International Cooking at Home with Le Creuset

~Disclosure: We received samples to facilitate our review. All opinions are our own.

A longtime favorite of both professional and at-home chefs, the legendary quality of the handcraftsmanship of Le Creuset needs no introduction. Easily identified by look alone, many of us have Dutch Ovens from Le Creuset, passed down from other family members, or as starter items to our own collections. Cooking a big pot of stew in a traditional and colorful Le Creuset Dutch Oven feels both comforting and sentimental. But Le Creuset also encourages us to make new traditions, and we know just where to start – dishing up trendy exotic recipes with international cookware at home.

Despite many years of enjoying global cuisine, actually cooking it up proves challenging for me – so I love that Le Creuset offers both cooking tips and sample recipes on the website, along with the reliable tools for a successful meal.

As a fan of Indian cuisine, I was really excited to try out the Le Creuset Balti. Balti cooking traces its roots to northern Pakistan, where dishes typically include marinated proteins, vegetables and spices. The food is cooked and served in the wok-like bowl (allowing for you to sear meats and proteins in the cast-iron, and then thoroughly cook other ingredients while it retains heat). This deep-veiled pot allows at home chefs to prepare curries quickly.

For the Balti, Le Creuset recommends that all meat should be off the bone for quick cooking time, and that the curry should be served sizzling hot in the Balti dish along with fresh naan to dip in the sauce. They also suggest the use of fresh herbs, like cilantro or grated ginger for a robust, authentic flavor, along with the tip to combine the spices with Greek yogurt to calm the overall spiciness of the dish. Le Creuset recommends that we garnish our curries with a bit of crunch, such as almonds or fried lentils.

I used the Balti to create a spicy, flavorful couscous dish incorporating vegetables and tofu. I seared the tofu first, then added some vegetable stock, couscous, beans, and other veggies. The result was delicious. I loved how the curry was piping hot and ready to serve!

Le Creuset offers delicious recipes and tips on how to create scrumptious meals using the Balti. I can’t wait to try the cauliflower, spinach and chickpea curry!

The slowly simmered, heavily seasoned cuisines of North Africa come to life in a vessel called the Moroccan Tagine. On a trip to Morocco, I enjoyed many meals both cooked and served in elaborate tagines. I only went so far as to purchase a decorative one from a Souk, but I tasked myself to buy a fully-functional one to recreate some of my favorite dishes from the trip. I was so excited when I saw the the 2 quart Tagine available from Le Creuset.

Cooking with a Tagine may seem daunting, but proves so simple. Consider it to be similar to a slow cooker – the key is time. The cone-shaped lid allows natural steam circulation, which keeps meats tender and flavorful while cooking. With the strong traditional cast iron that Le Creuset is known for, the base cooks food evenly and retains heat well.

I was taken back to Morocco when I prepared a Chicken Tagine. I first browned bite size chicken pieces in the cast iron, and added spices, chick peas, stewed tomatoes and a little bit of chicken broth. I left this to simmer on my stovetop with the Tagine lid in place for 2 hours. Finally, I stirred in couscous to finish cooking with the other ingredients. Lentils would also be great in this dish, but one thing that shouldn’t be left out – a pinch of cinnamon. It gives the dish that warm flavor that Moroccan cuisine is known for.

The Le Creuset Tagines come in a variety of colors, but I chose the Marseilles blue. It reminded be of the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech with its beautiful deep blue color. Like many of Le Creuset’s cookware, the Tagine can be left on the stove or countertop even when not in use as a kitchen display piece.

If you are inspired to cook your own international dishes, we highly recommend arming yourself with the right Le Creuset tools. Both the Balti and Tagine may be purchased at http://www.lecreuset.com

By: Lorianne Lacey and Kelly Palmisano

Featured  photo: Shutterstock

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