A Cast Iron Skillet. It was a staple in my grammy's kitchen. She made her Irish Soda bread in it. It sat there, solid and beautiful, on her white enamel range. My parents, too, kept one sitting on the stove top. Julie has one. I have visited her dozens of times over the years, and love to use it when cooking at her house. Every time I do I think, why don't I have one of these? Well, now I do.
Meet my favorite Christmas present, my new kitchen toy, my 12" cast iron, forged by Smithey.
I feel so stupid I didn't have one earlier - cast iron skillets are amazingly versatile.
Being me, I researched different models and read a bunch of reviews and settled on Smithey.
Isn't that nice? Thank you, Isaac!
So what's the deal with cast iron cookware, you ask?
According to Southern Kitchen,
The oldest cast iron artifacts date from early 5th century B.C China, in the Jiangsu province, and such tools were widely used in the region by the 3rd century B.C. Cast iron slowly made its way to Western Europe, likely via the Silk Road, and wasn’t an important material until the 14th centuryA.D.
In Europe, it was mainly used for artillery until the 1700s, when it started to be used for bridges and building construction, as well as for cooking pots. Englishman Abraham Darby is credited with revolutionizing cast iron cookware; in 1707, he patented a method for casting iron into relatively thin pots and kettles, a process that made them cheaper to produce. With three feet on the base and a heavy, handled lid, these early pots were used for cooking over live fire and were most akin to the types of Dutch ovens used today for outdoor cooking.
As indoor kitchen stoves became more and more widespread throughout the late 18th and mid-19th centuries, cookware began to evolve as well, and flat-bottomed cast iron skillets became essential pieces of cookware in both Europe and America. Industrialized manufacturing also helped the spread of cast iron cookware, as these skillets and pots became cheaper and cheaper to produce. Towards the end of the 19th century, three iconic American cast iron cookware brands were founded, cementing the pan’s popularity across the country.
As indoor kitchen stoves became more and more widespread throughout the late 18th and mid-19th centuries, cookware began to evolve as well, and flat-bottomed cast iron skillets became essential pieces of cookware in both Europe and America. Industrialized manufacturing also helped the spread of cast iron cookware, as these skillets and pots became cheaper and cheaper to produce. Towards the end of the 19th century, three iconic American cast iron cookware brands were founded, cementing the pan’s popularity across the country.
In other words, I am long overdue.
What I love about this tool is it looks amazing, you can cook just about anything in it, you can bake in it, it is easy to clean and never needs to be put away. Boom.
I made a rockin Shepherd's Pie, which you can cook up right in the darn thing
(or as Dylan used to call it as a little kid, "slimy chicken pasta"
season chicken with salt & pepper and brown in olive oil for 5-6 minutes
Remove chicken from pan
Heat butter & olive oil and cook garlic and shallots for 3 minutes
Stir in flour and cook two minutes
Whisk in wine and reduce liquid, 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce
Stir in capers & parsley.
When it comes to a boil, add a little more butter and add chicken back in.
Heat it all up, add to hot pasta and enjoy
Last but not least, I would like to introduce you to my new favorite cocktail, the Corpse Reviver No. 2.
Thank you, Rebecca Fenneman
Corpse Reviver No. 2
- Absinthe, to rinse
- 3/4 ounce London dry gin
- 3/4 ounce Lillet blanc
- 3/4 ounce orange liqueur
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Rinse the inside of a chilled coupe or cocktail glass with absinthe, discard the excess and set the glass aside.
Add the gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into the prepared glass.
1-1/3 lb chicken breast tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
salt & pepper
1-1/2 Tbsp butter
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 chopped shallot
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup wine
1 lemon, juice
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp capers, drained
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 lb penne pasta, cooked al dente
- Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.
