cooking in cast iron
Source of Recipe
"Cooking in Cast Iron" by Mara Reid Rogers (2001 HPBooks, $17.95)
Recipe Introduction
Weighing the benefits of cooking in cast iron
List of Ingredients
You've seen its black form lingering at the back of your grandmother's
cabinet, or maybe you've spotted a weighty and slightly roughed up piece in
the corner of your favorite antique store.
No need to be afraid. From skillets to Dutch ovens to griddles, cast-iron
cookware can be every cook's best friend.
'Every person should have one cast-iron piece; you can do anything with it,'
says Mara Reid Rogers, author of 'Cooking in Cast Iron,' (2001 HP Books,
$17.95).
Rogers calls cast iron the original nonstick cookware. Once a piece has been
properly seasoned, food won't stick to the surface.
Bob Kellermann, CEO of Lodge, the only American producer of cast-iron
cookware, explains why.
'Cast iron is a fairly porous metal, it drinks up the cooking oil,' says
Kellermann, a bow-tied Southern gent, who runs the 105-year-old family
business in South Pittsburg, Tenn.
To make the cookware, 95 percent pure gray iron gets heated to 2,800 degrees
until it becomes a free-flowing orange-yellow material. The molten substance
then is poured into sand from northern Mississippi to form the pan's shape.
Lodge makes 100 different pieces from 6-inch skillets to Dutch ovens large
enough to feed an entire troop of Boy Scouts.
'The carbon deposits on the surface from cooking;, this is the seasoning
that is the natural nonstick surface' Rogers says. 'Every time you use cast
iron you're seasoning it. You're building that patina, closing those pores
up.'
Most people are probably familiar with cast-iron skillets and may recall
bacon and eggs sizzling on a Sunday morning. Others find the deep cast-iron
pans perfect for frying.
But there are more sides to cast iron.
'People need to get away from the idea that cast iron is just for fried
chicken,' Rogers says. 'It cooks something as delicate as peapods and then
it can sear a pork loin.
'I like a 12- to 14-inch skillet. It can go from the oven to the range to
the table,' she says.
The only thing cast iron doesn't do well is acidic foods, such as tomatoes
or wine, Rogers explains. The acid eats away at the hard-earned patina.
'You wouldn't want to reduce wine in your cas-iron skillet,' she says.
Versatility isn't its only asset.
Cast-iron cookware not only heats evenly, but it retains heat longer than
stainless steel or aluminum cookware.
Because of its conductivity, Shelly Young, owner of The Chopping Block
cooking school and store in Chicago, offers this advice: 'It heats slower,
but gets hotter; so you have to start with a lower heat than you think you
might need.'
Durability also falls in the plus column.
'You can drop it and its going to be fine,' Rogers says. (Your foot,
however, might not fare so well.) 'It's going to outlive you and I.'
That durability comes with a cost: cast-iron cookware tips the scales,
making it too heavy for many older people or those with wrist problems to
comfortably use.
European and Asian manufacturers have brought thinner gauged cast-iron
cookware to the United States. Staub, a French manufacturer, for instance,
has picked The Chopping Block as its exclusive dealer of cast-iron cookware.
The items in the Staub line have been coated to give the cast iron a
nonstick finish while still retaining its raw look. Lodge, likewise, is
bringing cookware with a foundry made nonstick finish to market under the
name Eurocast.
Sales of cast-iron cookware across the board (from raw to enameled to
nonstick) rose 88 percent during 2001, The Chopping Block's Young says.
'It's one of the best baking mediums for its consistent heat,' Young says.
'We do our apple pies for Thanksgiving in cast iron.'
Cost might be part of the attraction. People are spending more time cooking
at home and thus spending more money on housewares, but not everyone can
dish out $400 to $700 for a set of All-Clad pots and pans.
Raw cast-iron pieces are inexpensive, less than $20 for a 12-inch skillet.
The enameled and nonstick-coated items get more pricey. A Staub one-cup stew
pot, for example, sells for $30.
'It reminds me of when I was young,' the French-born chef says. 'My mother
used to do mussels or lamb shank; and she would bring it to the table.
Country food, but still sophisticated.'
Rogers, still, is partial to raw cast-iron cookware, referring to it as
romantic for the images it invokes.
