French kitchen and cookware

Just what is a daubière, you ask? It is a clay pot, traditional to the south of France, with a pot belly, a narrower neck, a lid with a well, and a handle off to one side. The daubière is traditionally used to make a daube, or slow-simmered stew, usually of beef, but lamb, pork, and even octopus have been rendered into daubes by the fertile French culinary imagination. The peculiar form of the daubière is rooted in function. The narrow neck helps prevent evaporation of the cooking liquids over the several-hour simmering period. Likewise, the well in the lid is made to be filled with water, whose evaporation helps retain the liquid within by causing it to condense inside the lid. A daubière can be nestled over coals in the back of the fireplace, or, more conventionally and modern, be used over gentle heat on top of the stove or in the oven. It is ideal not only for stews but also for soups and dried beans of all types. Watch for Paula Wolfert's upcoming Clay Pot Cooking for myriad ways to use this wonderful pot.

This model, which is rather large, has two lips in addition to the sideways handle to help you safely hoist it. Easily accommodates 5 pounds of meat. Ships with recipe. Available in rich Provençal red, Roussillon ochre, or Luberon green. Click on the '1' and '2' under the main photo to see the other colors.

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