You always see them in movies depicting the old west. They're woven into the fabric of American History, but are they useful in today's world? Or are they relics of a bygone era?

A Dutch oven is basically a heavy-duty pot with a lid. Most often it's made out of cast iron, but some are steel or aluminum. Nowadays you can get a beautiful looking enameled cast iron dutch oven as well. Enameled dutch ovens are nice because you don't have to mess around with seasoning them. Cast iron is also advantageous for its superior heat retention and distribution. Some even claim the cast iron dutch ovens provide a smoked flavor to your food.

In the movies you often see them hanging oven an open fire. Sounds like fun but you can also put them on the stove top or in the oven too. And if you go camping, its perfect over coals or your campfire!

Regardless of the finish, its best to use wood or plastic utensils when cooking with your Dutch oven so you don't damage the finish or the seasoned layer if its bare cast iron.

What Do I Cook in A Dutch Oven?

Meats prepared in a Dutch oven are tasty. A dutch oven imparts a flavor unique to your food, it simply cannot be duplicated. One of the keys to cooking meat in a dutch oven is to brown it first then cook it the rest of the way. To brown it put some oil or fatty stuff like bacon covering the bottom of your dutch oven and cook the meat a bit until it browns. You may want to flip it too and brown it some more. Then drain off the fat and add whatever seasoning and spices are to your liking. You're gonna love the flavor and the locked in juices.

Veggies are great also in a Dutch oven. Lots of times they are prepared in a sauce or a in a stew but you can also make them without a heavy sauce. You can roast them in there too.

A lot of people don't know you can even bake bread in a dutch oven. That's right, corn bread, rolls, biscuits, or sourdough loaves are fun and fairly simple to make in a dutch oven.

There's a lot more you can make in a big old cast iron dutch oven: chicken dishes, bean dishes, casseroles, fish, jambalaya, goulash, rice dishes, soups, stews, chili, and all kinds of yummy comfort foods. The list is endless. There are dutch oven recipes all over the net to do some experimenting.

Are They Expensive?

Like any cooking product, dutch ovens vary tremendously in price. Le Creuset and Staub are the more expensive ones but they are highly recommended and have a fantastic reputation. You can find them cheaper if you're willing to buy used or wait for bargains to turn up. More mid priced brands are Lodge, Calphalon Corning, Copco, Berndes, and All-Clad. Cheaper dutch ovens are Texsport and some Lodge models. Buy a dutch oven with a good reputation for durability and quality, it's something you will end up using way more than you ever imagined.

Ambassador for Le Creuset? An exaggeration? Or just fun?

Conran describes himself as 'an entrepreneurial designer' – an overarching term which, over the years, has covered his flourishing career as a retailer, restaurateur and property developer. As well as founding the Habitat chain and the Conran Shop, he has opened more than 50 restaurants and written or co-authored more than 40 books (many of them published by Octopus, the company he co-founded with Paul Hamlyn). He founded the Design Museum, Britain's only museum dedicated to contemporary industrial product and architectural design. His own architectural and design practice, Conran and Partners, has projects ranging from hotel and restaurant design to urban regeneration projects in London and Tokyo. His personal fortune is estimated at £85 million.

Read the interview

“With so many world-class restaurants and chefs residing in Toronto and the surrounding areas, it only makes sense to open a store in this city,” said Faye Gooding, Le Creuset CEO. “Not only will this implement the strength of our brand, it will bring forth many more culinary enthusiasts.”

The store will feature cooking demos and culinary evenings with Canadian chefs, authors and winemakers as well as a showcase to give customers a feel for the products. The flagship is set to open Aug. 18 at the Sherway Gardens shopping centre.

Here's a video in Spanish going into detail about using a Le Creuset Doufeu to make a chicken dish.

Do you have any tips for using a Le Creuset Doufeu? Please suggest them below in the comments.

The Story of the Doufeu

In the 1600’s cast iron ovens were designed to be placed directly onto a heat source such as burning wood or embers. People would pile embers on top of the cooking vessel in order to surround the food with heat – thus creating an ‘oven.’ However, the heat generated through this process also caused evaporation, resulting in the loss of liquid and the threat of scorching. Water was typically added to the food in order to ensure proper moisture, but this resulted in flavors that were literally ‘watered down’. While the invention of modern ovens eliminated the need to place embers directly on top of the cooking vessel, the evaporation challenge remained.

