The cocotte originated in France where this casserole dish was designed to cook chicken dishes: in fact, the word "cocotte" itself is the French word for "little hen". Since then, however, the cocotte casserole dish has been used to make a wide variety of other dishes including soups, stews and ragouts. Beginners can use them as they try their hand at tasty oven-baked dishes and professional French chefs can't do without them for gratins or delicate soufflés. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, cast-iron is an excellent heat retainer and is good at distributing heat equally, characteristics which are enforced by Staub's special matte black enamel. This enamel also helps preserve a food's unique flavour. Since a cocotte retains heat well, meat and vegetables can be cooked gently whilst preserving both flavour and nutritional content. It is therefore perfect for cooking healthy meals. Its specially designed lid also releases condensation at regular intervals, keeping meat wonderfully succulent. With the Staub cocotte, you can treat yourself and your guests to beautifully tender meat and delicious-tasting vegetables at any time.