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How to Choose the Right Pot

March 11, 2022 By Morgan

 All of our pots are handmade, and whatever you want to cook in them, you can. They’re designed with functionality in mind, but we encourage you to get creative. Some of our stuff sounds fancy, it can be if you want, but it doesn’t need to be. And above all, here at the Clay Coyote we’re a family business, you are a part of our family and we’re here to help.

First of all, we say “cooking is an art,” for a reason. Sometimes the best meals are more about who you made them with or for, than the food itself. Sometimes the best pot is the one you have on hand. And sometimes the best pot is the one that you enjoy cooking with the most.

Yes, there are some pots for some recipes that aid in the cooking process. And we specifically design a pot for functionality. But the joy of cooking is in the journey from ingredient to meal. From many somethings to one beautiful bite.

This post is designed to be a primer on the pots we make by hand in our studio. We have a team of potters that create the pots that end up in your homes. Every pot is touched 50+ times before it leaves our hands and heads to your homes. When you use our pots, we hope it feels like you are cooking with friends. Because that’s how we think of our pots, many little friends in your cupboards. 

Quick Side Note: 

I’m going to make some suggestions in this post. Some are controversial. There’s an argument that using a traditional French Cassole for anything but Cassoulet is sacrilege. Or that modifying cultural staples is appropriation. My kitchen is my happy place. I love experiencing new cultures, trying new recipes, and when possible getting as many authentic ingredients as possible. But I’m also a realist. We live in central, rural Minnesota.

One example, I love Indian Saag Paneer (any leafy green), also known as Palak Paneer (when spinach is used). While I have access to tons of leafy greens, I do not have access to paneer, an Indian frim cottage cheese. So I use Bread Cheese. It has a somewhat similar texture (not perfect). I have tried tofu, but meh, it’s still tofu. Bread Cheese is traditionally Finnish. Called leipäjuusto in Finland or juustoleipä in other parts of Scandinavia … not even remotely Indian. But it’s what I have and I like it. That’s okay. You too can and should be creative when cooking. 

Now, on to the main question, “what’s the best pot for you, in the moment?”

To learn more about the difference between stoneware, Flameware, and earthenware we’ve created a chart towards the bottom of this page. 

Everyday Pots: 

stir fry in skillet

If you’re looking to start a Flameware collection, the Cazuela is a great option. It’s called the “workhorse” by Paula Wolfert, the world-renowned clay pot chef. It does everything. I use it for stir fry, poaching eggs, pasta boiling and then baking, sautéing, and more. It’s the first pot I grab when it’s time to cook.

The Cazuela is the same shape as our Clay Coyote Flameware Grill Basket, where the grill basket is designed with holes to let the flame up from the bottom to grill the food, the Cazuela is the stovetop and oven version. But, there’s a caveat, you can use the Cazuela on the grill too; the juices won’t drip out, so it’s more like a grill-skillet.

The other pot that I use daily is the Small Flameware Skillet. I use it for eggs in the morning. Wash it and leave it out on the stove all day. It’s also great for sautéing veggies when I want a smaller footprint on the stove, in the oven, and under the broiler.

The Small Skillet is also great for just the two of us. I use it for making chicken taco filling, a little bit of oil, diced up chicken (toss the chicken in the light oil so there’s a light layer on all sides and then it should not stick as much), and then a tablespoon or two of salsa … add some toppings and dinner is done.

Clay Coyote Savory Pie Dish in actionThe other starter Flameware pot that I often recommend is the Savory Pie. And, now we’ve added a mini-Savory Pie to the collection, it’s great for 2, even 4 people. One of my favorite things to make in the regular Savory Pie was crust-less quiche or “egg bake” as they call it in the Midwest. First you sauté the mix-ins (like onion, garlic, spinach, sausage, ham, peppers, etc.), then you add the eggs, cheese, dairy to the sauté and put it into the oven.  In all honesty, the smaller size is better for us because we can’t eat quiche that many days in a row.

Savory Pies are also great for other dishes like: mac & cheese, Shepard’s pie, pot pies of any flavor, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, fruit crisps, open-face casseroles, and so much more. Since there’s no handle it’s a little harder to maneuver on the stovetop, but gives you plenty of extra space in the oven. And the low height profile means you can place it on a short shelf in the oven under other, bigger space hogs.

Savory Pies are also the bottoms of Tagines, so if you already have Tagine, congratulations, you also have a Savory Pie. Unfortunately, while the bottoms can be sold separately, the tops are fitted to the bottoms before shipping and cannot be sold separately or later (the fit is too difficult to do remotely).

