Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors (10 page)

⅔ cup hot water

4 teaspoons sesame oil or vegetable oil, divided

1 teaspoon salt, divided

½ cup finely chopped green onions, divided

¼ cup vegetable oil, for cooking

1 cup smoked salmon, broken into 1-inch pieces

Pickled ginger, for garnish (optional)

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  Preheat the oven to 225°F.

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  Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Place a moist towel over the 3 pieces you are not working with. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Rub the top lightly with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, then sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons green onions. Starting at one end, roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll. Starting at one end of the rolled log, coil it up lengthwise like a snail shell. Set aside and cover with a moist towel. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough.

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  On a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin, carefully roll out each dough coil to form a ¼- to ½-inch-thick pancake. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add a pancake and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer to a baking sheet in the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

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  To serve, assemble the pancakes by placing 2 teaspoons crème fraîche sauce, a piece of salmon, 1 or 2 cucumber slices, and a slice of pickled ginger atop each pancake wedge.

sizzling shrimp

Always keep a bag of frozen shrimp in your freezer, available to serve as a last-minute appetizer. They don’t take long to thaw, and cooking them takes only 5 minutes. Besar is a spice blend from the United Arab Emirates—it is a combination of cinnamon, Tellicherry pepper, cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, and chili flakes; it pairs well with just about any savory dish. These spicy-sweet cocktail shrimp disappear quickly. Serve directly from the skillet.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

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  Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the smoked paprika, brown sugar, oregano, and sea salt. Stir until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and turn several times with a spatula. Add the lemon zest and besar and cook until shrimp are pink all the way through, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and sriracha sauce, and serve warm in the skillet.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 pound shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), shelled, well drained, and patted dry

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon besar spice blend (optional)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Dash of sriracha or other hot sauce

albacore tuna cakes with lemon parsley sauce

These are a great and inexpensive alternative to crab cakes. Dolphin-safe, albacore white tuna packed in water is our favorite. You can also add 1 tablespoon capers for a nice pickled flavor. Pass around a basket of lightly grilled rustic bread.

MAKES 10 CAKES

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  Preheat the oven to 250°F.

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  To prepare the cakes, in a large bowl, crumble the tuna into small pieces. Add the mayonnaise and mix. Add the egg, lemon zest and juice, saltines, pickle, paprika, cumin, mustard, Worcestershire, goat cheese, and pepper, and mix well. Form ¼ cup of the mixture into a ball, then flatten into a disk or cake and place on a baking sheet.

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  Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cover a cooling rack with layers of paper towels to drain the cakes. Add 5 cakes, without crowding, to the pan.

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  Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side, turning the cakes with a spatula. If the pan starts to smoke, turn the heat down to medium. Transfer from the pan to the paper towels, then place on a baking sheet and put in the oven to keep warm. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and cook the rest of the cakes. Dress the greens and arrange on individual plates. Place one or two cakes on each bed of greens.

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  To prepare the sauce, combine the mayonnaise or aioli with the parsley and paprika until smooth. Place 1 teaspoon of the aioli on each cake and serve.

CAKES

2 (7-ounce) cans albacore tuna, drained

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 saltine squares, crushed

1 dill pickle, finely chopped

½ teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking

Salad greens, for serving

Light citrus dressing, for serving

LEMON PARSLEY SAUCE

4 tablespoons mayonnaise or Lemon Aioli (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

 lemon aioli 

When making aioli, be careful not to over-whisk it or the mixture will separate. However, if this happens, you can beat another egg yolk in a separate bowl, pour in the separated aioli, and carefully whisk to combine.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

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  Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and salt into a paste. Transfer to a medium-sized glass or other nonreactive bowl. Add the egg yolk and whisk well. Stir in the water and lemon juice. Gradually whisk in the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until you have incorporated about ⅔ cup. Whisking constantly, drizzle the remaining olive oil into the aioli in a very slow stream. If the aioli is too thick, add another teaspoon of water and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

2 cloves garlic

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon water

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil

mushroom duxelles and goat cheese crostini

We have always loved the simplicity of sautéed mushrooms on toast. The goat cheese with the mushrooms is so delicious, these crostini disappear quickly!

MAKES 35 CROSTINI

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  Preheat the broiler.

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  Place the baguette slices in a single layer on two baking sheets. Combine the garlic and the olive oil. With a pastry brush, brush the baguette slices with about 1 teaspoon of the mixture. Place under the broiler and watch carefully until the tops start to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. When light brown, remove from the oven with tongs. Flip over the slices and brush the other side with the olive oil-garlic mixture and broil until light brown, another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove, turn off oven, and set aside.

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  To prepare the duxelles, place the mushrooms on several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with the salt and let sit for 3 minutes.

CROSTINI

1 baguette, sliced at an angle or diagonally, ½-inch thick

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup olive oil, divided

DUXELLES

¾ pound fresh cremini mushrooms or assorted mushrooms such as chanterelles, cremini, hedgehog, or morels, cleaned and finely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup fresh goat cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper