Do you mean a Romertopf? Have you Googled for either Romertopf or 'clay bakeware'?
Sorry, I can't answer your question, but you could probably download the instructions. I haven't checked it out, just an idea to try while waiting for someone knowledgeable in the subject to answer.
Rusty

When baking in an unglazed clay pot, you soak both the top and bottom in a sink full of water for 15 minutes; then, add in the food that you wish to cook, put the pot in a cold oven and use a higher heat to cook - 400 F to 450 F.

This is one of my favorite recipes:

Baked Chicken and Artichokes

1/4 lb. small mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
3 lbs. chicken pieces, skin off
2 TB flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. chopped rosemary
dash white pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry
1 can artichoke hearts, drained

If using a clay pot, soak top and bottom in sink of water for 15 minutes. Drain.

If using covered casserole, lightly grease or spray with Pam.

Put mushrooms, onion, garlic in pot or casserole. Coat chicken pieces with a mixture of flour, salt, paprika, rosemary, pepper. Put chicken on top of vegetables. Pour in chicken broth and sherry.

Put lid on pot/casserole. If using clay pot, put in a cold oven and turn heat on to 450F. If using casserole, put in a preheated 375F oven. Bake 1 hour for either method.

Stir in artichokes gently after baking 1 hour. Bake 8-10 minutes more covered. Remove cover and bake 5-10 minutes more until chicken starts to crisp.

Serves 6

Teresa

Thanks to both of you for the information. Recipe looks great!
Do I clean it with dish soap since it has been sitting all these years?

I would use mostly hot water and a scrub brush. If you use a little detergent, use only a very small amount and don't let the pot soak with soapy water in it.

I would highly recommend The complete guide to Claypot Cooking by Bridget Jones. To clean I use baking soda to help with the stubborn bits. If I'm going to cook something that I know will stick I line the bottom of the pot with parchment paper. It's also great for microwave cooking. We use ours at least once a week in the winter.

I bake bread, chickens, apples, puddings in mine. Most of the time, I don't soak it very long.

Here are a few more recipes. The first one is definitely tried and true, not so sure about the others.

Roast Chicken in a Clay Pot

1 chicken about 3 lbs.

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup orange juice
1 TB dried tarragon
1 TB olive oil
1/2 t. salt and fresh ground pepper

put all the marinade ingredients in a large stainless bowl or a heavy zip bag; add the chicken, turn over in the marinade to coat all surfaces of the chicken. Chill 2 hours or overnight. Save marinade, then boil to baste chicken with the last few minutes of cooking.

Soak clay pot 15 minutes in cold water in the sink. Put chicken in the clay pot along with

oranges wedges
1 red onion cut in wedges

Put lid on pot. Put in cold oven. Set oven temp to 450 F. Bake for one hour; remove lid, bake 10-15 minutes more basting with hot marinade that you have brought to a boil.

Creamy Paprika Chicken

3-3 1/2 lbs. chicken pieces
flour
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t. Hungarian paprika
1 t. salt
1/8 t. white pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup sour cream
chopped parsley for a garnish

Soak the clay pot for 15 minutes, drain. Coat chicken lightly with flour. Put onion and garlic in cooker; add chicken pieces and sprinkle with paprika, s&p. Pour in wine. Put cooker in a cold oven. Set temp at 450 F. Bake 1 1/4 hr. Stir in sour cream. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes more. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with noodles.

Daube of Beef
serves 6-8
2 medium onions, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
1/4 lb. cured ham (a ham slice) or Canadian Bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 lbs. lean stew beef, cut in 2" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. thyme
1 t. basil
s&p
1 bay leaf
1 lb. can chopped/diced tomatoes
1/4 cup brandy
3 cups red wine

Soak pot 15 minutes, drain. Put half of the beef cubes in the bottom of the pot; sprinkle with half the onions, carrots, ham, garlic, thyme, basil. Sprinkle with s&p and add the bay leaf. Add half the tomatoes. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Pour over the tomato juice from the can; pour in the brandy and the red wine - the liquid should cover 3/4 of the meat. Marinate for 2 hours. Soak the top of the cooker for 15 minutes. Put cover on, put in oven, set temp at 425 F and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Stir meat once or twice during cooking. Serve with boiled potatoes as the French do.

I'm so glad you posted this! I recently got a clay pot that my mom got when we lived in California in the mid 70's. Now I've got some more ideas for how to use it! I bought a cookbook by Joanna White published in 2005 called Cooking in Clay (ISBN 1-55867-309-1) that you might want to look for.

It's got the following sections:

• Introduction to Clay Cooking

• Soups

• Side Dishes and Vegetarian Entrees

• Fish and Shellfish

• Poultry

• Meats

• Quick Breads and Yeast Breads

• Desserts

The only thing I've done in it is the Roast Chicken with Assorted Stuffing and it is WONDERFUL!!! I've done it a couple of times, and will be repeating it often.

