All about Cast Iron



I can't believe how long its been since the first Dishing with Dawn and I've yet to post on the night!  Shame on me and I promise to post more frequently, starting now! 





I had the best time during the first DWD .  The evening was my idea of perfection filled with my favorites- good food, good company and good wine.  When reviewing the night, I quickly picked up on its unsung star...the cast iron skillet.  Each dish made during DWD was created in this extremely versatile pan so I'm going to review some important tips to keep in mind when using a cast iron skillet:

Shrimp and Grits

Today's cast iron skillets can be found pre-seasoned, which omits the difficult step of seasoning the pan.  I recommend the brand Lodge Logic, which can be found locally at Pleasant's Hardware.

Cast iron takes longer to warm than other surfaces but retains heat remarkably well and diffuses it evenly.

Do not attempt to boil water in the skillet, this will cause the pan to rust.

Never apply soap to a cast iron skillet.  Cast iron is porous, and these pores are sealed with cooking oils. Not only does this create the non-stick surface and prevent rust, the "seasoning" of the pan adds flavor to your food.

Although the heat of cast iron cookware will kill any germs, I always clean my skillet using ONLY hot water and elbow grease using a cloth, nylon scrubby, or other very mild scrubbing tool. 

Never place the skillet in the dishwasher. 

Clean the pan while it is still somewhat hot from cooking, dry thoroughly and lightly grease using oil or bacon grease to prevent rusting.

To protect against rusting, store the skillet with the lid off. 



Blackberries simmering in skillet for the cobbler



Please feel free to ask questions, request recipes or give feedback.  Stay tuned for upcoming tips and recipes and as always, Happy Dishing!