Guides

What can you cook in a cast iron casserole?

The short answer: almost anything that bakes, braises, simmers or roasts. A cast iron casserole holds heat evenly, goes from hob to oven at up to 230°C and onto the table, which makes it the most useful pot in the kitchen. Here are ten things it does better than anything else you own.

Season enamelled cast iron casserole in Blue Mussel

Bake

Bread. Preheat the empty pot with its lid at 230°C for 30 to 45 minutes, drop in the dough, bake 30 minutes covered and 15 uncovered. The lid traps steam, and you get a crust like a bakery's. Full method: how to bake bread in a cast iron casserole.
Cobbler or a baked pudding. Fruit in the bottom, scone or crumble on top, 35 to 45 minutes at 190°C with the lid off. The iron keeps the fruit bubbling long after it comes out of the oven, so take it straight to the table.

Slow cook

Stew. Brown the meat in batches, add vegetables and stock to cover, lid on, 2.5 to 3 hours at 150 to 160°C. The heavy lid keeps moisture in, so it rarely needs topping up.
Ragù. Brown mince or diced meat hard, add soffritto, wine and tomato, then simmer with the lid ajar for 3 hours on the lowest hob setting or in the oven. Enamel means hours of wine and tomato are no problem.
Braised beans. Soaked dried beans, aromatics and water to cover by 3cm, lid on, 1.5 to 2.5 hours at 150°C, depending on the bean. Add olive oil and salt in the last half hour.

Roast

Pot-roast chicken. Brown a whole chicken on all sides, sit it on onions, garlic and a glass of white wine, lid on, about 1 hour 15 minutes at 180°C for a 1.5kg bird, lid off for the last 20 minutes to colour the skin. The juices in the pot are your gravy.

Simmer

Dal. Lentils, turmeric and water simmered for 30 to 40 minutes, finished with spices fried in ghee or oil. We like it with roasted cauliflower: roasted cauliflower dal.
Soup. Soften the vegetables gently in the base, add stock, simmer 20 to 40 minutes. A casserole holds an even simmer on the lowest setting without catching.
Curry. Brown the onions slowly for 15 to 20 minutes for depth, fry the spices, then simmer. Cast iron holds the gentle, even heat that keeps a thick sauce from sticking.

Stir

Risotto. Toast the rice in the hot base, then ladle in stock over 18 to 20 minutes. The pot holds its temperature as cold stock goes in, so the rice keeps cooking at a steady pace. Or try the oven route for a creamy pasta: truffle and shiitake mac and cheese.

Why one pot does all of this

Cast iron is slow to heat and slow to cool. That makes it forgiving: the temperature in the pot stays where you set it, whether that is a bare simmer for three hours or a hot oven for bread. Enamel adds a surface that does not react with tomato, wine or vinegar and needs no seasoning, so the same pot can cook dal on Monday and bake a loaf on Saturday.

The Season Cast Iron Casserole

Ours was designed from a blank sheet by our cooks and chefs. The walls and lid are the same thickness, so heat moves evenly through the pot. The lid is slightly domed, giving bread room to rise, and its underside carries small dimples that catch rising moisture and baste the food. It works on all hobs including induction, is oven safe to 230°C, has a certified toxin-free coating and a 10 year warranty.

The Cast Iron Casserole comes in 22cm (3.3L) at £80 up to 30cm (7.5L) at £120. The 26cm is £100 and feeds four to six. For braises, focaccia and pies, there is the Cast Iron Shallow Casserole at £80 (26cm) and £90 (30cm).

Keep reading

Questions people ask

Can a cast iron casserole go in the oven? Yes, lid and all. Ours is oven safe to 230°C, which covers bread and every braise.

Can I deep-fry in a casserole? It holds oil temperature well, but fill it no more than a third full and use a thermometer. For most home frying, a frying pan is easier.

Can I cook pasta in it? Yes, and baked pasta is one of the best things to make in one: boil, sauce and bake in the same pot.

Can I use metal spoons? Use wooden or silicone. Enamel chips if it is hit with metal.

Can I store leftovers in it? Better to move them to a container. Long contact with acidic food and fridge damp does the rim no favours, and you will want the pot back.

Cook it with

Cook like it matters.

From the cooks at Season, a London cookshop since 2005.