The Romertopf #117 clay roaster has a capacity of 6.5 quarts and can hold up to 17.5 pounds perfect for holiday gatherings and Thanksgiving dinner. The clay roaster works a bit differently than a traditional roaster with the open rack by circulating air internally to achieve more even cooking and retain moisture. Turkeys cook especially well in the clay bakers as they naturally seal in moisture and nutrients.

The #117 roaster will hold up to a 17 pound turkey perfect for large gatherings and family dinners, although room needs to be left for air to circulate within the roaster. Unlike traditional roasting pans the clay does not need any additional water or stock to retain moisture. The water soaked into the clay roaster before cooking will supply that moisture.

The clay roaster should be soaked in water for 10 minutes prior to use to allow the pores to soak in the water to be released in the cooking process creating an extremely moist bird. Always place the clay roaster into a cold oven and allow the turkey to be heated slowly with the roasting pan. An extreme change in heat may cause undue cracking of the clay. This is the only down side to using a clay roaster. Any recipe can be adapted for clay roasters by adding around 20% to the temperature and cooking time. Clay rosters bring higher nutrient content and healthier dinners to the table by sealing in the nutrients and not letting them cook away. This is especially nice during the holidays as we tend to gorge ourselves on large meals and delectable desserts.

Clay pans are a great alternative to traditional roasting methods, but are not the norm, at least not yet. With proper care and cleaning the clay roaster will bring years of delicious and healthy food to your home and family.

Stainless steel roasting pans are popular as they are easy to clean and very durable. Another closed roaster is the The Prime Pacific 2 in 1 roaster which gives the ability to roast a 20 pound turkey and the lid doubles as a roaster for vegetables or as an au gratin pan. Two pieces of cookware for one low price!

The handles are riveted on to ensure strength and years of use, and they have a molded seal to prevent loss of moisture content. Stainless steel roasters and stainless steel in general heats less quickly than copper or aluminum, so additional time may need to be added to completely cook the turkey. Use an instant thermometer to be sure the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees. Simply leave the turkey in a little longer to reach this temperature.

Stainless steel is extremely strong and adds to the value of the roaster. Stainless steel can be more expensive, but the quality is well worth the extra money. The cookware and roasters made from stainless steel last for a life time and can be handed down between generations with proper care and storage practices.

These roasters don’t have to be used for turkey roasting. Two small to medium chickens will fit inside of the 17.5 pound Romertopf clay roaster with ease along with all of the vegetables and potatoes. The Prime Pacific stainless steel roaster comes with a removable rack that could be used to steam large portions of fish. Don’t forget the lid doubles as a pan for any number of uses, from casseroles for reunions to vegetables and baked pasta dishes.

Roasting pans are an investment and the type, style and material all play a part in quality cookware. Examine the details of each pan and decide if the qualities and features are what you need, quality is always a better choice than cheap. The stainless steel and clay roasting pans are great additions to a seasoned cook’s kitchen or one just getting started and both will last a life time with a little time and care.

As we approach the holiday season it is time to reflect upon the graciousness of mankind, our ability to care for one another and of course the turkey. The holiday of Thanksgiving was not established as a holiday until 1863 by Abraham Lincoln after a barrage of letters written by one Sara Hare for over forty years. The first feast, which is now seen as the model of Thanksgiving, was held in 1621 to celebrate the harvest of the colony. The feast was shared between Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe, and turkey in some form was probably present along with pumpkin dishes.

The turkey is a native species to North America and was probably part of the Wampanoag tribe’s diet and abundant in the area although no concrete information confirms that turkey was served. A book written by William Bradford about 20 years after the first Thanksgiving is more than likely the source for the history of turkey in Plymouth at the first Thanksgiving. The day would not have been designated by the pilgrims as a thanksgiving day as they were devout people. A day of thanksgiving would have meant a day of quiet prayer and fasting, not a feast for the harvest.

From a manuscript from the colony we know that the feast lasted for three days and was held outside as there were no buildings large enough to accommodate all of the colonists and the ninety Native Americans that were invited. In addition to venison supplied by the Wampanoag tribe, the colonists had duck, turkey and wild fowl. Edward Winslow, a colonial leader of Plymouth, sent a letter to England describing the outing called for by the governor to send “four men out fowling.” The letter was lost due to the Revolutionary war and was not returned to the United States until 1854 when it was rediscovered.

Through the use of documents and historical records we can piece together the meal or what kind of meal would have been served. Research has indicated that a wheat pudding, on the order of a Native American pudding, was likely served at the feast as a dessert. The recipe calls for the boiling of wheat to be drained after about one half hour of cooking. At this point cinnamon, salt, mace, milk, cream and sugar are added and it is then cooked for another half hour. The Pilgrims would have beaten egg yolks adding ½ a cup of the wheat mixture. After this mixture was completely combined it was added to the main wheat pot. The batch would continue cooking for five to ten minutes with constant stirring and then served with brown sugar.

In addition to the duck, water fowl and pudding dessert, the feasting colonists and Native Americans would have enjoyed cabbage which was plentiful, corn, and squash as side dishes. Cranberry sauce wasn’t invented yet and neither were mashed potatoes. Children would have helped by grinding wheat and corn into a porridge or oatmeal like side dish as the women of the colony roasted the fowl over an open flame. They did not use roaster pans , and stuffing was not practiced until later on in Thanksgiving history.

A modern traditional Thanksgiving meal

The colonists and Wampanoag tribe did not always eat together. At times they would share the feast and at others they would eat separately. Since the feast lasted for days and was colony wide, the first Thanksgiving was not held as a single celebration. The two groups of people did not speak the same language and had different customs, and the actual event may have started in a quiet or subdued manner and grown to laughter and limited communication. Regardless of the ambience of the meal, the feast has led to a national holiday marked by families and friends gathering to be thankful for the gifts this world brings to us.

Welcome to the Cookware @ Your Smart Kitchen blog site. This blog will focus on cookware, bakeware, cutlery, kitchen appliances and other related products. The general purpose is to describe these products and the benefits of using them and to initiate a discussion about the products and others that may be similar. We will endeavor to include comments from the manufactures and sometimes chefs who are using these products. In addition, will frequently compare products form different manufactures from the perspective of the user.

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