Other everyday pots are a little more self explanatory, Large Skillets, Medium Sauce Pan … they’re very easy to put into daily action.

Recipe Specific Pots (with a twist)

Clay Coyote Tagine in ActionA tagine is a Moroccan stovetop pot that makes a dish also called tagine. Our Clay Coyote Flameware Tagine was designed to be an American made version of the North African pot, able to go on the direct stovetop.

There are other domestic, commercially made tagines; some out of cast iron, enamel-coated, and even clay. The majority of the domestic clay options are not stovetop safe. You’d need a heat diffuser and many call for soaking and seasoning in advance of use. The enamel-coated can go on a stovetop, but they are heavy and not the traditional clay experience of Morocco.

That’s why we make a Flameware (no-diffuser, no-seasoning, no-soaking necessary, stovetop) Tagine. We wanted a made in the USA version of a Moroccan Tagine.

Mushroom Tagine in Handmade Clay Coyote FlamewareThe tagine is a stove top stew maker’s dream. It has a Flameware bottom and a Stoneware coned top that is designed for self-basting. The moisture goes up the side of the top, hits the cone and drops back down. Essentially breaking up the ingredients with constant moisture. Chicken, lamb, and beef will completely fall off the bone; veggies are extremely tender. It’s lovely for taking slow roasting out of the oven to get more space. I recently roasted a whole, stuffed chicken on the stovetop (low flame for 90 minutes) and then to crisp up the skin, I put it in the broiler.

The reason we are able to make the lid out of Stoneware is because it doesn’t touch the direct heat. On our end that means we can use different glaze colors. Our Flameware only comes in Coyote Gray glaze. Where our stoneware has tons of options.

photo of people sitting at a dining table with a cassole in the middle of the tableVery similarly, a cassole is a French pot that goes in the oven that makes a dish called cassoulet. For years, I’ve had a post-it on my desk that says, “cassole = pot, cassoulet = meal.” Our Clay Coyote Cassole was designed to be an American made version of the traditional French design. The cassole has a big, wide open top so that there is more surface area at the top. My non-technical description for this is: then you get more crunchy bits.

To make a traditional cassoulet you need time and stew ingredients. We have shared the traditional, Toulouse-style cassoulet recipe for the meal that takes multiple days to prepare, and results in 22 cups of French stew.

We also have cute mini cassoulet serving bowls, sold one at a time, that have the same yellow salt glazed inside and rim and raw clay look outside. Many of our ‘cassoulet die hards’ order the cassole and then a set of 6-8 cassole bowls for serving. It’s a party meal. It’s meant to be shared, savored, and celebrated with lots of delicious bread and French wine.

The Cassole doesn’t have to sit around gathering dust between Bastille Days … it’s also great for Summer salads, mixing up a big batch of chocolate chip cookies, as a punch bowl. And, of course, any other stew type of recipe in the oven. Essentially follow “Crock Pot” instructions and bake on a low heat (250 to 300 degrees).

Another artisanal kitchen staple is the Flameware Dutch Oven, a 3-quart pot-bellied, slow stovetop or oven baker. It’s best for stews, chilies, and soups. I recently roasted a whole chicken mine and then once dinner was over turned the rest into stock and soup. We also made a 3-hour pork carnitas in the Dutch Oven and it was great because we roasted first and then after breaking up the pork we lightly fried the chunks in batches.

Another specialty pot that we make is a homemade Clay Vinegar Crock. Ferment your own special batch of vinegar at home. You can go traditional and make a red wine or white wine version. Or get creative with other flavors like apple cider or rice vinegar. The Clay Coyote Crock comes with a fermentation lid, with a hole in it, and a closed lid as well for if you’d prefer to use it as a beverage dispenser … lemonade, ice tea, water, kombucha, etc. We also include brewing instructions and cheesecloth with the crock.

Bakers Rise Up 

bread baker in joe's blues with sourdough loaf at the clay coyote in hutchinson mn

Speaking of bread, we make a No Knead Bread Baker out of our stoneware clay. It’s designed to mix, rise, and bake the bread. You can go all in with delightfully-named sourdough starters, you can use yeast, you can go gluten-free. Since it’s made from stoneware, it doesn’t like to be shocked and experience extreme heat changes. So let the baker warm up from a cool oven, after that it can take heat up to 400F (and some customers share they’ve gone higher).

We also make a quick bread pot, we call it the ‘square baker’ around here, but it’s just called the Clay Coyote Baking Dish in the online shop and it’s not really square. Anyways, it is perfect for banana bread … and any other quick bread you want to whip up. It’s also fits a box of brownies perfectly, not everything has to be from scratch, we’re human.Blueberry Lemon Spice Banana Bread all done!