Cast-iron kettles graced the hearths of colonial America and accompanied
Lewis and Clark on their expeditions. California miners cooked dinner in
their cast-iron skillets and used them to pan for gold. Cowboys on cattle
drives cooked up chili and beans with cast iron and chances are your
grandmother, great aunt or even your mother or father, could share fond
memories of meals prepared in cast-iron cookware.
'You can see its history, you can see a simpler life,' she says. 'You can
see Americana.'
Recipe
Skillet Double Cornbread
Nonstick vegetable spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup milk
1/4 cup corn oil
1 egg
1 can (15 1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet with
nonstick vegetable spray. Place in oven for 5 minutes to preheat.
In a mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking
powder, salt and pepper.
In another bowl, whisk together milk, oil and egg. Add liquid to dry
ingredients, along with the canned corn. Stir until all ingredients are
moistened and combined. Spoon into prepared and preheated skillet or pan.
Bake until cornbread is firm and golden, and pulls away from the sides,
20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into wedges or squares to serve
warm or at room temperature.
Serves six to eight.
Nutrition values per serving: 261 calories, 10 g fat, g carbohydrates, 3 g
fiber, 6 g protein, 31 mg cholesterol, 465 mg sodium.
Canned Food Alliance
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Updside Down Salsa Cornbread
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 medium bell pepper, cut in rings and seeded
2 cups buttermilk self-rishing corn meal mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar (16 ounces) thick and chunky (medium hot) salsa
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
In a deep 8-inch iron skillet with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, cook ground
chuck, chopped onions, salt, garlic salt and chili powder together, only
until ground chuck is no longer red. Turn heat off. Move mixture to one side
of skillet, and place half of pepper rings in bottom. Move the meat mixture
onto peppers and place the remaining peppers on the other half of the pan.
Spread ground chuck mixture evenly over pepper rings.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In mixing bowl, combine corn meal mix, sugar, cheese, salsa, milk, egg and 3
tablespoons vegetable oil. Mix well. Spread over mixture in skillet. Bake
for 40 minutes, or until done. Turn upside down on serving dish.
Serves six to eight.
Editor's note: This recipe won the 2001 National Cornbread Festival
sponsored by Martha White Corn Meal and Lodge Manufacturing.
Nutrition values per serving: 355 calories, 23 g fat, 13 g carbohydrates, 1
g fiber, 22 g protein, 95 mg cholesterol, 581 mg sodium.
Lodge Manufacturing
_____
Cauliflower and Leek Gratin
1 head cauliflower
3 leeks, white part only
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup milk, cold
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
3 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove leaves and stem from cauliflower, but leave the core in and the head
whole. Place the head of cauliflower over a steamer insert and steam for
10-15 minutes, or until just tender when a knife is inserted. Set
cauliflower aside to cool while making the sauce.
Slice leeks in 1/2-inch thick slices and wash thoroughly.
Preheat saute pan over low heat, add butter, leeks, garlic, salt and white
pepper, saute without browning for 10 minutes. Add flour to leeks and cook
for 2 minutes. Add milk and turn heat up to medium, cook while stirring
constantly, when the mixture comes to a low boil turn off the heat and set
aside.
Place cauliflower into a 9-inch cast pan or 6 individual dishes; remove the
core at this point and the whole cauliflower will just fall apart. Chop up
the removed core and add back to the dish. Pour the sauce over the
cauliflower, sprinkle with cheese and then the breadcrumbs. Place in the
oven on the top rack and bake until golden brown approximately 25 minutes.
Serves six.
Nutrition values per serving: 185 calories, 9 g fat, 19 g carbohydrates, 3 g
fiber, 8 g protein, 28 mg cholesterol, 323 mg sodium.
Shelly Young, The Chopping Block, Chicago
_____
Peach Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake
--Topping--
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ginger liqueur, ginger-flavored brandy, or peach brandy
1 can (29 ounces) sliced peaches (packed in heavy syrup), drained
--Gingerbread--
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ginger liqueur, ginger-flavored brandy, or substitute peach
brandy
Vanilla Whipped Cream, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the topping: Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low
heat. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the brown sugar. Cook,
stirring, until the brown sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbly,
about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 1
tablespoon of ginger liqueur.
Working quickly, using a fork, place each peach slice on its side, placing
them tip-to-tip and side-to-side to form concentric circles on the surface
of the topping in the bottom of the skillet.
