Every home cook needs a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet in their toolbox. I call it the most versatile skillet as it’s perfect for every meal and can go from the stovetop, oven, grill - even campfire - to the table.
In SKILLET LOVE, Anne Byrn, New York Times best-selling author of The Cake Mix Doctor and its sequels, shares more than 150 recipes from steak to cake – all made in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Noteworthy recipes from the following chapters include:
Small Plates & Snacks:
Fried Green Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic Ranch
Little Corn and Buckwheat Blini with Toppings
Beer-Battered Onion Rings
Bread, Biscuits & Buns:
Potato Raisin Bread Spiral
Challah Wreath
Homemade English Muffins
Brunch at Home:
Dutch Baby
French Toast Challah Bake
Croque Monsieur
Salads & Veggie Sides:
Hot Bacon and Romaine Salad with Basil Buttermilk Dressing
Warm Baby Kale Salad with Skillet-Roasted Chickpeas
Mike’s Sweet Potato Soufflé
Sweets:
Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Cake
Georgia Burnt Caramel Cake
Pumpkin Bourbon Tart with Pecan Crumble
In the final chapter, The Pantry, Byrn includes all the “extra touches” that give dishes that something special - added texture or the deepening of flavor - like slow-roasting chickpeas, tomatoes, nuts, as well as cherries and jalapeños for a sweet and spicy salsa.
Byrn will teach you the Ten Principles of Cast-Iron Cooking, how to select and care for as well as the history of cast-iron skillets and their health benefits (hint: if you’re low in iron, you need a cast-iron skillet). Byrn also includes 15 Fast and Fabulous Ways to Use Your Cast-Iron Skillet, like how to char lemons, caramelize onions, sear fish, even how to bake frozen fish in milk with onions and press and sear panini.
Try this delicious chicken recipe this weekend.
STICKY CHICKEN THIGHS with Ginger and Garlic
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Prep: 20 minutes / Marinate: As little as 20 minutes or up to 4 hours / Cook: 55 to 60 minutes
"The iron skillet loves recipes in which the marinade and sauce cook and caramelize in the pan. When this simple sauce of honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger simmers down, it gets syrupy and sticky. Chicken thighs are basted with these sticky pan juices, turning the chicken a gorgeous mahogany color. What’s left of the sauce can be served over the chicken and rice and is even more delicious the next day." ~Anne Byrn
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1⁄2 cup honey (see Note)
1⁄2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
Steamed white rice, for serving
Green onion slivers, for garnish
1. Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat, and put them in a medium glass bowl or zipper-lock bag.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and soy sauce. Fold in the garlic and ginger. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken thighs and turn to coat. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and let the chicken marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Pour the chicken and marinade into a 12-inch skillet. Tuck the edges of the chicken under to form rounded thighs that dome in the center. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet and turn the chicken, basting with the pan juices. Return to the oven for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the skillet from the oven and place it over medium-low heat. Let the chicken and marinade simmer, turning the chicken every 2 or 3 minutes, until the marinade thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. The chicken will have turned a mahogany color, and the juices will be syrupy and sticky. Serve with rice, and garnish with slivers of green onion.
NOTE: Spray a liquid measuring cup with vegetable oil before measuring honey. The oil keeps the honey from sticking to the cup.
Excerpted SKILLET LOVE: From Steak to Cake: More Than 150 Recipes in One Cast-Iron Pan. Copyright © 2019 by Anne Byrn. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.
The chapter on Main dishes breaks down into four sections covering Vegetarian Skillet Dishes (Mushroom and Cheddar Dinner Strata and Family-Style Mexican Lasagna), Chicken in the Skillet (get the recipe for Sticky Chicken Thighs with Ginger and Garlic below), Seafood in the Pan (Gluten-Free Skillet Gumbo an The Best Shrimp and Grits), and Steaks, Chops, Roasts & More Seared Rib-Eye Steak with Red Wine Pan Sauce and Seared Lamb Chops with Tomato and Mint Slaw).