Both the No Knead Bread Baker and the Baking Dish also double as a casserole dish. I also use them for warming and serving. I’ll put the Bread Baker in the oven at 200F with tortillas for taco night. I’ll fill it with veggies or mashed potatoes and place them in the oven on 170F to keep them while other things are finishing. And the Baking dish is great for a small lasagna, chicken breasts with honey mustard, etc.

The Grill Pots 

Clay Coyote Grill Basket in action and being made in the pottery studio in Hutchinson MinnesotaThe Clay Coyote Flameware Grill Basket is the perfect outdoor cooking pot. It’s small handle is so that it fits on more grill surfaces but still has something to grab with your hot pad. The holes are to let the flame up and the moisture out.

There are many commercially produced grill baskets made of metal. We think ours is better. Metal is forged and changed over flame. It conducts heat. Our Flameware Grill Basket has already been fired up to 1800F once and then in the second firing up to 2300F. It’s not going to change, or bend on your grill (if your grill get that hot you have bigger problems to worry about than the grill basket). The Flameware clay also spreads the heat out. evenly. When you do the foil packet on a grill there’s a steam component. And we can’t stress this enough, our pot is created to grill your food, not steam it.

The Flameware Grill Basket is perfect for grilling fish, veggies, potatoes, fajitas, meatballs, stir fry, shrimp, and anything else you can dream up.

Clay Coyote Flameware Pizza Stone on the Grill
Salami, mozzarella, bell peppers, cracked red pepper

In 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, our Coyote family, like your family, spent a lot of time at home cooking. We decided that it was the year to develop a new Flameware pot as a team. Our vote was for the Flameware Cooking & Pizza Stone. We had many heated discussions about the design and functionality. Though not as heated as our topping debates once the pot was in action. The Pizza Stone is awesome. The glazed center helps the pizza slide on and off. It’s great on the grill and pizza only takes around 8 minutes for the top and bottom to be cooked. But you can use it year-round in the oven, just adjust the cooking time up to around 16 minutes to combat the oven air circulation.

I’ve also made cookies, pancakes, naan, and other appetizers on the stone. It’s great as a stand-in sheet pan.

Not Done Yet

There are many, many more pots made in our Studio. They all have different primary uses and then we love to brainstorm secondary uses.

  • Standard Trays: Initially for serving. Also great hostess gifts with cookies, cheeses, crackers, donuts for brunch, candles, and more. Use on a long coffee table as super coaster. Or centerpiece for a large rectangle dining room statement. We have one at our entrance for keys, mail, cell phone, and remotes.
  • Whisky Bowls: They’re bowls that come with a whisk … we like puns. They’re also great as ramen noodle bowls (replace whisk with chop sticks). Salad bowl, pasta bowl, soup bowl, oatmeal bowl, you-get-the-picture. They’re amazing. And great gifts too.
  • Clay Coyote Beer Can Chicken in Feather Beer-Can Chicken Bakers: These are amazing, originally creative grill masters would just crack open a beer and put it into the chicken cavity and sit the bird up on the grill. We’ve taken this concept to a new level and brought the recipe indoors. Just pour whatever liquid you’d like (beer, wine, broth, herbs, lemonade, etc) into the center cup and prop up the chicken. Put it in the oven at 350 for 90 minutes and voilà you’ve got dinner. We prefer to use broth and garlic so that the juices can be repurposed as gravy … beer juices = beer gravy = yuck. Other uses for this unique pot are as a bundt pan (we love monkey bread) and as a appetizer dish. We mailed it in at a dinner party by dumping a bag of frozen meatballs around the edge, pouring some bbq sauce on them and heating them in the oven for 20 minutes. Finished Monkey Bread from a Chicken Baker   Then we put those cute toothpicks with the frilly stuff on the end in the center and served it warm. We’ve been meaning to try making a meatloaf in the pot. And it’s also a fun low profile center piece where you can float candles in water around a small flower ring. Seriously, this pot has some creative potential.
  • There are many other pots in our Gallery Space that are not listed on our website, but we offer Personal Shopping and virtual shopping events for people who are not nearby to still see them. Some of my favorites are:
    • Yunomi: Traditional Japanese tea cups, we like them for water, wine, bourbon, and they’re great for the cup that you use to take your vitamins. We also use them to separate eggs before we drop them into the water to poach on Sunday mornings. And as toothpick holders.
    • Little Dippers: Small bowls that are great for anything … actually anything like spices, soy sauce, ring holders, soap dishes, candles, paper clip holders, tea bag drip catchers … you the the picture.
    • Sushi Trays: Square plates that are designed to serve sushi, but great for sandwiches, cheese plates, cookie trays, etc.
    • Egg Cookers: Clay dishes that are for making microwaved individual sized omelets.  they have a center cone to spread the heat and make a little hole perfect for flipping the omelet on to a waiting bagel. But they also work for baking apples in the oven and making mini-bundt cakes.

