Staub Dutch Oven Review and Gujarati Potato Curry Recipe
A few months ago we posted a general overview of Dutch Ovens. Last week, a package came in the mail from CSN stores—and today, we have a review.
Cast-iron aficionados, our kitchen has slowly built up a stock of high-quality pieces from woks to crêpe pans, mostly manufactured by Le Creuset. Until recently, in fact, we might have been called partisan, we even have the spatula and salt-pig to match. But—if that’s still the case, perhaps our allegiance is changing. We recently purchased a Staub cocotte, and have been won over by its performance.
Like Le Creuset, Staub crafts beautiful enamelled cast iron from one-off sand moulds. The glazing applied is sturdy and even. Pieces with even small blemishes are marked as seconds, and the pots are designed to last a lifetime with a warranty behind their promise. That said, there are several points of difference between the two brands.
Staub sells each cocotte with a brass or nickled-stainless steel knob, oven safe to 500ºF. This does mean you have to watch your mitts if you’re lifting the lid off of a hot pot, but also means that the pot you purchase can be tossed in the oven as-is. Le Creuset Dutch Ovens come with a plastic knob that is not oven-safe. While it does not get as hot in stove-top use, it must be swapped out with a separately purchased knob if you plan to bake/roast. Like getting a new toy for Christmas without batteries, this has always struck me as a hassle! I’ve never swapped back in a plastic knob after changing it out, and have managed to burn my hands on plastic handled pots just as often.
In the past we’ve used any number of Dutch Ovens, but the Staub is our new favourite because of two major innovations.
The first is the matte black enamel on the interior of the Staub product. The coarse coating seasons quickly. After a short session to bake on a thin coat of vegetable oil, the surface already offers a good level of performance in braising and releasing food. Aesthetically we appreciate that even after cooking our most turmeric-laden Indian recipes, we aren’t left with a visibly stained interior. In fact, the surface has such good release that we are able to perform feats such as sautéing crushed garlic with minimal oil with ease.
Secondly, while we were a little bit sceptical of the level of difference it would make—the Staub lid has a series of nodules on its interior. These self-basting spikes collect and distribute moisture as evaporated water condenses on the lid and drips back into the pot. Most Dutch-Ovens drip from a single point in the middle of the lid, from the screw holding the handle in place, and may have a looser lid. The Staub system seems to encourage moisture to stay in the pot, and distributes it evenly.
Together these two features are the perfect partners to the thermal performance of cast iron. The allow you to cook even relatively thick stews, gravies, and curries without scorching, and to move directly from stove-top to oven with one pot.
GUJARTI STYLE SLOW POTATO CURRY
The secret to the deliciousness of potatoes is all in the sugars. While frying, boiling and even pressure cooking all still produce a tasty product, the absolutely best way to get maximum flavour from your spuds is to slow-roast them at a moderate temperature. This one pot curry is the perfect cozy-home food for a a cold winter’s night.
Ingredients:
2 T oil
~1.5 t panch phoron (a mix of mustard, cumin, fenugreek, fennel, and nigella seeds available at most Indian grocers. 1/2t whole mustard + 1/2 t of whole cumin is a fine substitute)
pinch sugar
pinch hing / asafoetida
1 T besan / chick-pea flour
2 dried or whole chillies (preferably long green chillies / hari mirchi)
1/2″ ginger, chopped finely
350 g whole raw potatoes chopped to bite-size
3/4 c water
2 T tomato paste
1 T lemon/lime juice, or ambli to taste
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t black salt / salt
1.5 t ground coriander
1/2 t garam masala
garnish with
sprig fresh cilantro
salt to taste
wedges lemon or lime
Slowly bring your pot to medium-high heat. To avoid thermal shock, start no more than half-way up your dial. Once your pot gets nice and hot—think pancake cooking hot, where splashed water beads and runs before fizzling into nothing—lightly wipe the interior with vegetable oil. Next, pour in 2T of a vegetable oil with a high smoke point.
Once the oil is hot, turn down the heat and add panch phoron, dried or fresh chillies, and wait until you hear your mustard seeds pop. Next add ginger, turmeric, hing, sugar, and chick-pea flour. Sauté this mixture in oil until the flour takes on a deep golden colour.
Toss in your chopped potatoes so they are coated with masala. Add dry spices, water, and 2T of tomato paste. Stir.
Cover and let cook on medium-low at least 25 minutes. Then, take off the lid carefully, and peer in. Most likely—depending on the variety of potatoes you have chosen—you will need to be patient a while longer.
Once they are tender and ready garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, lemon or lime juice and a pinch of salt. Keep in mind that salt added during cooking will mostly go straight into your spuds, so the salt you add at this point will be the salt your guests taste. Don’t go crazy, but don’t skimp either.
Jennifer V. says
atHmmm, that is one thing I do not have in my kitchen – a dutch oven. Very interesting. That recipe sounds delicious!
katie says
atI like to make desserts and candies and whenever the recipe calls for a dutch oven I get bummed because I don't have one. Thanks so much for this review – I am definitely going to check it out!
dorothy says
atsounds a like good dutch oven all my pots have to be able to go into the oven that is a important feature for me
ShowMeMama says
atI once had a slow cooker and the knob broke off, thus turning it into a giant paper weight. I would love a Dutch oven, and to try your recipe. I love Indian food.
annalene says
atOh wow, this dutch oven looks great and so does that curry! Great review, will check out Staub some more 🙂
Jessica says
atHello-
I am trying to figure out who the maker is of this old dutch oven I found. Can't find anything about it's mark, which is a raised 4 leaf clover. There is no name anywhere. I read your general article on dutch ovens posted a few months ago & saw that you had one from ireland. Does it have a similar mark & do you know what maker it is? Any help would be greatly appreciated. : )
Greg says
atHi Jessica! To be honest, I can't recall the manufacturer of our pot, and we just recently passed it along to a new home. Ours didn't have a clover-leaf, which is too bad, as I think that would be quite pretty! I'm wondering if it was La Cuisine? I think it may have been. It wasn't antique—or particularly nice. Rather a beast actually.
As far as clovers go, I have no real idea.
I've seen an American brand's donut irons and waffle irons with a three leafed clover (Ace Cloverleaf I think?). Clover shaped items seem to have been a hot commodity. I've seen griddles and the like with that shape, and even some old Le Creuset pieces made in that shape. So cool!
Griswold, a highly collectible brand has a mark which is a Swiss cross in two concentric rings that may be construed as clover-ish?
There are actually cast-iron collector's associations. If you are super-curious you may want to post to one with a picture and details, http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/ may be a good place to start.
Or, check and see if your library has any cast-iron collectors guides?
Gale says
atI just purchased a pink (off-white on the inside) 9" skillet, enamel coated cast iron. It is old and has the raised 4 leaf clover on the handle. I have looked all over the internet for 2 days and even called the Lodge Cast Iron co. to see if they could help me identify this maker. I found someone else who posted a search on the internet several years ago for this maker. I would love to find out how old it is which ehow says the enamel coated cast iron started being made in the 1930's here in the US. I don't know where this one was made but perhaps in another country because you don't find that many here in the US.
Frank says
atI believe the four leafed clover is the old Club aluminum??