White donabe. Qurren / wikimedia / 2010 / CC BY-SA 3.0
A donabe is Japanese crock made of clay or earthenware, fired at a very high temperature.
They are deep, and come with a lid. Sizes range from small to large enough to cook a meal for a whole family in, and are used a lot for one pot dishes called “nabemono” in Japanese.
Outside the crock is glazed, except for the bottom.
A donabe is heat resistant. It can go in the oven and is microwave-safe, and can go right on a stove burner even if it’s a flame burner. Many are also dishwasher safe.
The clay is good at holding onto and distributing heat throughout the pot. You can cook stews in them, or fill them with a stock (a “dashi“) and simmer vegetables, meat, fish or seafood in them.
White donabe. Qurren / wikimedia / 2010 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Cooking Tips
Don’t put a cold donabe right onto heat, or a very hot one onto something very cold. The thermal shock could cause it to crack or explode.
Make sure the unglazed bottom is not wet before you put it on heat, or the moisture in the clay will cause it to expand and crack.
Never put empty on heat.
Donabe. Verity Lane / flickr / 2015 / CC BY 2.0
