Too Pretty To Use? by Lauren Miller September 16, 2021 by Jill Foucre 1 Comment Have you ever bought something because you thought it was pretty? Of course you have! Well, have you ever bought a kitchen PAN because you thought it was pretty? I’m guessing not too many people have. After months of eyeing the Le Creuset enameled cast iron Signature Skillet in the Deep Teal finish, I finally had to have it. I brought that baby home and boy was she pretty! And then, she sat in the kitchen cabinet. And sat. I didn’t want to “mess” it up and get my pretty new pan all dirty and marked up. And (confession time here), I had never cooked in a cast iron skillet before! After a few months of it sitting unused in my kitchen, it was time to break this new pan in and try out some recipes. I looked around online and decided to start with two savory recipes and two sweet recipes. The initial debut was a giant chocolate chip cookie, baked to perfection! The pan gave it a perfectly crispy exterior and wonderfully gooey interior, and was fantastic served warm with vanilla ice cream. Definitely a treat for the whole family! I then followed up with a spinach frittata, peach cobbler and tasty breakfast potatoes. All were delicious and fun to make! My pretty new pan led me to try some new recipes and is still as pretty as ever! As I continue to discover new dishes to be made in my skillet, soon I will be a more seasoned cook, just like my cast iron skillet. Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie 2021-09-16 15:11:05 Print Ingredients 12 Tablespoons butter 1 ½ sticks melted and cooled until warm 1 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Instructions Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Add butter to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds, or until most of it has melted. Allow it to cool for a few minutes. Add melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar to a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt, just until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Press the cookie dough into a 10’’ or 12’’ cast iron skillet (or a regular, oven-safe skillet would work). Bake for 28-35 minutes or until it looks just barely golden. Don’t over-bake it, especially since it will continue to cook in the hot skillet when you take it out of the oven. Allow to cool in the skillet for at least 20-30 minutes before cutting. Slice cookie into pieces and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Adapted from tastesbetterfromscratch.com Adapted from tastesbetterfromscratch.com Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/ Skillet Home Fries 2021-09-16 15:19:30 Print Ingredients 2 pounds new potatoes, chopped 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Instructions In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Cube potatoes into about 1/2-inch cubes. You can leave the skin on. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a simmer. Add potatoes and boil until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Then drain potatoes. Add oil to a large cast iron skillet (or heavy skillet) over medium heat. Add the drained potatoes and spread them out over the surface of the pan. Let sit for five minutes. Stir potatoes once they are starting to crisp up a bit. Add half of the seasoning mix to the potatoes. Continue to let the potatoes cook over medium heat. Don’t over-stir them. Let them sit and get crispy. Keep cooking for 10-15 more minutes until the potatoes are nicely crisp. Add the rest of the spice seasoning near the end of cooking. Serve the potatoes while warm with eggs and ketchup if that’s your thing. Adapted from macheesmo.com Adapted from macheesmo.com Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/ Skillet Peach Cobbler 2021-09-16 15:23:06 Print For the Peach Cobbler Filling The juice and zest from one large lemon; about 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice 4 – 4 ½ lbs (about 10 cups sliced) fresh, ripe peaches (*You can also use frozen peaches; see note below) ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (226g) packed dark brown sugar ½ teaspoon almond extract ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons (21g) cornstarch For the topping 1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (½ tsp table salt) 10 tablespoons (5oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (132g) packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (62g) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Make the Peach Cobbler Filling Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Coat a well seasoned 12-inch cast iron skillet with a generous layer of butter. You can also use a 9×13 rectangle baking dish or a seasoned carbon steel pan. Put the lemon juice and zest into a large bowl. Peel the peaches, remove the pit, and cut into ¼-inch slices. Add the peaches to the bowl with the lemon juice as you slice them, tossing them gently from time to time in the juice to coat. The lemon juice will help keep them from browning. Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the bowl with the peaches and toss gently to mix. Pour the filing into the skillet, smoothing it out into an even layer, and bake for 15 minutes. While it bakes, prepare the topping. Make the Brown Sugar Cobbler Topping Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and stir to mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula, or your fingers, just until all the dry ingredients are moistened and the mixture comes together into a soft dough. Do not over mix. Remove the pan with the peach filling from the oven. Use your fingers to crumble the topping over the peach filling into an even layer. Put the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 45-55 minutes, until the peach filling is bubbling up all around the edges of the pan and the topping is golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before scooping into bowls and serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. How to make cobbler with frozen peaches If you're using frozen peaches, you'll want 10 cups; between 45 and 50 ounces. There is no need to thaw frozen peaches before making the filling. Just toss them with the rest of the filling ingredients and dump them into the pan. Spread the cobbler topping over them and bake as directed. It might take a bit longer to bake your cobbler if you're using frozen peaches, so just be patient if it's not quite finished baking after 45-55 minutes. Adapted from ofbatteranddough.com Adapted from ofbatteranddough.com Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/ Frittata 2021-09-16 15:26:33 Print Ingredients 6 large eggs, enough to cover the ingredients 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 4 slices thick-cut bacon (8 ounces), chopped (optional) 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cups baby spinach (2 ounces) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves 1 cup shredded cheese, such as Gruyère, Fontina, or cheddar (optional) Instructions Heat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Whisk the eggs and cream together. Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl; set aside. Cook the bacon. Place the bacon in a cold 10- to 12-inch nonstick ovensafe frying pan or cast iron skillet, then turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. (If omitting the bacon, heat 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet, then proceed with adding the potatoes). Saute the potatoes in bacon fat. Return the pan to medium-heat, add the potatoes and sprinkle with the pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Wilt the spinach with the garlic and thyme. Pile the spinach into the pan with the garlic and thyme, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Add the bacon back to the pan and stir to evenly distribute. Add the cheese. Spread the vegetables into an even layer, flattening with a spatula. Sprinkle the cheese on top and let it just start to melt. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cheese. Tilt the pan to make sure the eggs settle evenly over all the vegetables. Cook for a minute or two until you see the eggs at the edges of the pan beginning to set. Bake the frittata for 8 to 10 minutes. Bake until the eggs are set, 8 to 10 minutes. To check, cut a small slit in the center of the frittata. If raw eggs run into the cut, bake for another few minutes; if the eggs are set, pull the frittata from the oven. For a browned, crispy top, run the frittata under the broiler for a minute or two at the end of cooking. Cool and serve. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve. Notes Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Adapted from thekitchn.com Adapted from thekitchn.com Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Pamela Smith says September 16, 2021 at 8:05 pm Thank you for the recipes. This is almost exactly my story. I bought a cast iron skillet from Marcel’s during the holidays used it once and still sitting in my cabinet. I’ll use it more now. Thanks Reply