Pillivuyt Porcelain 8-1/2-by-5-Inch Oval-Eared Dish

Amazon.com At 8-1/2 inches long and 5 inches across, this dish is sized to bake and serve an individual portion of winter vegetable gratin or Deviled Crab casserole. Traditionally shaped for baking French gratins, this oval dish has shallow, flared sides that focus most of the oven's heat onto the larger surface area. This ensures that the bottom and center of the gratin stays moist and rich from cream or vegetable liquids and the top forms a bubbly golden crust. The thin even walls on this dish provide the ideal heat conduction for the ultimate combination of creaminess and crispiness and enable the dish to retain its heat at the table. An exquisite specimen of fine French pottery, this porcelain baking dish is a milky white color with slanted sides and lightly scalloped and textured "ear" handles that make it easier to carry this dish from oven to table. Family-founded in 1818, the Pillivuyt porcelain factory still employs skilled artisans who use the proprietary porcelain recipe and the original time-honored traditions of handcrafting each piece. Replacement molds are all handmade by craftspeople who have spent many years in training, and who shape them to the level of perfection that this superior bakeware requires. The result is a tough porcelain base that can withstand temperature extremes, making this baker safe to move among the oven, freezer, microwave, or broiler. And, with a little liquid in the baker, the pan can even be placed over a diffused flame on the stovetop. All pieces are glazed and fired at temperatures of about 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, which produces a non-porous, rock-hard finish that easily cleans up by hand or in the dishwasher. The lead-free glaze is resistant to crazing and staining and won't absorb food odors or flavors. --Cristina Vaamonde Product Description A true French classic, Pillivuyt's oval-eared dishes are exceptional in their finishing detail and in their superior thin walls. The finer and more even walls allow for quick and even heat distribution, but these dishes are as durable as all the Pillivuyt dishes with Pillivuyt's proprietary porcelain recipe. The "ear" handles are a traditional design and allow you to hold and carry the dish easily; the glaze, as in all Pillivuyt items, will not craze, stain, or discolor, and cleans up with amazing ease. The sides of the gratin dishes are slanted outward to expose a wider top surface, which creates more of the crisp or browned topping that is the ideal finishing touch to gratin dishes. Suitable for use under the broiler. The 8 1/2 x 5 inch oval-eared dish is the right size for individual gratins and is also a convenient size for re-heating leftovers for lunch or for individual potatoes au gratin. It's a perfect dish for single and child-size meals.