Wow! That was a long one, I appreciate you reading to the end.

Here at the Clay Coyote we’re really creative and we love making pots. We’re artists both in the Studio and in our kitchens. We’re always trying new things, and we’ll keep sharing them with you. And we love, love, love to get photos, recipes, and stories about how you put your pots into action.

From the bottoms of our hearts and pots, thank you!

~Morgan & The Coyotes 

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Filed Under: Foodie News, Our Story, Potter's Life, Pottery, Recipes, The Gallery, The Studio Tagged With: bread, cassole, Cassoulet, clay questions, eggs, french cassoulet, glaze questiosn, how to choose pottery, picking your pot, tagine, what's for dinner, Yunomi

2021 Holiday Hours

December 24, 2021 By Morgan

​

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Filed Under: Potter's Life, The Gallery

Is it a Microwave Omelette Cooker? Or a Mini-Bundt Baker?

December 17, 2021 By Morgan

These little dishes are so much fun. They were originally designed as microwave omelette cookers.

Super easy, whisk up an egg (or two), add in some seasonings, cheese, diced veggies; then put it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

The cone in the center helps spread the heat out evenly, and it also makes an egg fit perfectly on a bagel. This morning’s combo was 1 egg, chopped spinach, and shredded cheese. I was out of bagels today, and my English muffin still did the trick.

Clay Coyote Microwave

One customer recently said that she uses her’s as mini-bundt pans. I thought I’d give it a try, so I made a smaller batch of my famous banana bread batter and put it in the little pot.

My regular sized banana bread calls for 55-65 minutes in the oven at 350F. I wasn’t sure how long the smaller batch would take, so I started the timer at 20 minutes and checked every 5. All told it was done at 30 minutes.

Get creative! Other cakes could be modified for these cute little dishes. I’d love to do a almond-poppyseed bundt cake with a lemon icing drizzle.

Our microwave omelette cookers come in all of our stoneware glazes. Online, they come in a set of 4 mix-and-matched glazed for $75. (You can order them all the same, but then they are $20 each).

If you want them in different quantities, please contact us over the phone or stop by the Gallery.

Fun story, when I was a little kid, probably around 8 years old, I really wanted to make my single mom a special cake for her birthday. I rode my bike to the convenience store, bought a microwaveable chocolate cake mix, it even came with a little disposable baking dish. I mis-read the instructions and instead of microwaving it for 3-5 minutes, I did it for 35 minutes! It was a hockey puck. The best part of the story? I still frosted it. She’s a good mom, but she did not try to eat it. I’ve come a long way in my “kitchen chops” since that rock-hard cake. ​

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Filed Under: Foodie News, On the Horizon, Our Story, Potter's Life, Recipes, The Gallery Tagged With: banana bread, bundt cake, choclate cake, eggs, microwave omelette cookers

Cooking with WCCO: Watch Morgan Bake No-Knead Bread on CBS / Channel 4

November 27, 2021 By Morgan

Looking for a fun, easy baking project? No-Knead Bread is easy!

Watch Clay Coyote’s CEO, Morgan Baum, cooking live on channel 4, WCCO-CBS.

Learn more, get the recipe, tips, and variations here. 

And order your Bread Baker today, use code FREESHIP at checkout to save!

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Filed Under: Foodie News, On the Horizon, Our Story, Potter's Life, Pottery, Recipes, The Gallery, The Studio Tagged With: bread, bread baking, cooking with clay, handmade pottery, Mediterranean Diet, no knead, no knead bread, recipe, small business saturday, videos, WCCO

Clay Coyote No-Knead Bread Baking Recipes, Variations, and Techniques

November 26, 2021 By Morgan

We’ve been making No-Knead Bread Bakers at the Clay Coyote for more than a decade. I looked back, the first mention was back in 2010. The thing about this technique is that there are many, many variations. It’s also a super forgiving recipe, which is good for a baker of my caliber. 

We have a friend that refers to herself as the Anxious Baker, if I were to give myself a moniker it would be the Unconventional Baker. Following directions has never really been my thing. Measuring, meh. Where cooking is an art, and all my wild ways are heralded; baking is a science and requires a little more restraint.