Originally introduced in 1934 by Le Creuset (Cousances), the doufeu is a cooking vessel featuring a recessed lid designed to hold ice rather than embers.

As moisture begins to evaporate inside the cooking vessel during the slow cooking process, the cool ice-filled lid causes this moisture to condense.Specially designed dimples on the flat interior of the lid direct the moisture back down onto the food in liquid form. This self-basting effect minimizes the need to add additional water and ensures that food remains moist, nutrients are not lost, and flavors intensify.

And even when the ice in the lid melts the self-basting process continues to function - as long as water in the lid remains below the boiling point it is cooler than evaporating moisture inside the doufeu and therefore ensures that condensation continues.

Sounds yummy does it not? This is a cooking vessel that I have yet to try. I love this idea of a self basting oven. If you've used it please let< us know how you like it. Comment below!

Buy a Le Creuset Doufet

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Whisk NYC has posted an article comparing a Le Creuset dutch oven to a Staub. butch ovens are great for casseoles, braising, soups, stews and those wonderful comfort foods. Staub and Le Creuset are two well known high end brands of enameled dutch ovens. They are both made in france. they are both quality, they are both pricey. And people are forever asking, which is better?

Here's Whisk's assessment of Staub:
Made in Alcase, France, by a family company dating back to 1892, Staub is a heavy-duty, gorgeous addition to any kitchen and a favorite of professional chefs and home cooks alike. Each piece takes a full day to complete, and no two products are alike – a sand mold is made for every piece, then destroyed. There are over 10 coats of enamel on each piece, leaving a gorgeous, rich exterior. Additionally, the interior of each Staub dutch oven offers two unique features which set it apart: Basting spikes on the lid, which allows even self-basting, and a matte black enameled interior, which gives a fantastic sear. The knobs on all Stab pieces are either nickel or brass, and are oven safe up to 500 degrees. Finally, Staub is heavier than your average dutch oven. Fans of Staub include Thomas Keller, who serves dishes at his restaurants (Per Se, French Laundry, Bouchon) directly out of Staub.

One thing that is useful from this quote is the knobs. They are significantly different than Le Creuset's. Are they better or is it a matter of taste?

Here's their take on Le Creuset:
Le Creuset was founded in Northern France by two Belgians in 1925. By the time they had expanded their export business in the 1950′s, 50% of their products were being shipped to the US. Originally just offered in one color, flame, the line now offers over 10 colors – perfect to match every kitchen! Each piece is enameled with three coats of enamel, giving a rich color. Additionally, the interiors of each piece are enameled as well, in a light color, so you can see the color developing on your dishes as you sear. The phenolic knobs are oven safe to 375 degrees, but Le Creuset also sells a stainless steel replacement knob that can reach 500 degrees. A favorite of Julia Child, Oprah and Marilyn Monroe, these are the American favorite.

Well unfortunately they don't give a definitive answer on their favorite. I am obviously partial to Le Creuset. What about you? Comment below if you can add anything or you're just a fan of one or the other. There's more to be said on this topic obviously.

Read their post here.

These coupons are good though January 2011.

• Start by cleaning your new cast iron pan with water and a stiff brush. They really should be clean before seasoning. You can use soap if you wish, but after seasoning the pan, use only mild soap to clean it.
• Cover the entire surface of the cast iron cookware with oil or fat. Coconut oil, canola oil, or animal fat (lard, bacon grease, etc) is usually recommended. I don't know who would use lard nowadays, not me. But I have also heard flaxseed oil recommended. I haven't used that myself, I use canola oil. Try to coat the pan evenly, otherwise you might get gummy spots. You only need a thin coal of oil, you may even want to remove most of what you apply to the pan with a paper towel, you don't need a thick layer.
• Place your cookware in the oven and heat it for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the oil you use you may have to raise the temperature to reach the smoke point of the oil, but 300 should be fine for flax seed oil or canola oil. For coconut oil or animal fat 375 should work. You don't really want the oil to smoke like crazy, but you do want it hot enough to bond to the cast iron. (Some argue higher temperatures like 400+ degrees are better for a harder surface. If you're curious try it, but open a window.) Higher than 500 degrees is not recommended.
• Turn off heat and let cast iron pan cool completely. Don't get burned!
• Wipe off the excess oil thoroughly with a paper towel. But really you should not have too much excess oil.
• Re-oil the pan an repeat heating. This will give you a better surface, get any spots you missed, and give you something to do : -)

There you have it. Don't stress about seasoning your cast iron. It's not really that complicated. Enjoy it!

