Sharon Kramis - Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors: 90 Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen

CAST IRON SKILLET
BIG FLAVORS CAST IRON SKILLET BIG FLAVORS 90 Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen Sharon Kramis & Julie Kramis Hearne Copyright 2011 by Sharon Kramis and Julie Kramis Hearne All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by Sasquatch Books
17 16 15 14 13 12 11 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Cover and interior photographs: Alex Hayden
Cover recipe: Lemon Chicken Sofrito, page 79
Cover and interior design and composition: Kate Basart/Union Pageworks Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. ISBN-13: 978-1-57061-740-9
ISBN-10: 1-57061-740-6 SASQUATCH BOOKS
119 South Main Street, Suite 400 | Seattle, WA 98104 | 206.467.4300
For everyone who shares our passion for cast iron, we hope this book will continue to inspire you to explore more great recipes and big flavors in the cast iron skillet.
S. K. K. K.

H.

from the authors and the skillet
care for cast iron and why we continue to love it!
our favorite things
sometimes you just crave breakfast for dinner
savory and sweet
pan-searing, browning, braising, roasting, and stir-frying bring big flavors to the table
complementary accompaniments to mix and match with any main dish
the skillet bakes like a hearth oven for flatbreads, cakes, cobblers, and crisps Thank you to my wonderful daughter, Julie, who let me join her on the culinary journey along the spice trail. A special thanks to my husband, Larry, for accepting without ever knowing what was going to be for dinner. To Barbara Hinck, taster, friend, and computer wizard. To Anthonys Homeport Restaurants for their continued commitment to the best of the Northwest. To our sons Joe and Tom, who still love to drop in for a family dinner. K. K.

To my coauthor, mom, and friend! You have taught me not only how to cook, but how things should taste. To my husband, Harker, and my three boys, Reilly, Konrad, and Andrew, who never know whats for dinner but through this book have gained a more adventurous palate. Thanks, boys, for your patience and open minds. J. K. H.

We would like to thank our editorsGary Luke, Rachelle Long, and Kristi Heinand everyone at Sasquatch Books for continuing on the cast iron skillet journey with us. We would also like to thank Alex Hayden, our food photographer, who works magic with the camera, and Christy Nordstrom, our food stylist, who knows how to make food look delicious and natural with her finishing touches. S. K. and J. H. H.

A NOTE TO OUR READERS We wanted to write Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors because, thanks to the culinary influences we describe in this book, weve been spicing up our recipes. What we cooked five years ago, we may choose to spice up today. The availability of world spices, condiments, and sauces has made it easier to cook outside our comfort zone. We have traveled to new countries and returned home to re-create these flavors in our own kitchens. Our skillets still remain our favorite pans in the kitchen. They can take the place of a tava (or tawa) or a wok.

We find that not only do we use one skillet, but sometimes we use two or three at a time. We can cook our main dish in one and a side dish in another. As we began our journey of exploring big flavors, we soon realized the depth of knowledge that is available from cookbook authors who have lived and explored these cuisines deeply and translated them. We are just beginning our exploration, and wed like you to share our journey in exploring new flavors and new dishes. Todays cooks lead very busy lives, and we need recipes that are not too time-consuming, with lots of good flavors. To that end, we offer recipes that are both simplified and flexible, using spice blends and sauces that you can either create from scratch when time allows, or buy when time is short.

We hope you will enjoy this book as much as you did the first.

WE STILL BELIEVE THE CAST IRON SKILLET IS THE BEST PAN IN YOUR KITCHEN. IN our home it currently lives on top of the stove or in the oven. Yes, it is heavy and a little hard to clean at times, but worth the trouble. There are many things that you can cook and bake in the skillet that you cant do in any other pan. The cast iron skillet is unique for its ability to provide dry, even heat.

Its porous surface prevents excess moisture in the pan. The benefit is that you get even browning and beautiful crusting. We like that you can go from searing on the stove top to finishing in the oven in the same pan. Since our last book, we have found that we are adding much more spice to our cooking. Our kitchen is a melting pot of different flavors. Our pantries are filled with condiments from around the world.

Today sriracha sauce (Thai hot sauce) is becoming as popular as ketchup in many homes. The influence of new world cuisines in our grocery stores and restaurants has made a huge impact on the way we are cooking today. We may crave pho instead of chicken noodle soup or an Indian curry instead of a beef stew. In the 1960s, French cooking was very influential, using lots of butter and cream. Julia Child started our passion for cooking. In the 1980s, Asian influences inspired us through travel and eating out.

Today the Food Network brings us a new cuisine every half hour. Now these influences are inspiring us to lean more toward cooking with chilies, spice blends, and Asian sauces and condiments. We are no longer afraid of world flavors. We are inspired to explore new recipes. We can use our skillet for stir-frying and baking. We want to use these flavors in our own kitchens and cook new recipes with big flavors for our family and friends.

We hope you will find this the beginning of your spice trail and fill your pantry with new flavors.

CAST IRON COOKWARE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR HUNDREDS OF years. Centuries ago, cast iron kettles and skillets were used over open fires in Europe. They were some of the very few treasured items that settlers brought with them to the New World. Cast iron pans are formed through the process of sand-casting. Molten iron is poured into a sand-clay mold of the desired shape.

After it cools, the mold is removed and the pans surface is smoothed by a stone-washing process. Although pioneer cast iron companies Griswold Manufacturing and Wagner Manufacturing are no longer in business, you can occasionally discover their pans at second-hand stores. They are a great find. Well-seasoned and well-used, they are our favorites.

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