1 Whole roasting chicken, about 4 lbs
2 tbs. vegetable oil, or melted butter
salt and pepper
2 tsp. dried herb of choice (rosemary, thyme, sage, etc.)
stuffing of choice

Soak top and bottom of a medium clay cooker for at least 15 minutes. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Spread skin with oil or melted butter; sprinkle with salt, pepper and herb of choice. Make sutffing and fill neck and body cavities lossely. Wrap any remaining stuffing in aluminum foil and bake separately. Fold skin flap over stuffing and secure with poultry skewers. Place Chicken breast side up in cooker. Cover and place in a cold oven. Set temperature to 475 and back for 1-1/4 hours. Determine doneness by piercing thighs with a knife - juices shoulod run clear not pink. If you prefer a crisper skin, remove lid and allow chicken to brown for 5 or 10 minutes longer.

The next thing I want to try from the cook book is the tamale pie...

I've baked the NY Times bread in mine and it comes out really well.

Houscrzy - more details please? Did you soak the clay, cook from cold, use a preheated oven and a dry pot. The idea intrigues me but I'd love the benefit of your experience.

I was so inspired by this thread I pulled the Romertopf out from the basement and in the meantime I'm mis en place for the Baked Chicken and Artichokes for dinner tonight and I have the Cooking in Clay on "order" from the Library.

loves2cook... I don't know about the NY Times bread, but while we are waiting for houscrzy, here's what Cooking in Clay has for Oatmeal Bread

1 Tbs yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup honey, molasses, or brown sugar
2-1/2 cups bread flour
2 tbs dry milk powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbs butter, melted
3/4 cup oats
1 beaten egg for glaze
oats for topping

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey and about 1 cup flour. Stir with a wooden spoon inta a thick paste, beating well for about 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrao and allow to form a spnge in a warm place until double in bulk.

Soak bottom of a small clay cooker in warm water for 15 minutes. Add dry milk, salt, butter, and oats to sponge mixture. Add remaining flour gradually, keeping dough soft. Knead well for 6 to 8 minutes. Wipe excess water from clay cooker bottom and line with parchment or brown paper.

Shape bread dough into a loaf and place in cooker. Brush beaten egg over loaf and sprinkle with oats. Fill a sink with warm water and float cooker in water until dough is double in bulk. Soak cooker lid at the same time. Remove from water, dry inside of lid, and set on top of risen bread.

Place in a cold over and bake at 425 for about 45 minutes. Remove lid and allow top to bottom for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from oven. Bread should sound hoolw when thumped.

Teresa - You may not consider the Creamy Paprika Chicken tried and true yet, but as of a few minutes ago I do. I was hesitant to throw a lot of skin into the mix so I didn't; skinned all but the wings which weren't easily skinnable, and even there cut off the excess fat. I added a bunch more paprika during the sour cream phase. Definitely a do-over, provided I can clean my pot which overflowed a bit into the oven.

Thanks!

Teresa, I made your chicken with artichokes tonight for dinner and it's a winner!! I used my Mario Batalli heavy pot and it worked like a charm!

As in the other thread, I used brown rice flour and since I cannot eat onions, I subbed shallots and was out of mushrooms, nevertheless the flavor great and I'll be making it again! Thank yoU!

Glad to know some of you are enjoying the Chicken and Artichokes recipe. The original recipe was for clay pot use, but I felt sure it could be made in a heavy covered pot or casserole.

My mom has had a clay pot from the days that I was still living at home - over 30 years now. So I always enjoyed the delicious meals that she made in hers.

Here is photo of sourdough bread baked in the clay pot, also pictured. The smaller loaf on the right was baked in a regular loaf pan.

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We have just bought a clay pot and cooked 2 4lb chickens that were super. Now we have a 6lb chicken and have guests for supper on Friday. How long and how hot should we cook this bird? We will be filling the pot with veggies also. Thanks for your help, David

David, I guess this is too late for your Friday dinner, but I have cooked a 5.5 lbs chicken in my clay pot, and due to time issues I've done birds for 105 minutes to 115 minutes instead of the recommended 85-90. I did this once when I wanted to make sure the chicken was done, and again when I was cooking two 5 pound chickens in one smaller pot to make sure they were cooked through. It actually turned out perfectly with 1 chicken for 105 minutes because I didn't have to take the lid off and the skin on the breast crisped up nicely anyway.
I wasn't cooking any vegetables with it though, so I don't know if they would get too soggy.
On another note, I always make sure when I'm cooking chicken to slide a pat of butter in between the skin and the meat on each side of the breast, and it makes for a perfect skin.