Load-shedding survival guide: cooking on gas

Once upon a time about 20 years ago it was only la-di-da cheffy types who insisted on installing gas cookers in their kitchen for the instant heat benefits and searing temperatures. These days most of us have become all too familiar with cooking on our emergency gas ring. The good news is that all Le Creuset’s gorgeous cast-iron and stainless-steel pots, pans, grills and casseroles work brilliantly on gas – and the truth is that with the right cookware, cooking on gas really is a pleasure.

TRADITIONAL APPEAL, HI-TECH DESIGN
By design, our cast-iron ensures even, steady heat distribution and heat retention, ensuring energy efficiency and making cooking over gas a cinch. It’s stable, durable and guaranteed for life. The hardened enamel coating of each Le Creuset cast-iron piece is chip-resistant and easy to clean.

Our stainless-steel ranges are manufactured from premium materials that will provide the best in durability and cooking performance. Made using a hi-tech, triple-layer system, each stainless-steel item has an aluminium core sandwiched between two layers of premium-quality stainless steel. The multi-layering continues throughout the whole pan to ensure excellent heat conduction performance from base to rim, and preventing hot spots – something those who might be new to the instant heat and high temperatures of gas will appreciate. Our stainless-steel cookware is specially treated to provide a strong, toughened finish that will withstand the demands of everyday use.

The practical and versatile Toughened Non-Stick cookware is an everyday essential. It has all the benefits of our stainless-steel ranges but with the added advantage of a tough, PFOA-free non-stick surface inside and out, and a special hardened body to create a durable and long-lasting pan that can be used on any heat source. The easy-release non-stick interior and exterior surfaces are easy to clean, and are tough enough to withstand use of metal utensils – just what you need when you’re cooking and cleaning up by candlelight.

BEAT THE BLACK-OUT
Woken up in the dark? With our whistling kettles you can still savour your early-morning cuppa and get the day off to a good start. Our tea kettles have a fixed whistle 
so you’ll be able to hear when the water boils (even if it’s too dark to see the steam), and they are made from heavy-gauge steel coated with hard, durable, glossy enamel. Handles and knobs made from phenolic plastic stay cool to the touch. (When the power is on, you can use our kettles on ceramic, electric and induction hobs too.)

Soups and slow-cooked stews on the menu? Our fabulous stainless-steel pots and saucepans or our round cast-iron casseroles – which include a slightly domed lid design with an interior fit, to ensure maximum moisture circulation within the dish for tender, succulent cooking – are just what you need for perfect cooking results.

Clockwise from top left: Creamy Soup, Beef Stew with Gremolata, Lamb Bhuna and Chunky Roasted Tomato and Butternut Soup

Longing for grilled lamb chops or steak? A grill pan with high ridges that allow excess fat and grease to drain fits the bill when it comes to grilling, searing, roasting, deglazing and finishing a range of quick and easy meat, fish and vegetables dishes. The grills come in a wide range of exterior colours and are coated on the inside with Le Creuset’s protective satin-black finish, which needs no seasoning and prevents damage and wear. Le Creuset’s careful design and top-quality materials and production processes ensure even heat distribution and superior heat retention – a really important consideration in these energy-sapping times. If you are a sucker for cooked breakfasts whatever the state of the power grid, invest in a reversible grill that can do double duty: fry up eggs and bacon or even cook drop scones on the flat side, and then, come lunchtime or dinner, flip it over to the ridged side and grill up steak, pork chops or bangers.

Clockwise from top left: Chargrilled Steak with a Fresh Herb Salsa, Salmon Fillets with Beurre Blanc and Grilled Lemons, Tomatoes with Ricotta and Parmesan and Grilled Tuna

Whether you are cooking on gas or a ceramic, halogen or induction stove, with our trusted cookware every meal will be cooked to a turn. To view our full range of products, visit our online shop at www.lecreuset.co.za or pop into your nearest Le Creuset Boutique store.