There’s nothing quite like food cooked in iron skillet

When was the last time you went to a garage sale or flea market and spotted an old iron skillet? If your heart warmed at the sight, then it’s probably time to revisit the past.

Iron-skillet meals aren’t commonplace in our hurried lives, but there’s a part of many of us that craves food cooked in cast iron.

Perhaps it’s nostalgia.

“The iron skillet is an heirloom in a lot of families,” said Kevin Toyoda, executive chef at Bella Notte in Lexington, Ky. “In our family, it’s my grandfather’s iron skillet. My mom has it, and it goes down to me.”

As a professional chef, Toyoda has another reason to cook in cast iron. “You can’t get a more pure cooking surface. I like it for heat retention and stability.”

If you have an iron skillet that’s been handed down, it’s probably worth more than a new Teflon-coated pan. Jim Plymale, chef at Buddy’s Bar & Grill in Lexington, said a well-seasoned iron skillet “works as well as regular Teflon.” At home, he uses a skillet that belonged to his wife’s grandmother.

The trick to successful cooking is to take care of the skillet. “Keep them dry,” Plymale said.

We asked Plymale and Toyoda to create iron-skillet recipes for family meals. Plymale created Tex-Mex chorizo strata, and it appears on the menu today, when Buddy’s opens on Sunday for the first time. “We adapted a regular strata for the iron skillet,” Plymale said.

Toyoda created an artichoke-and-cheese dish. “I’ve gotten so many requests for an artichoke dip and questions about what to do with artichokes. I thought, ‘What would happen if I did that in an iron skillet and roasted it and it had this cheese crust on it?’ “

It’s not necessarily the recipe that goes with the iron skillet. It’s the relationship the cook has with his or her skillet.

Jack Butler wrote in Jack’s Skillet that the best place to get an iron skillet is at a flea market, but he never thought about where iron skillets came from.

“They were just there. They came with the family. A child is born, a black iron skillet appears in the cupboard under the sink.”

Seasoning your skillet

If you have a new piece of original cast-iron cookware, you’ll have to season the cookware before using it. Seasoning is a process of applying a thin coat of cooking oil to the entire surface of the cookware, inside and out, then baking the oil into the cookware, creating a natural nonstick finish.

Here’s how it’s done.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Wash the cookware with mild detergent using a stiff brush. Rinse and towel-dry the cookware thoroughly.

• Spread or spray a thin coat of melted solid shortening or spray-on vegetable oil over the entire surface of the pan, including handle and exterior surfaces.

• Lower both your oven racks to the two bottom positions. Line the lower rack with aluminum foil (to catch drippings), and place the cookware upside down on middle rack of the oven, and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, leaving the cookware in the oven until cool.

• Original-finish cookware will come out slightly brown and ready to use. Repeating this process will further season the cookware, turn it even darker and improve the appearance.

Caring for cast-iron cookware

• After cooking, clean the pan with hot water and a stiff brush. Never use a harsh detergent, as it can remove the seasoning. Towel dry thoroughly.

• While the pan is dry but still warm from the hot-water bath, wipe a light coat of vegetable oil or cooking spray on all surfaces. Store in a cool dry place. To allow air circulation, do not store lids on the pot or pan.

• If you notice a metallic taste or see signs of rust, simply scour off the rust, wash the cookware with soap and hot water, dry thoroughly, and season again.

Source: Lodge Manufacturing

Tex-Mex Chorizo Strata

Jim Plymale, chef at Buddy’s Bar & Grill, created this recipe for this story. The recipe is now on the Sunday brunch menu.

3 pounds chorizo sausage

2 green bell peppers, diced

2 medium onions, diced

1 small can diced green chilies

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 slices Texas toast, grilled

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

12 eggs, beaten

2 cups half-and-half

Garnishes: salsa, sour cream and chopped scallions

Brown chorizo sausage in 10-inch iron skillet. Remove sausage from pan, draining all but two tablespoons grease. Saute green peppers, onion, chilies and garlic in skillet; remove from pan.

Place Texas toast in bottom of skillet, layer vegetables and chorizo sausage over bread, and top with grated cheeses. Beat eggs and half-and-half together. Pour into skillet, covering all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until firm. Allow to cool 30 minutes. Slice into 8 wedges. Garnish with salsa, sour cream and chopped scallions.

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unavailable

Bella Notte Roasted Artichoke Dip

Kevin Toyoda, executive chef at Bella Notte, took the idea of artichoke dip and added a few things to make a tasty iron-skillet dish.

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons yellow onion, minced

2 ounces butter

2 ounces all purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup pecorino and romano cheese, grated

1/2 cup pecorino and romano cheese for topping

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 cranks black pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

1 jar (12 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

In a 2-quart iron skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic and onion in butter until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon and cook, continually stirring, for 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in cream and broth, and continue cooking until it reaches a boil. Stir in 2/3 cup grated cheese, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt and pepper until cheese has melted completely.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and artichoke hearts. Taste for seasoning; you can adjust by adding more salt or pepper. Top with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 to 8 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips or baked pita bread.

Note: If you make the dip ahead of time, it can be refrigerated for as long as 3 days in an airtight container. Try adding chopped boiled shrimp with the artichoke hearts.

Yield: 12 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unavailable