Will It Skillet? 53 Irresistible and Unexpected Recipes to Make in a Cast-Iron Skillet

Discover a new world of cast-iron cooking. From Dan Shumski, who last applied his out-of-the-box food-loving sensibility to Will It Waffle?, here are 53 surprising, delicious, and ingenious recipes for the cast-iron skillet.

Savor the simplicity of Toast with Olive Oil and Tomato, because you just can’t achieve that perfect oil-toasted crust in a toaster. For Homemade Corn Tortillas, no special equipment required—use the pan to flatten and cook them. (Then serve your tortillas with Single-Skillet Carnitas or Charred Tomato Salsa—or make Chilaquiles.) Take popcorn to another level with clarified butter. Enjoy a Spinach and Feta Dip that stays warm from the residual heat of the pan. Plus pastas that come together in one skillet—no separate boiling required; perfectly charred roasted vegetables; beautiful breads and pizzas; and luscious desserts from a giant chocolate chip cookie to the sophisticated Layered Crepe Torte with Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Jam.

Includes detailed information on buying, seasoning, and caring for your cast-iron skillet—and turning it into a nonstick kitchen workhorse.


 

Daniel Shumski, author of Will It Waffle?, is a writer and editor who has hunted ramen in Tokyo for the Washington Post and tracked down ice cream in Buenos Aires for the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Montreal, where his French is still a work in progress.


 

CONTENTS


Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 1: Before You Begin . . . 3
Choosing Your Skillet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Seasoning Your Skillet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Cleaning Your Skillet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Salvaging Cast Iron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Useful Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Recipe Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 2: Breakfast and Brunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Toast with Olive Oil and Tomato. . . . . 17
Egg in a Basket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
French-Toasted Waffles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chilaquiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 A
pple–Sour Cream Skillet-Size Pancake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Big Berry Muffin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Sausage, Cheddar, and Broccoli Strata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Giant Cinnamon Bun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Crepes with Raspberries and Mascarpone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter 3: Snacks, Dips,and Sides . . . 45
Toasted Spice Mixes (Gomashio,Toasted Cumin, Za’atar) . . .  47
Popcorn in Clarified Butter . . . 51
Parmesan Tuiles . . .  55
Skillet-Pressed Corn Tortillas . . . 59
Fainá (Chickpea Flatbread) . . .  61
Spinach and Feta Dip . . .  64
Pizza Dip . . . 67
Charred Tomato Salsa . . . 70
Roasted Shredded Brussels Sprouts . . . 73
Salt-Roasted Potatoes . . . 77
Bacon-Potato Skillet Bread . . . 79
Buttered Basmati Rice . . . 83
Monkey Pretzel Bread . . . 85

Chapter 4: Main Courses . . . 89
Pressed Grilled Cheese . . . 91
Grilled Vegetable and Cheddar Nachos . . . 93
Peanut and Tofu Skillet Stir-Fry . . . 97
Potato-Crusted Ham Quiche . . . 99
Mozzarella and Mushroom Calzone . . .  103
Mac and Cheese . . . 106
Deep-Dish Pizza . . . 108
Tortilla Española . . . 113
Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Ricotta . . . 115
Ricotta, Spinach,and Mushroom Lasagna . . . 118
Single-Skillet Carnitas . . . 122
Shakshuka . . . 125
Seared Rib Eye Steak with Skillet Sauce . . . 128 C
ouscous with Apricots and Cashews . . . 131
Gnocchi with Goat Cheese and Skillet-Roasted Tomatoes . . . 134
Okonomiyaki . . . 38
Seafood Paella . . . 142
Scallop Risotto . . . 145
Chicken Potpie (in a Skillet) . . . 148

Chapter 5: Desserts . . . 151
Giant Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie . . . 153
Waffle Bread Pudding . . . 155
Rice Pudding . . . 159
Pluot Clafoutis . . . 161
Chocolate Cake . . . 165
Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies . . . 167
Mixed Fruit Galette . . . 171
Peach Cobbler . . . 174
Spiced Apple Funnel Cakes . . . 177
Layered Crepe Torte with Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Jam . . . 180
Upside-Down Apricot Skillet Cake . . . 185
Skillet-Deep Apple Pie . . . 188

Appendix: Developing Your Own Skillet Recipes . . . 193

Conversion Tables . . . 195

Index . . . 199

About the Author . . . 208