A Well Seasoned Veteran

While shopping for a cast-iron skillet, I found myself looking for the thickest bottom with the lowest weight (seriously). I now use this as a joke with respect to boyfriend shopping and luckily have found both, a perfect skillet and a perfect man.

What struck my interest to go after a cast-iron skillet? Maybe I was bored with my sauté pans or maybe I wanted to get back to basic, time-tested cookware. I definitely have enough pans in my kitchen and needed to asses the productivity this item would bestow. So, looking at the many things that I could do with the cast-iron, I was drawn by the overall usefulness and ubiquities this kitchen tool presents.

Aside from its simple yet elegant aesthetic, the cast-iron skillet is a kitchen work horse and a (personal) piece of nostalgia. It can be used to create almost everything in the kitchen that would otherwise require multiple pieces of cookware: Cornbread, soufflés, upside-down cakes, dumplings, seared meats and all things breakfast. The later item is where the nostalgia kicks in; growing up on a farm in Massachusetts, almost all our breakfasts were prepared in a cast-iron skillet. First, the bacon was cooked, rendering the fat that polymerizes with the metal surface, continually “seasoning” the pan. Then the eggs would be fried in the fat, spooning the residual grease over the tops of the eggs as to not have to flip them. It’s a wonder I did not grow up a fat kid.

Seasoning the pan is of much interest and importance to the maintenance and non-stick quality of the surface. Seasoning is nothing more than baking fat into the, otherwise, porous surface of the metal; creating a smooth coating that also prevents rust. This can be done by initially coating the pan with a thin layer of solid fat (I prefer bacon fat or lard but Crisco will work too), bake the pan upside down in a 350° oven with the windows open because it will smoke a little, for one hour.

Although purchased pre-seasoned and seasoned again at home, food materials have still been sticking to the pan mildly. This will subside after more time spent cooking fatty foods, the use of oil and proper cleaning. After use, I use water and a scrub brush to remove the residual food stuffs. After every use and gentle cleaning, rub the pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt using a paper towel.

As mentioned before, when choosing a cast-iron skillet, you want to find one that has the thickest bottom but also the lowest weight. Although all are fairly heavy, one that is overly heavy can be cumbersome to a smaller cook when they need to swirl butter or even clean it. As for the bottom, the cast-iron skillet acts as an equilibrating liaison between the heat of the range and the food that you are cooking. The material itself conducts and holds heat, contributing an evenly heated work surface. The thicker the pan, the more heat it will hold, dropping fewer degrees in temperature when food is applied. I found a 12” Lodge Logic skillet at Crate and Barrel for $27.00 weighing in at 7.2 lbs with a bottom thickness of 5.5 millimeters.

With the greater amount of heat that the skillet will hold, it is important to adjust your cooking temperatures accordingly. This usually means using a lower heat for a longer time which will require a bit more patience. But any well seasoned veteran of the kitchen, like the cast-iron skillet, will persevere and withstand the test of time.


Cast-Iron Skillet Frittata with Bacon, Spinach and Parmesan:

Although my youth breakfasts were mostly fried or scrambled eggs, I now like to do something a bit fancier. The finished bubbling-browned frittata here is enough to feed eight people a conservative portion or a moderate breakfast/brunch (or even lunch) for six. I served it for some friends and my lover, with mimosas, when he was down for New Year’s weekend.

Pre heat broiler to low with the rack 6” from the heat source.

Heat a 10-12’ cast-iron skillet over medium-high and add in:
1 lbs bacon cut into ½ inch squares, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until just crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and pour off all but ¼ c. of the fat. Reduce heat to medium-low, wait until the temperature drops, and sauté 3 minced cloves of garlic until barely golden*.

While cooking the bacon, rinse, remove stems and rough chop one large bunch of adult spinach.

In a separate bowl combine:
12 eggs
1 ½ c. half and half
¾ c. powdered parmesan cheese (picked through for lumps)
Small pinch of salt (the bacon will salt the dish greatly)
Tsp ground pepper

*Add in the spinach once the garlic is sautéed, turning over in the oil and cooking until barely wilted. Add in the egg mixture and the cooked bacon pieces, stir with the wooden spoon to combine and cook over medium heat until ¾ of the outer circumference is set (about 20 min.). Sprinkle the top of the frittata with ¼ - ½ c. thinly SHAVED parmesan cheese. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and allow to broil until the top is set and golden brown (about 7 min.). Allow to cool slightly before cutting it into slices like a pie. I served mine with some roasted fingerling potatoes, chopped parsley and sriracha hot chili sauce.