With the turn of the season, cooks shift their attention from the fresh, low-cook meals of summer to the beloved techniques of cooler months: roasting, braising, slow-cooking. This transition is the perfect moment to showcase one of Le Creuset’s most interesting and historic pieces: the Doufeu, a cast iron casserole designed with an innovative lid that improves moisture retention and contributes to a unique self-basting technique. It can be used like any of our Dutch ovens, but its special recessed lid calls back to one of cast iron cookware’s earliest innovations. Our centenary year has been filled with tributes to our rich culinary heritage, and the Doufeu plays a distinct role in this story.
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What Is a Doufeu?
The Doufeu comes from two French words doux (“soft”) and feu (“fire”) which together mean “gentle heat.” The name refers to the pot’s unique slow-cooking technique where low heat, moisture and a long cooking time deliver tender results. The Doufeu is a large cast iron cocotte, or casserole, that features a recessed lid. Originally, the recessed lid held coals or embers to provide top-down and bottom-up heat, but as cooking evolved, the recessed lid was filled with ice instead. As warm moisture evaporates inside the Doufeu, the cold from the ice-filled lid causes this moisture to condense. Specially designed dimples on the flat interior of the lid then direct the moisture back down onto the food, creating a “self-basting” effect that produces beautifully tender, flavorful food.


A Design Legend
Although Le Creuset patented the Doufeu in 1934, its history dates back a few more centuries. The legendary cocotte was produced by Cousances, the world’s first cast iron cookware foundry that began operating in northern France in the 1500s. Centuries later, Le Creuset purchased this historic cast iron foundry in 1957 and began reviving some of Cousances’ legacy designs. The innovative Doufeu was one of those designs, now produced in our signature enameled cast iron. Its French heritage and unique cooking benefits make it an important piece in our story of quality and design.
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Timeless Beef Bourguignon
Julia Child may have introduced beef bourguignon to millions of Americans, but the classic French stew is a beloved culinary tradition that originates from the region of Burgundy. The stew is known for its deep, complex flavor profile, which develops over hours of slow-cooking beef, vegetables, herbs and mushrooms in red wine (usually a Burgundy). The Doufeu is a perfect vessel for preparing beef bourguignon, as its unique recessed lid returns evaporated moisture to the pot while the stew simmers — resulting in a deeply flavorful, incredibly tender dish that comforts every time. Our recipe for Traditional Beef Bourguignon makes a beautiful weekend project: with just a little prep at the beginning, you can tuck the lid of the Doefeu on the stew and let time and moisture work its magic on the cozy stew.
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Beautiful Holiday Brisket
When winter holidays arrive, many cooks crave a turkey alternative, a main dish that feels as special and celebratory as it is doable. Enter the Holiday Brisket with Pomegranate Glaze and Winter Herbs. Brisket is a large, flat, flavorful cut of meat that benefits from a long, slow braise to tenderize it and bring out the complexity of its flavor. The Doufeu features an elongated oval shape with plenty of room for preparing larger or longer cuts of meat. It “self-bastes” the meat in its own braising liquid, keeping it moist as it cooks slowly over low heat. When the meat is so tender it practically melts, the brisket can be sliced and served with a scattering of pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs to add gorgeous holiday color to the table.
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