Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors (11 page)

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  Place another layer of paper towels on top. Press down to squeeze out any excess juices from the mushrooms. In a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallots and cook, stirring constantly, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until all the moisture has evaporated and they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the parsley, chives, salt, and pepper.

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  Arrange the crostini on a platter and place 1 tablespoon duxelles on top of each. Crumble the goat cheese over the tops, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and serve.

main
dishes

Herb-Crusted Lamb Tenderloins with Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Beef Brisket with Chili Cider Sauce on Ciabatta Rolls

Butter-Poached Chicken in Garam Masala Sauce with Jasmine Rice

Easy Cast Iron Skillet Cassoulet

Fideus de Gambas

Skillet-Roasted Mussels

Clams with Sausage, Ham, and Spices

Fish Tacos with Avocado Tomatillo Crema

Ginger Chow Fun Noodles

Chicken and Cashew Red Curry

Mediterranean Lamb Shanks

Jasmine Tea–Smoked Salmon with Apple-Bay Sauce

Steak and Guinness Pie

Seared Scallops with Rhubarb Sauce and Citrus Butter Glaze

Smoky Smothered Chicken

Seared Rib-Eye with Truffle Butter and Rogue River Smoked Blue Cheese

Peppers and Roasted Sausages with Sweet and Sour Sauerkraut Slaw

Lemon Chicken Sofrito

Salty, Sweet, and Spicy Flank Steak

Tamarind-Glazed Crab

Tinga Poblana with Beef

Yakisoba with Shrimp and Fresh Vegetables

Seared Salmon with Roasted Tomato, Olive, and Bacon Relish

Lynn’s No-Bean Chili

Spaghetti Carbonara

Lamb Chops with Chimichurri Sauce

SET THE STAGE WITH A DELICIOUS ENTRÉE. SEARING MEATS AND FISH, TEA SMOKING,
and cooking crab wok-style are some of the cooking techniques you can do successfully in the skillet. We’ve found that many of the wonderful spices and spice blends we’re cooking with can be found at the local grocery store or ordered online. Stock your pantry with a range of spices, and when you want to cook some of these recipes you’ll have the ingredients already on hand.
We are fortunate to live near a large Asian grocery store, Uwajimaya. When you walk in, you can easily be overwhelmed by aisles lined with sauces, noodles, fermented this, and pickled that. Just take your time; start small and add slowly to your shelves some of our favorites, such as miso, furikake (Asian seasoning), black rice wine vinegar, sriracha, fish sauce, tamarind paste, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and curry pastes. We are always bringing home something new to try. Ginger Chow Fun Noodles satisfy our craving for Asian flavors: hot, sour, salty, and sweet are all components in the sauce. Smoky Smothered Chicken makes a good choice for a family Sunday supper. Seared Salmon with Roasted Tomato, Olive, and Bacon Relish is a candidate for a company dinner when fresh salmon is in season.
Heat up your cast iron skillet with big flavors and enjoy!

Cast iron’s dry, even heat is a great choice for the following cooking methods.

Braising
is ideal for the tough muscle cuts of meat, such as chuck roast, short ribs, and shanks. It is important to brown the meat first and then add the amount of liquid specified in the recipe. The browning and caramelizing of the outside of the meat is best done in a heated cast iron pan with a little oil or butter. When you try to brown or caramelize in a nonstick skillet, excess moisture develops, which prevents browning and tightens and toughens the meat. Ground beef actually browns and crisps in cast iron, rather that stewing and becoming flavorless and grey as it does in other types of pans.

Pan-searing
in a cast iron skillet creates a flavorful, brown crust on tender cuts of meat such as pork chops or tenderloin, steaks, and fish fillets. To pan-sear, first season the meat or fish with the desired spice rub or seasoning. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, add a little olive oil, and sear both sides of the meat or fish in the skillet. Then place the skillet with the meat or fish in a preheated 375°F oven and finish cooking according to the recipe. When pan-searing fish, scallops, skinless chicken, or pork, wait until a golden crust forms. If the flesh sticks to the pan, it’s not ready to be turned over yet.

Roasting
in the cast iron skillet creates a dry, even heat like a hearth oven. Roasting vegetables in the skillet, tossed with a little oil, browns and caramelizes them perfectly.

Sautéing
is a gentle approach to cooking using medium heat. We like to use a little oil and butter combined to achieve a nice browning.

Stir-frying
in a cast iron skillet works best over medium-high heat. Be sure to have all your ingredients chopped, sliced, and diced, ready to add to the hot skillet. Heat the pan over medium-high heat, then add the oil, swirling it around to distribute evenly. You want to keep your ingredients moving around in the pan continuously, using a wooden spatula or tongs.

herb-crusted lamb tenderloins with cilantro-mint chutney

This lamb has a wonderful hint of citrus from the sumac in the rub, and is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The tenderloin is delicious served with the chutney for dinner, and it makes a great sandwich the following day.

Note:
Ask the butcher for the tenderloin, and if they come as two tenderloins tied together, have the butcher untie them and trim off the fat. If they have a small tenderloin attached, remove and use in the same manner as described here, cooking 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 400°F.

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  Put the parsley, thyme, and chives in a glass baking dish.

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  Rub the tenderloins with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then with the Syrian Zahtar Rub. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roll them in the herb mixture until well coated.

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  Heat a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the tenderloins and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over for 30 seconds to sear the other side, then transfer to the hot oven for 5 minutes more. Line a plate with enough aluminum foil to wrap around the tenderloins. Transfer them from the oven to the foillined plate, wrap loosely, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice at an angle and serve with rice, with Cilantro-Mint Chutney spooned over.

¼ cup fresh chervil or Italian parsley

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

2 lamb tenderloins, fat removed

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons Syrian Zahtar Rub (recipe follows)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Jasmine rice, for serving

Cilantro-Mint Chutney (recipe follows), for serving

 syrian zahtar rub 

MAKES ¼ CUP

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  Toast the coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the pan until toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Add the toasted seeds and all the other ingredients to a spice grinder and grind until well blended.