Bastible

Also spelled Bastable. Used to bake bread in 19th century Ireland. A Dutch Oven with three legs supporting it (in photo above). Sometime referred to as an” Oven-Pot” or “Pot-Oven”. If it didn’t have legs, a three legged “fire stand” was placed beneath it. Coals were laid on top of the lid and beneath it just as in Dutch Oven cooking today. Here are some available Dutch Ovens that can be used today in a convection oven (or regular oven) to simulate cooking in the 19th century. Or you can try it if you are into campfire cooking.

Amazon Basics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot with Lid and Dual Handles, 5-Quart (Least Expensive) Around $25

Lodge Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven, Pre-Seasoned, 5-Quart (Good Quality-Used one for years) Around $80

Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 4.6-Quart, (Enameled-Colors) Around $70

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Oval Dutch Oven, 5 qt. , Oyster Only if you need the best. Comes in colors. Around $360

Griddle

A Griddle was used for hundreds of years to bake bread on. Poor families had a griddle. Better off had a Bastible. This description from late 19th century Cork. “A griddle is a round iron plate about one eight of an inch thick with two handles .”

This is the closest item I’ve found that matches photos and descriptions of a griddle used by Irish 19th Century women. Some villages were so poor they only had one shared griddle amongst them. One family claimed their griddle had been in the family for 7 generations.

Home-Complete Cast Iron Pizza Pan-14” Skillet for Cooking, Baking Around $15

More soon

As more items are discovered, they will be listed on this page. Currently reviewed Irish Cookbooks for the ones sticking to Traditional cooking in more than the title.

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