Decorated Cazuela

While helping Ron choose a largish clay pot for making guvecs and the like, I came across this: http://www.spanishtable.com/category/cazuelascontapa.html

Couldn't help myself. Just had to order one. It arrived today.

My pot is a little different than the picture, in that it's glazed all the way down the sidewalls. It's a gorgeous reddish brown with great depth of color. And the decoration on the lid really stands out against it.

Capacity is just about a gallon, and, physically it's about the same size as my 4-quart Le Crueset, which means it should easily accommodate recipes designed to feed six to eight people.

I can't wait to give it a go.

While it's true that unglazed earthenware makes a particular contribution to anything cooked in it---sort of the way cast iron does---finding it in larger sizes is difficult.

I don't know why that is. And when you do find one the shipping costs can be prohibitive.

I've often thought that if I really want/need an unglazed pot in the, say, 6-quart size, I'd have to commission it from a local potter.