A skillet can do it all, from cakes and pies to crumbles and cobblers. It especially loves fruits. When they cook, the juices and natural sugars caramelize and that’s what brings out the flavor. Crusts and crumble toppings also come out nice and crunchy because of the fat in them. A skillet is perfect for coffee cakes, sticky buns and other sweet rolls, too.
Don’t place a cherished, passed-down skillet on the outdoor grill and ruin it. To keep it from cracking, always place the skillet on a gas grill first and then turn on the gas. The skillet will slowly heat up as the grill does. When it’s time to cook meat or fish, lubricate the pan with a little bit of oil to create a barrier between the food and iron.
After cooking meats and vegetables, make use of the heat that’s left in the skillet to make a sauce. After cooking a steak, add some red wine to the juices left behind and scrape. Then add some capers or shallots or both, a dab of Dijon mustard and whisk in some butter. You will end up with a delicious red wine sauce.
POTATO–RAISIN BREAD SPIRAL
Makes 12 to 16 servings
1 medium baking potato, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups water
1 package (0.25 ounce) active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/3 cup sugar, divided
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil, for greasing
Note:This skillet recipe is a nod to the old Irish fruit pan bread, writes author Anne Byrn. The potato and raisins help to keep the bread moist. If you prefer a glossy appearance, glaze the bread with a beaten egg before placing it in the oven.
Directions:
1. Place the cubed potato in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes, reserving the cooking water. Mash potatoes in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Transfer 1 cup of the potato water to a large bowl. Whisk in yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar until dissolved.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of the mashed potatoes to the yeast mixture.
5. Add 1 cup of flour. Beat with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on medium speed until the ingredients are combined.
6. Let the mixture rest until it bubbles up slightly, about 20 minutes.
7. Add the remaining sugar, 3 cups flour, eggs, melted butter, raisins and salt.
8. Beat with the electric mixer on medium speed until the dough is soft and combined. Add 1/2 to 1 cup more flour as needed so that the dough comes together and away from the sides of the bowl. With the mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the dough until it comes into a ball, 3 to 4 minutes. (You can also knead by hand until it comes into a ball, about 5 minutes.)
9. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
10. With oiled or floured hands, punch down the dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and roll with your hands into a rope that is 20 to 22 inches long.
11. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 12-inch skillet with vegetable oil. Pick up the dough rope and lay it in the skillet, starting at the edge and letting it coil like a snake, ending in the center. Cover the skillet with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 40 minutes.
12. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes.
13. Tent the skillet with foil and continue to bake until the bread sounds hollow when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes.
14. Remove the skillet from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the skillet. Lift up the potato bread and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing, about 30 minutes.
—“Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake” by Anne Byrn
BEST EVER SKILLET PIZZA
Makes 4 to 6 servings as an appetizer and 2 to 3 servings as a meal
1 pound store-bought pizza dough
1 to 2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Honey, for brushing
Red pepper flakes, optional
Note: It is important to heat the skillet at 450 degrees before placing the dough in the pan. You can use store-bought dough here. If you freeze the dough, make sure to let it rest on the counter for an hour to thaw. This dough takes slightly less time to cook (15 minutes) than the homemade crust (15-20 minutes), author Anne Byrn says.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat a 12-inch skillet on the stove top over medium-heat until quite hot, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. While the skillet is heating, stretch out dough to get it as thin as possible, about 12 inches in diameter. You can do this in the air or by pressing it out with your hands on a cornmeal-dusted work surface.
4. Sprinkle cornmeal in the hot skillet.
5. Taking care not to burn your fingers, place the dough in the pan on top of the cornmeal. Press dough halfway up the sides of the pan (it will shrink back and that’s OK).
6. Whisk together olive oil and garlic and brush the mixture over the dough. Spoon on the tomato sauce. (Add desired toppings at this point.)
7. Scatter cheese all over. Brush honey on the crust edges and sprinkle red pepper flakes on top of the honey, if desired.
8. Turn off the stove and place the skillet in the oven.
9. Bake until the cheese has melted and just starts to brown, and the crust edges are browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges and slide the pizza out onto a board to slice and serve.
—“Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake” by Anne Byrn
Topping variations:
Garden Vegetable: After spooning on the tomato sauce, add 1/2 cup of store-bought pesto, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top. Slice 2 beefsteak tomatoes, mini yellow, red and orange peppers (2 each) and 4 to 5 pickled jalapeno slices and place them over the cheese.
Scatter the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese and bake following the recipe’s directions.
Eggplant Parm: After spooning on the tomato sauce, add mozzarella cheese. Slice 2 medium Japanese eggplants into thin rounds and put them in a bowl of cold water until they are ready to be cooked. In a skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant slices in batches and pan-fry until they are slightly brown on both sides. Add more oil if needed. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt to taste. Place slices on top of the crust.
Scatter 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese over the vegetables. Bake following the recipe’s directions. After taking the skillet out of the oven, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chopped basil while the pizza is hot.
CHOCOLATE CHIP SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
Makes 12 servings
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
12-16 thin orange slices
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Note: Anne Byrn is not kidding when she writes that this coffeecake is a good reason to eat cake before noon. I would add that it works for breakfast, too. It is not too sweet and the oranges add a nice flavor. It’s best to use thin-skinned seedless oranges as otherwise the cake might turn out slightly bitter.
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, swirling the skillet to distribute the butter evenly, about 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the melted butter. Place the orange slices on top of the sugar, creating a decorative pattern, either overlapping them in circles or creating concentric circles of slices.
4. Heat the skillet for another 2 to 3 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve. Remove the skillet from the heat.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt.
6. Add the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter, oil, sour cream and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed (or by hand) until just combined, 1 minute. Fold in chocolate chips.
7. Dump the batter into the skillet on top of the oranges. Bake until the top of the coffeecake has lightly browned and is firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes.
8. Run a knife around the edges of the skillet to loosen the coffeecake. Invert the skillet onto a wooden board lined with parchment paper. If any of the oranges stick to the bottom of the skillet, slide under them with a small metal spatula and place them on top of the cake.
9. If you want a more dramatic look, slide the parchment onto a baking sheet and run it under the broiler until the oranges and sugar are caramelized.
—“Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake” by Anne Byrn
