1970s Habitat Chicken Brick

morganlefay

I know there have been threads about chicken bricks before but I have a specific question: I have had my (Habitat) brick since 1972 but haven't used it for years. There are instructions for modern chicken bricks which need you to soak the brick in water and cook for various amounts of time, but I seem to remember that all we did was to bung a 3lb chicken (or whatever) into the brick (no soaking first) put it in a cold oven at Gas 9 and cook for 1.5 hours. Does anyone remember if this is what you did with a Habitat brick as it's much easier than soaking it etc. I used to have the little greenish leaflet that told you what to do but it's long gone now.....

MrsBartolozzi

Could this help you?
It's a retro article about the chicken brick and has instructions on use.




The brick — which is shaped vaguely like a chicken carcass, and not at all like a brick — is a British-made terracotta shell in two halves, one of which sits on top of the other. It’s the technology of the plant pot, but moulded into a different shape.
All you have to do is put your meat, bird, stew ingredients or whatever in the bottom half, put on the top half and bung the whole lot into an oven set to the maximum possible temperature.
It is important that the oven should be cold to start with. Also important is never to wash the chicken brick with detergent, which will taint it. You use hot water with a bit of salt or vinegar instead.
Sealed in its casket, the meat (up to 3lb in weight) needs no added fat, no basting and allegedly browns miraculously. It ought to be good for health-conscious cooking. It also looks plump and homely in a farmhouse- kitchen kind of way. And, at £18, it’s not exactly pricey.

mgardner

I had one of those and as far as I can remember did not have to soak it. I do recall it had to go in a cold oven though.

queenpig

I have one of these http://www.roemertopf.de/english/
I imagine what your talking bout must be something very alike, it has instructions etc, on the site, under "tips"

born_blonde

Hi, just to say I have one still in use and it's never seen detergent in 20 years just very hot water. In goes the chicken usually stuffed with garlic cloves and lemon. Into a cold oven, temp 180 or 200 and then about an hour and a half later one golden fragrant chicken. I've also used it for a leg of lamb and a skinless pork joint.
Just wash as soon as possible with very hot water.
My brick is now dark brown and shiny.

Pennylane

I knew I should have persevered with mine!:rolleyes: I had one as a wedding gift (late 1970s) and I seem to remember using it just a couple of times. The roughness of it somehow made my teeth go on edge and I shoved it to the back of a cupboard and forgot about it. A few years ago I sold it on a car boot.

auntymabel

I bought one of these at a boot fair but wasn't sure how to use it. I've got a feeling I may have washed it with washing up liquid when clearing out the cupboard. Does anyone know if there is any way I could make it usable? Grateful for any ideas! Thanks

morganlefay

Well, Auntymabel, one of the websites for 'new' bricks says you can wash them in a bit of detergent so if I were you I'd just soak it for a while, then cook something in it in a very hot oven (see bornblonde's post above) and then never wash it with detergent again ! Thanks Bornblonde - you are describing what I thought I used to do and I've never soaped my brick either - just v hot water and salt or vinegar. Tomorrow I shall do a chicken in it and remind myself of its delights !! (Tho I recall that it did roll about a bit in the oven and I sometimes wedged it in there !)

Barneysmom

I'd love one, but at £30 it's too much. I don't know why they are so expensive, it's only terracotta?

morganlefay

I got mine as a wedding present in 1972, and I bet it only cost a very modest amount - £30 seems like way too much and I wouldn't pay that much - maybe you'd find one in a car boot sale ? Mine is just completely unglazed terracotta (so very absorbent which is why you aren't supposed to wash them with detergent) but I have thought that if you got a big terracotta plant saucer and a terracotta pot big enough to cover a chicken sitting in the saucer you'd avhieve the same effect - perhaps block up the hole in the pot ? I have baked bread in a flowerpot and it worked really well......of course now I'm a remoska fiend I usually cook chicken in that, but I want to give the brick to my daughter and she will need clear instructions. Good luck !!

Barneysmom

I was thinking of a flower pot! :cool: It would be original, seeing one of those on the dinner table.