned.

1. Open a window and turn on the hood since smoke can be emitted during the seasoning process.

2. Peel off all labels and paint the oven with a thin layer of vegetal oil.

3. The best way to season a Dutch oven is by heating it up (oiled) to 300C-570F inside a common oven for about one hour. The heat will cause the oil to harden and stick to the pot walls forming a protective coating like Teflon.

4. Alternatively, you may season your Dutch oven by first oiling it and then hanging it over an open fire for about one hour.

5. Repeat this process one more time to reinforce the seasoning.

Done!

How to season Dutch Oven?

Taking care of Dutch Oven:

Taking good care of your Dutch Oven is important and will reward you with great dishes for long years to come.

Remember to clean it after buying it, season it right, keeping the food from drying out inside during cooking time, store it in dry place painted by vegetal oil, face up and led aside.