Going Dutch (Good Eats)

Going Dutch is the 20th episode of Season 11 of the cooking show, Good Eats.

Plot
The power is out for the whole neighborhood. Alton who was planning to do a show on traditional baking anyway, preps up his Dutch Oven and Camp Stove to prepare some Good Eats.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Learn the origin of the Dutch Oven through a Monty Python style animated sketch.
 * 2) Prepare three goodies, Knead Not Sourdough, Dutch Oven Hoecakes, and Dutch Oven Cherry Clafouti. Recipes can be found on this link
 * 3) Learn why cast iron is far superior for Dutch Ovens than aluminum (Grust will explain the differences below).
 * 4) Learn the science of curing your Dutch Oven (covering it with fat and then setting it at high temperatures either by grill or oven).
 * 5) Alton shows us how a footed Dutch Oven can be converted into a griddle.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Itchy and Twitchy (Alton's lawyers) keep him from using the hearth in his house due to carbon monoxide risk, even though Alton claims to have been doing it for years.
 * 2) The Knead Not Sourdough will take about 19 hours to rise (only a bad quality if you're impatient but Grust made a similar bread and the wait is definitely worth it.)

Differences between Cast Iron and aluminum Dutch Ovens

 * Cast iron is very heavy and dense and holds heat very well whereas aluminum is lighter in weight but doesn't hold heat very well.
 * Cast Iron melts at about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit so it's great for over a fire, but aluminum melts at about 900 degrees, which is how hot some campfires can get.
 * By curing or seasoning cast iron, you get a naturally made nonstick coating that doesn't react to food while aluminum can react to acidic foods and can be very toxic.