That said, No-Knead Bread Baking is right up my alley. Three ingredients, four if you count water, and a little bit of patience. Ok, fine, patience is not really up my alley, but I’ve been practicing it a lot lately and I’m coming around. 

I will share that baking your own bread is very satisfactory. It’s very primitive and historic in its own way. According to wikipedia, the first known bread was baked in Eastern Europe around 9,100 years ago, I’d say that’s historic.  

No-Knead Bread Baking Process: 

  • Combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 ⅔  cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.  
  • Cover bowl, let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 hours, at warm room temperature. Use a heating pad in cooler months. 
  • The dough will be sticky and bubbly. 
  • Add about ¼ cup flour, folding in gently. 
  • Let rest for another 15 minutes.
  • Flour a surface, and using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. 
  • Cover and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, the dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. 
  • Set dough aside on a floured surface, we use a breadboard or towel.
  • Clean and dry bread baker. 
  • Set the bread baker with the lid on in a cold oven and turn on heat to 400F.  
  • Allow the bread baker to preheat for about 20-30 minutes. 
  • Using hot pads, pull the bread baker out of the oven, carefully roll the dough ball into the hot base. 
  • Cover and return to the oven for 30 minutes. 
  • Remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. 
  • Cool on a rack. 

Ingredients: 

  • 384 grams (about 3 cups, sifted) flour 
  • 1 teaspoon yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⅔ cups water 
  • Additional cup of flour for mixing and dusting. 

Yields one 1 ½ pound loaf of bread 

Now, let’s get creative: Try some other combinations! Depending on the mix-in combos you’ll add them at different times. In an effort to make it easier we’ll call the 12-18 hour part the 1st rise, then the 15 minutes the 2nd rise, then the 2 hours right before it goes in the oven the 3rd rise. It’s not 100% technical, but it will help when thinking about your flavor combos. 

  • Wild Rice and Cranberry: Add ¼ cup cranberries (if dried, soak in a little warm water to plump up), ½ cup cooked wild rice, a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and a tablespoon of orange zest into the 1st rise. 
  • Everything but the Bagel: Add 1 tablespoon of everything but the bagel mix to the 3rd rise. After baking, brush on a little butter and sprinkle more mix on top. 
  • Jalapeños and Cheddar: Add ½ cup shredded cheddar and ½ cup sliced jalapeños to the 1st rise. You may want to strategically place a few on the top of the loaf before you pop it in the oven for presentation. And you can use fresh or jarred jalapeños, but you may want to pat them dry a little if the jar ones are super wet. 
  • Olive: Add ½ cup fresh chopped Kalamata olives and ¼ cup of a fresh herb like rosemary, sage, thyme, or basil to the 1st rise. 
  • Bake like Prince and Let’s Go Crazy: Think about your favorite possible combos and give it a try …

Gluten Free Thoughts: 

  • We have used Cup4Cup flour as our best substitute, but we also highly recommend the gluten free recipe options in Nancy Baggett’s Kneadlessly Simple Cookbook (which is out of print but you can find it at the library and used book resellers).
  • The general rule of thumb seems to be that you can swap out the flour, but you’ll need to make sure the substitute has xanthan gum or that you add some in. 

We have a couple cookbooks that have no-knead recipes in them. Check out New World Sourdough if you’re looking for sourdough options. 

If you’re looking for a Flameware option you could go with a Dutch Oven or a Tagine, we have Coyote customers who use both regularly for baking bread. 

And if you’re more of a Quick Bread kinda person (me) then we recommend our Square Baking Dish, it’s wider and lower than a loaf pan, but the same volume. Our trusty Banana Bread recipe is a crowd pleaser. 

As always, if you have any questions we’re here to help. While we’re not professional bakers or chefs, we are professional potters and we’re constantly experimenting and learning new ways to put our pots into action. 

Happy Baking! 

Morgan & The Coyotes 

 

After 12-18 hours
2 hours later
Yum, so airy!
Clay Coyote No-Knead Bread Baking Recipes, Variations, and Techniques
Crusty No-Knead Bread

​

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Filed Under: Foodie News, On the Horizon, Our Story, Potter's Life, Pottery, Recipes, The Gallery, The Studio Tagged With: Baking, christmas gifts, cooking with clay, flour, gifts, history of bread, Mediterranean Diet, no knead, no knead bread recipe, Recipes, slat, sourdough, water, yeast

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Mail PO BOX 363, Hutchinson, MN 55350

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