For the gingerbread: Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices
in a medium bowl and reserve.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar with an electric
mixer on low speed until light and fluffy, 1 minute. Add the egg and
molasses and beat just until well blended and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the boiling water, vanilla, and ginger
liqueur until well blended.
Stir the reserved flour mixture and the boiling water mixture into the
reserved butter-sugar mixture, just until blended; do not overmix.
Pour the batter in an even layer over the peaches in the skillet and gently
smooth the top, being careful to not move the peaches. Bake on the center
rack for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted 1 inch
from the center comes out almost dean with a few moist crumbs clinging to
it.
Cool the cake in the skillet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a small,
sharp knife around the cake edge to loosen the sides from the skillet, then
invert the cake onto a serving platter. If any peaches stick to the bottom
of the skillet, transfer them to the top of the cake with the tip of a
knife. If any topping sticks to the bottom of the skillet, scrape it out and
drizzle it onto the cake, Serve warm with whipped cream.
Serves six.
Nutrition values per serving: 596 calories, 30 g fat, 78 g carbohydrates, 3
g fiber, 4 g protein, 83 mg cholesterol, 282 mg sodium.
"Cooking in Cast Iron" by Mara Reid Rogers (2001 HPBooks, $17.95)
_____
Scalloped Potatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, to grease
2 pounds baking potatoes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups milk, heated
1 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a
medium (10- to 12-inch) cast-iron skillet with the butter.
Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly. As you slice them, quickly
submerge them in a large bowl of ice water.
In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper until well blended. Whisk
in the heated milk until well blended.
Drain the potatoes and place half of them in the prepared skillet by
slightly overlapping them in a pattern of concentric circles. Top with an
even layer of the onion, sprinkle with the chives and bacon, drizzle with
half of the melted butter, and pour the milk mixture over all.
Top with the remaining potatoes arranged in concentric circles and drizzle
with the remaining butter.
Cover with a lid and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30-35 minutes
more or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, the top is
dappled golden brown, and the edges are crispy. Season with salt and pepper
and serve hot directly from the skillet.
Serves four to six.
Nutrition values per serving: 292 calories, 13 g fat, 39 g carbohydrates, 3
g fiber, 7 g protein, 33 mg cholesterol, 316 mg sodium.
"Cooking in Cast Iron" by Mara Reid Rogers (2001 HPBooks, $17.95)
_____
Best-Ever Boneless Fried Chicken with Bourbon Gravy
--Chicken--
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds total)
1 cup buttermilk
3-5 cups corn oil, to fry
--Bourbon Gravy--
1 cup canned chicken broth
3 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup bourbon
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
To cook the chicken: In a large doubled brown paper bag, combine the flour,
paprika, salt and pepper. Fold over the top of the bag several times to seal
tightly and shake until well blended. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the flour
mixture for the gravy. Add the chicken and shake gently until evenly coated,
then gently shake off any excess.
Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl. Dip each chicken breast half briefly
in the buttermilk until well coated, gently shaking off any excess. One by
one, return each chicken breast half to the flour mixture and gently shake
again until evenly coated.
Place the chicken breast halves on top of another large, flattened brown
paper bag and let stand for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Place a deep, large (12- to 14-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium-high
heat, pour enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the skillet, and heat
the oil until it tests 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
Add the chicken breast halves, cover with a lid, and fry for 4 minutes.
Remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low and turn the chicken over.
Fry, uncovered, until crisp and golden brown and the juices run clear when
the chicken is pierced with a fork in the thickest part, 8-10 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined pan to drain. Remove and discard
the paper towels and transfer the pan to the oven to keep the chicken warm
until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, to prepare the gravy: Pour off all the oil from the skillet
except 2 tablespoons. Place the skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the 2
tablespoons reserved flour mixture until well blended, and cook, whisking
constantly, for 2 minutes.
Whisk in the chicken broth and the dissolved bouillon mixture. Raise the
heat to high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly Whisk in the bourbon.
Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 2 minutes more. Season with salt
and pepper. Serve the chicken at once and pass the gravy on the side.
Serves four.
Nutrition values per serving: 370 calories, 10 g fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 1
g fiber, 32 g protein, 71 mg cholesterol, 1,180 mg sodium.
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