I found this on foodgeeks. I love cornbread. Looove it! Who doesn't? I can't wait to try this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

1-1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten

For preparing skillet
1 Tbls. butter and
1 Tbls. oil

Honey Butter
1/2 cup softened butter
2 Tbls. honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, oil and egg.
Add to flour mixture and mix until just moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Do not over-mix or the bread will be tough. Prepare a 10-inch cast-iron skillet by putting butter and oil into the pan and place into preheated oven for about 5 minutes or until the butter melts. Once the skillet is prepared, add the batter and place in oven for 20 minutes or until light golden brown and wooden pick comes out clean when inserted into cornbread. Serve with Honey Butter if desired.

To make Honey Butter:
Beat softened butter for about 30 seconds on medium speed, then add the honey and beat on high for about a minute or until fluffy. Serve on hot Cornbread.

If you have a well-seasoned skillet, the cornbread shouldn't stick at all.

Here's another dish I can't get enough of. I am eager to try this recipe as well. This one comes from Derek

INGREDIENTS

* 1 large eggplant
* 3 slices Udi's gluten free sandwich bread, thoroughly toasted and cooled
* 1/3 cup gluten free flour
* salt
* black pepper
* granulated garlic
* onion powder
* oregano
* 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup whole milk
* 1 egg
* olive oil
* A batch of my Outstanding Marinara Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS
Slice the eggplant into 1-inch thick slices. Sprinkle each slice with kosher salt on both sides (just a light sprinkle, less than 1/8 teaspoon per slice). Let the eggplant slices sit for 30 minutes. This helps draw out some of the bitter flavors from the eggplant, and removes further water.

You can make the marinara sauce while you're waiting. You can also toast the bread in preparation for making your breadcrumbs.

Once you've toasted the bread, let it cool to room temperature. Cooling the bread to room temperature after toasting is an important step, as it allows more moisture to escape from the bread (leaving you with crumbs rather than mush after a trip through the food processor).

Once cool, pulverize the toasted bread slices in a food processor. Once the bread has reached a fairly crumby texture, add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and give it a few more pulses until they are proper crumbs.

Dump the breadcrumbs and parmesan into a mixing bowl, and add a pinch of dried oregano and the flour. Then add salt, pepper, onion powder, and granulated garlic to taste. And I really do mean "to taste." Taste the breading and re-season as necessary. The breading should taste good—not unlike how a well-flavored Italian herb and parmesan cracker might taste if you ate the crumbs. When in doubt, add more salt.

To make the dipping wash, beat one egg, and add to it 1/4 cup whole milk. Mix well.

Preheat your oven on 325 degrees F.

Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium heat, and wait 4-5 minutes for it to come up to heat. When it's just starting to send up wisps of smoke, add a solid coating of olive oil, and begin breading the eggplant.

To bread the eggplant, pat the slices dry with a paper towel to soak up the water that was drawn out by the salt. Then dip eggplant slices in the egg wash—being sure to get full coverage. Bread the slices thoroughly on all sides. Don't be afraid to use your fingers to get as much breading on each slice as possible.

Cook the eggplant slices until nicely browned, and then flip them over and brown the other side. This might take 3-4 minutes per side.

Once the eggplant slices are browned on each side, put a generous dollop of Outstanding Marinara Sauce on top of each slice, and sprinkle on a respectable pile of parmesan cheese. Place the skillet in the oven, and bake on 325 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Remove your eggplant parmesan from the oven to let cool for a few minutes, and serve! I like to serve this dish right in the skillet for a nice presentation. Be sure to warn your guests of how hot the pan is.

This dish goes well with rice pilaf and caesar salad.

 
Good luck and happy cooking! Post your comments, ideas, and favorite cast iron skillet recipes below. Don't be afraid to share!