My New Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Is Solid Gold
My battered old cast iron skillet did a fine job, but this version is deeper, deep enough to fry chicken without making a huge mess on my stove top. As much as I appreciated how golden, crispy my old pan turned many a bird, I always thought of it as a kind of one trick pony.
Then, I recently got the chance to pick chef Tom's noggin about his favorite uses for cast iron, casting this humble pan in a whole new light.
"It's great for searing steaks and seafood, for cooking hash browns," he said. "You can make wonderful cornbread in it. My wife, Jackie, gets the pan hot in the oven and pours in the batter. It sizzles and makes the best brown crust."
Taking poultry on a different flight path, Tom also likes to do a stove-top version of roast chicken, weighing a whole bird down with the top pan. Like the ultra-moist chicken cooked under a brick diners go cuckoo about in restaurants around the country.
I can wait to experiment with these dishes and continue my hunt for the best fried chicken. Got any cast iron favorites to share?
-- Leslie Kelly
John on March 11, 2010 at 02:57 PM
I just bought the Lodge cast iron wok and am having a ball with it. And to the poster who asked about ceramic top stoves, I've not experienced any problems with mine.
jpintx on March 11, 2010 at 04:12 PM
Glad you like your new one. Cast iron skillets are a staple in the South. Our favorites are hand me downs, one from my wife's family, one from my side, both first put in service in the 1890's.
B. Durbin on March 11, 2010 at 08:20 PM
We have a cast-iron pan for cooking abelskivers in (also sometimes called a monk's pan.) When we got the recipe from my mother-in-law, she insisted that the pan be cast-iron, because turning the little semi-spheres into balls only works if you don't lose the heat. Wonderful crispy texture to them, too, while soft on the inside.
Recipe: 1 cup self-rising flour, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, 1/3 cup oil, touch of flavoring agent such as vanilla or lemon extract. Maybe even some cinnamon. Pre-heat pan (about 7 on an electric range; we'll go to induction eventually), drop a little oil in then pour batter in a little more than 2/3 of the way up the sides. Once the bottom has set, turn with an ice pick or fork about a quarter of the way around, then continue turning as it sets so you get little waffle balls. Serve with fruit, preserves, or lingonberry sauce. Breakfast of champions.
Andrea on March 22, 2010 at 06:43 AM
Collectors of cast iron & CI afficianados prefer that those old pieces should not be sandblasted. It can deface the surface polishing. A gentler method to clean an old pan is to heat it gradually in an oven, then use the self cleaning cycle. Gradual heating is key to prevent warping or small cracks expanding. When the self-cleaning cycle is finish, baked on crud and much of the rust is reduced to a fine ash. Wash off the ash and scrub with Bar Keeper's Friend to get rid of any remaining rust. Then season as you prefer.
kitchen equipment on September 01, 2010 at 08:55 AM
I've seen a number of fruit pie and flan recipes that are made brilliantly in a cast iron skillet. I came across one today for an apple tart and it looked delicious. The even heat and the way the iron stays warm long after it comes off the stove is what really makes this dish.
Thanks for sharing!
John.
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burberry scarf on January 04, 2012 at 12:22 AM
By the way, the cast iron costs about a third or less than the fancier brands, and, in my experience, cooks just as well (the only thing better may be copperware).