Kevin's Watch

Menolly told me if I wanted to talk about my cast iron skillet I should do so here. It came pre-seasoned, actually, and I can just about lift it with one hand.

(A giant could lift it with little problem. S/he could probably also use it for a more challenging caamora).

Anyway, I used it last night with my first recipe from my new cookbook "Simple to Spectacular" by Jean Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman. This cookbook gives you the same recipe five times in a row. First they describe a basic technique (while giving professional insights and tips on how to get it just right). Then they give you the same recipe with a small variation to 'kick it up a notch.' The another variation with a twist, more complicated. Than another. And finally a fifth recipe/fourth variation, which is the sort of thing they'd serve in their restaurants.

They repeat that with many, many basic techniques.

Last night I used the first variation on pan-roasted chicken, and it came out fabulously. They brown a cut-up chicken (as I've always done before doing a fricasee). But then they dump aromatics in the pan (garlic and thyme in this case) and put the whole pan in the oven at 500 degrees. Ten minutes before taking the white meat out, then another 5-10 minutes for the dark meat. Remove the chicken and deglaze with sherry vinegar, add water and make a sauce reduction, and finish with butter. Really, really good.

And the cast iron was perfect for stovetop to oven, as you probably all know....*g*

Z.

Welcome to the Galley, Z!

Boy, does that sound good.

A pre-seasoned cast iron pan, huh? Is it your first? How are you caring for it after use? And how will you season it when it does need seasoning?

I've had a mini-heirloom skillet -- good for frying a couple of eggs. This is the first one I've ever had and plan to use full-time. The packaging said it's "pre-seasoned." A search of Amazon for a random brand (not necessarily the one I have) says the following:

"which has been evenly coated on all surfaces with an electrostatic spray of vegetable oil. Next the cookware is put into an extremely high temperature industrial oven which bakes the coating into the surface. Not only will you be spared the time and effort of seasoning, but also the new piece you buy will look and perform better than if you had seasoned it at home."

Not sure if/when it will need me to season it -- but I'll have to do some research if/when that time comes....

Interesting.

My cast iron skillet has to be reseaoned everytime after being washed. And it is never washed with soap. Hot water, scrubbed clean, hand dried, put dry on a high burner until smoking, taken off the heat and allowed to cool, rubbed with vegetable oil, and put into a 375ºF oven for 20 minutes. Once room temperature, it is the best non-stick surface cookware ever.

A PITA to do each time, but nothing else compares.

That's exactly what I need, to turn me, an enthusiastic but totally self-taught cook, into something more!

Hey, this Simple to Spectacular cookbook sounds like an ideal starting point for a simpleton like me. I'll keep it in mind.

it really does sound like a great book to learn with.

people think cooking is difficult. its not at all, once you learn
some basic techniques.

Looks like it is reviewed well on amazon. I had never heard of it either. Thanks again, Z.

Simple to Spectacular