How did this versatile pan for boiling pasta, simmering soups and roasting whole chickens get it strange name? Whatever were its creators thinking of when they named it a “Dutch oven.” Were they shish-kabobing Dutch people or only those who pretended to be? Learn the truth below, if you dare.
Although no one can say for certain, legends attest that the Dutch oven was invented in colonial times by none other than our patriotic rider and silversmith from Boston, Paul Revere. There is not question that Dutch oven cooking has survived from the days of the open hearth, and Lewis and Clark on their Northwest pioneering trek in 1805 listed this pan as one of their most valued items of equipment. The name “Dutch” probably derives from the fact that although the first Dutch ovens were widely manufactured in the United States, eventually Dutch traders bought many of them to use for barter with Indian and early frontier settlers. (They did not “go dutch” either!) The name, “Dutch oven” stuck. It was used extensively throughout the American colonies and followed settlers west in portable chuck wagons and miners’ mule packs. Some historians today refer to it as the “DO”, not to be confused with BO or DOA.
The traditional Dutch oven is a thick, cast-iron kettle with a flat bottom and three short legs. Sizes may vary, but the lid is always tight fitting, with a lip around the edge and a handle in the center. It works best when allowed to season over prolonged use and should not be scoured with detergents. Dutch ovens are also available in aluminum, which is practical, lighter and easier to clean than its cast-iron cousins.
Do YOU own a Dutch oven? How do YOU feel about this most versatile cooking tool?
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