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Chinese Sandpot
Appears in
Published 2009
A Chinese sandpot is a lidded round pot, similar in shape to a bean pot or deep casserole with round sides. While it is glazed on the inside, the outside is unglazed and bound with metal wire, which encourages even heat distribution. This Asian wonder is a great all-purpose pot, an inexpensive substitute for a French marmite, Italian coccio, or any number of other small-scale Mediterranean earthenware cooking vessels.
These pots are efficient, inexpensive, and easily available. They come in many sizes; I use a three-quart sandpot to cook many Mediterranean dishes, such as stews, soups, beans, and rice dishes, featured in this book. The sandpot is also an excellent choice for waterless cooking of vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips, and beets, because it allows them to steam in their own natural moisture and thus develop deep, rich flavors. For example, an eggplant tucked into a dry sandpot and then covered and steamed on top of the stove will emerge with an extraordinary texture and aroma.