My Opinion on Emile Henry Ceramic Products

Patricia, from the Sabores y Momentos blog, talks to us on this occasion about some products that she knows well and is very fond of. Patricia has been using Emilo Henry molds and other ceramic utensils in her recipes for a long time, so I thought it would be interesting for her to share her experience and advice on our blog.

Today I come with a somewhat different post, because I am not bringing you a single recipe... Rather, you will find many in this article and I am not proposing a single product from the store's catalog... Rather, I am going to introduce you to a firm that in my kitchen , is one of the header. I want to introduce you to a material that has been one of my cooking partners for many years and without which many of my recipes would not have had the flavor and texture that I look for when I prepare them for mine: Emile Henry ceramics.

I found out about this firm when I was still living abroad, at the house of a French friend, with whom I loved sharing recipes. When I saw the different molds, trays and cocottes that I had, I fell in love, they were beautiful. But when trying to cook the different dishes in them and all with perfect unmolding, textures at the point and cooking that kept the flavors and ingredients, I decided that this would be one of my first acquisitions when I finally settled in a specific place and had my own kitchen! And so it was, for my wedding I received a couple of pieces as a gift from friends who already knew of my passion for them and, over the years, I have been collecting different models for different recipes.

EMILE HENRY: LEADING COMPANY IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERAMIC UTENSILS FOR THE KITCHEN

The clay that the Burgundy region produces is the one that Jacques Henry used in the small ceramic workshop that he founded in 1850 in Marcigny, in the south of Burgundy. The company is today known worldwide, it is still in the hands of the 6th generation of the Henry family and its ceramics are the best in France.

The entire manufacturing process is carried out in France, in the factory located on the same site where it was founded, a place where craftsmanship and modern stoneware treatment techniques come together and result in high-quality products that, with basic care, They will last us many years. If you want to see a sample of that love for tradition translated into high-tech stoneware with a manual application of natural glaze, I recommend you watch this wonderful video made by the company.

Among the great virtues that Emile Henry pieces have and listing a few to let you know their excellence, we find that its ceramics are an excellent conductor of heat, so we will need less energy to cook and less time.

In addition, in its oven line, all the pieces can go from the freezer to the oven or microwave (-20ºC to +250ºC) which makes life easier for us if we already leave pre-cooked dishes and want them ready to serve immediately.

The stoneware porcelain molds allow us a soft and homogeneous cooking, which means that all our dishes are made equally. It is not porous, which gives it non-stick properties that in my case, after years of using my cake pan, I don't even bother buttering or oiling it when baking, simply pouring the dough into it. and baking at a suitable temperature, when removing it and letting it cool for a few minutes, my cake makes a "plop" and detaches itself from the stoneware without further ado thanks to its perfectly smooth glaze. It is also a very shock-resistant stoneware and it does not scratch even if you use the tip of a knife to cut directly into them, as I usually do when I always serve my tarts and cakes directly from the oven to the table, because they are so beautiful that my recipes they look better that way.

Emile Henry has a wide and attractive range of products with beautiful colors that will make you fall in love like me! If you are one of those who like pastries, you will love the molds for Clafoutis , Crème Brulé , Cake and even Soufflés, because of how beautiful they are and because of the fantastic results they give when baking our desserts. Cooking without burning is the secret of a flan or a quiche and best of all, present them on the table piping hot and cut right inside the mold. As for the secret to a good soufflé, a regular heat is necessary at the base and on the sides, it is for this reason that the mold has to be vertical and high. When you take it out of the oven, it has to keep the heat so that it doesn't sink... that's why we need a high-quality stoneware. The Emile Henry model also has some handles to make our work easier when removing it from the oven.

What about the elegant range of baking trays ? Perfect for a deliciously fluffy lasagna, deep enough to layer up to 7! They are also designed with handles that allow a perfect grip when taking them out of the oven to serve at the table safely.

You will love to know that for its first use, you do not have to take any precautions, just wash with warm water and normal detergent.

As for the stoneware casseroles, they are designed to be used both on a fire or barbecue, as well as in the oven, ceramic hobs or microwaves (induction also provided you use the adapter disc). They are very easy to clean and of course dishwasher safe. Its gentle cooking does not dry out, so food retains all its flavor and all its properties. You can cook in them slowly over the fire or in the oven, roast, round and your best stews, all of them will preserve the flavors better and when serving at the table directly in them, the food will keep the heat much longer so, those who want to repeat, will still find the stew as hot as if it had just been removed from the heat.

It is advisable to heat them gradually and not put them cold on a fire at maximum power. And never cook in them with the maximum power of our kitchen, since stoneware is an excellent conductor of heat and we run the risk of food sticking. Cooking at medium power will be sufficient and always using a suitable diameter of fire for the base of the piece.

In the first times of use, it is possible that the food sticks, being a natural material, if this happens, we leave it to soak for about 20 minutes, until the piece is cold and we proceed to clean it normally. After a couple of uses it won't happen anymore.

Finally, we present to you La Tajine Emile Henry with its “hat” lid that allows perfect steam circulation for tasty cooking of our recipes and that, with its attractive aesthetics, will make it so that when you serve it at the table you will get a unanimous “OHHHHH” from your diners. ! At the same time you will enjoy a dish cooked in a healthy and traditional way.

Recipes

If you have just purchased an Emile Henry product, on the blog we give you many ideas and recipes to inspire you when preparing delicious dishes, but to make your life easier, here is a selection of some of the already published.

• Endives and Leeks Quiche
• Guacamole with Jalapeños {for dipping}
• Poor man's brioche
• Chicken Tajine with Candied Lemons, Fennel and Olives
• Lamb Tajine with Chestnuts and Pomegranate
• Spinach, Bacon and Goat Cheese Quiche
• Apricot Cake
• Late Tomato and Brie Quiche

You'll find more recipes on the blog as we publish them under the Emile Henry tag. And I, in my blog Sabores y Momentos also have many more recipes cooked with pieces from the Emile Henry collection, be sure to visit it.

I hope that all this information will help you to use and preserve your stoneware pieces for a long time and to all of you who are thinking about it and feel the itch to try them, I encourage you to do so, they are wonderful pieces that I am still in love with afterwards. many years of use!

If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comments of this post. We will gladly help you in everything you need.