Antique French Copper Lèchefrite with Iron Handle

An antique French lèchefrite from the kitchen at Chanteduc, Patricia Wells’s home in Provence. Hand hammered copper with a forged iron handle ending in a hanging ring, its oval body has softly flared sides with visible rivets. The surface shows honest wear and a mellow rose-copper patina from decades at the fireside. Broad and low in profile, it feels substantial yet remains easy to maneuver by the long handle. There are broad pouring beaks on either side. Lèchefrite translates to lick the gravy, a nod to its role beneath the rotisserie catching juices for basting, sauces, and potatoes. Patricia recalls, “We already had a perfectly ordinary lèchefrite, but we decided to upgrade to copper, which feels much more authentic. It sits beneath the rotisserie, and we fill it with potatoes so they cook in all those wonderful juices.” Hang it by the iron ring above a stove, layer it on a kitchen wall with a well-loved batterie de cuisine, or rest it on a shelf alongside wooden spoons and jars of herbes de Provence. Its character, utility, and provenance bring Patricia’s clear-eyed, convivial approach to French cooking into everyday view.