How to Bake With Ceramic Pans

Tagines are ceramic pans with conical tops that can be baked in the oven or placed over flame.

Ceramic bakeware is often preferred by chefs over aluminum or other metal types of bake-ware because it holds in the heat and cooks evenly. Ceramic baking tools include everything from crème brûlée cups to casserole dishes, souffle pans, tagines and even ceramic teacups or mugs. High quality glazed or enameled cookware can withstand high temperatures both on the stove and inside of the oven and can transition easily from hot to cold for serving. Glazed ceramics are covered with a heat and water resistant transparent glaze, while enameled ceramics are made out of cast-iron covered with ceramic.

Instructions

1. Bake desserts. Crème brûlée, chocolate souffles and clafoutis are among the most classic French desserts prepared and served in ceramic bakeware. Crème brûlée cups, sometimes referred to as souffle dishes or ramekins, are originally small, short white ceramic pots that can be filled with a custard, cream or cake, baked, and served in the same dish. Ramekins can be found in many different sizes and colors and can be filled with any type of baked-dessert including cheesecakes or miniature pies in order to create individual servings.

2. Bake casseroles. Ceramic bakeware can be used any way that glass bakeware is used, including casserole pans. Lasagna, noodle casseroles, taco pie, shepherd's pie, baked stews, baked potatoes, potatoes gratin, baked eggplants, artichoke dip, spinach dip and virtually anything else that can be baked in the oven can be baked in a ceramic casserole dish.

3. Bake a tagine. Tagines are traditional Moroccan pans made from ceramic that can cook both on top of and inside of the oven. The tagine consists of two separate parts; the base which is used to hold the food and the cone which is placed for steam cooking. To bake with a tagine, fill the bottom bowl with meat, oil and spices, water or stock and bake inside of the oven until meat is tender, about one hour. Add vegetables and continue to bake at low heat for an hour. Any variety of meat and seasoning can be used in a tagine recipe.

4. Transition an item from the top of the stove to inside the oven without changing pans. Enameled ceramic pans, similar yo cast-iron pans, have the advantage of being able to go from stove top cooking to straight in the oven. Meats, onions or spices can be browned inside of ceramic roast pans on top of the stove and then combined with other ingredients and placed directly inside of the oven for baking. Pot roasts, steaks and vegetables can be browned or caramelized on the stove top before entering the oven.

References

• Clemson Extension: Cookware Safety
• XTrema: Ceramic Bakeware
• iTagine: Home