Cast Iron Cooking
I had a whole chicken from None Such Farms that I cut up. I decided to make a stew or roast in my cast iron skillet and serve it with a nice summer salad.
I have had my cast iron skillet since 1979. It’s a 12″ American-made model that I’ve cured and nurtured through the years. It’s been a workhorse, one that I appreciate almost every day.
Here’s how I made this Skillet Roasted Chicken:
I sprinkled the chicken parts with salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin and pimentón (sweet Spanish paprika) and let it sit while I started the base for the roast.
I cut 2 thick slices of bacon into 1/4″ batons and crisped them in the skillet with about 2 T olive oil. I took them out with a slotted spoon and drained them on paper towels. In the same skillet with the bacon drippings I browned the seasoned chicken in two batches. I set the chicken aside.
After draining off all but about 2 T of the grease, I added a big glug of olive oil to the skillet. To that I added 1 small onion, sliced and 1 bell pepper, sliced and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. I softened the veggies for about 6 minutes. I added 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves and cooked that down for about 1-2 minutes, until aromatic. To that I added about 10 small cherry tomatoes, cut in half. Then I added 2 bay leaves and 3 sprigs fresh oregano (you can substitute a pinch of dried if you don’t have any fresh). I deglazed the whole thing with 1/2 cup dry white wine, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the skillet. Then I added the bacon and reduced the sauce for about 5 minutes. I poured the sauce with the vegies and bacon into a bowl. Then I put the chicken back in the skillet in a single layer, poured the sauce, vegies and bacon over the whole thing. I then roasted the chicken in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes.
I took the chicken out when it was done and gave it a squeeze of half a lemon and topped it with sea salt.
It was delicious with a salad and warm crusty bread. And I stayed inside in the cool AC watching an episode of Veep, All so good…
One of the new cool, and highly functional, products we’ve brought into the store is this light weight griddle that can be used to make this recipe. It can also be used on a grill for a great side dish of potatoes or other vegies.
As always, thanks for checking in! Until next time. Ciao!