I was reading some eZine articles the other day and ran on to something author, Tracy Farnsworth, wrote about clay bake ware. Come to find out, it has been found by nutritionists and scientists to be a healthier method of cooking and baking. The reason for this is in the preparation of the baking pan itself. Clay, and in particular unglazed clay that is widely used in today's cookware, is very porous and absorbs water quite easily.

So in advance of cooking any meal, you must soak the lid and base of your bake ware pan in water for at least 10 minutes. The absorption of this water into your bake ware is released as steam as it cooks in your oven at a moderately high temperature. The steam moisturizes and tenderizes your meal as well as amplifies any spices you have added to the dish.

This is considered a health boon due to the fact that you no longer have to add any additional oils or fats to keep your baked food moist. By all means, feel free to fatten up your recipes all you want, but the benefit is that it's no longer a necessity to keep flavor in your meal when using this cooking method.

Another great benefit to a somewhat careless cook as myself, is that there is a very slim chance of burning the pot or the meal. Unless you take a nap for hours after putting dinner in the oven, you're fairly safe.

Finally, clean up is simple. Fill the clay bake ware with water and vinegar or baking soda and let sit for a few hours and wipe clean with a non-abrasive sponge. I know all of you dedicated dishwasher junkies just groaned, but it's important not to clean your bake ware with anything that is a chemical, due to the porous nature of the pot itself.

So give this cooking method a try. It's cheaper and healthier than take out and makes cooking even for the novice, a piece of cake...so to speak. Here’s a recipe to get you started, if this is something that interests you:

Beggar's Chicken
Serves 4

8 chicken drumsticks or thighs
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
8 scallions, to garnish

Make two or three slits into the meat on each chicken piece, then place them in a dish. Mix together the oil, sherry, five-spice powder, pepper, garlic, ginger root and soy sauce, then brush the moisture all over the chicken pieces. Cover and chill for at least 5 hours, or preferably overnight. Meanwhile, trim the scallions and cut the green part into fine strips, all attached at the rood end. Place in iced water for at least 30 minutes so that the strips curl.

Transfer the chicken to the soaked clay cook pot with all the marinating juices. Cover the pot and place in the cold oven. Set the oven at 475F. Cook for 35 minutes. Baste the chicken well with the cooking juices and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cook, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes. Serve piping hot, with cooked rice, garnished with the scallion curls. (Courtesy of Salamander Books, Ltd.)

        

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