Pot-Roasts

Old cast-iron cooking pots on three legs became ovens when they were placed among the fire embers and covered with tightly fitting lids: this kind of roasting depended so much on keeping moisture in that the lid was wrapped in a cloth to make a secure fit (the modern alternative is aluminium foil). In the majority of Scottish homes in the eighteenth century – devoid of iron grates and built-in ovens – this was the nearest they came to roasting. A pot-roasted (stoved) chicken was one of the old standbys when unexpected visitors arrived – first catching it in the yard and, as they described it, depriving the bird of life and feathers. Though methods of acquiring chickens have changed, the cooking method survives. Besides the saving of fuel, it is a useful way of cooking ‘in between’ cuts: those not quite tough enough for the broth pot yet not quite tender enough for a hot fast roast. It is a particularly useful method for game, furred or feathered, of dubious vintage.