Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors (5 page)

apple french toast bread pudding

This makes a delicious breakfast, served with crispy bacon or sausage and fresh orange juice. Sometimes we just crumble the bacon right on top!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

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  To prepare the apples, melt the butter in a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon, and ½ cup of the sugar and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the water and cook until caramelized, about 5 more minutes. Transfer from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.

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  To prepare the bread pudding, in a large bowl, beat the eggs, half-and-half, remaining granulated sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, remaining cinnamon, cardamom, orange zest, and vanilla together until blended and the eggs are well combined. Rub the clean skillet all over with the softened butter. Lay half of the bread strips flat in the skillet, sprinkle with half of the apple mixture, then top with the remaining bread slices. Cover the other half of the apple mixture and refrigerate. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and press down with the back of a spatula to make sure the bread soaks up the egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 apples, peeled, cored, and diced into ½-inch pieces

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

¾ cup granulated sugar, divided

¼ cup water

6 large eggs

1½ cups half-and-half

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

10 to 12 slices French bread, thick sliced, crust removed, cut into 4-inch strips

Warm maple syrup, for serving

¼ cup heavy cream, for serving

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  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

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  Remove the pan and the reserved apple mixture from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking. Leaving the foil on, bake the bread pudding for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden on top and somewhat firm in the center, about 25 minutes more.

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  Ten minutes before the bread pudding is finished, add the reserved apple mixture to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot.

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  Cut the bread pudding into wedges, and top with the warm apple mixture, warm maple syrup, and a light drizzle of cream.

papas con chorizo

These quite spicy potatoes are the centerpiece of a weekend brunch. We like to serve them with scrambled eggs and coffee cake. It’s important to use Mexican chorizo, not Spanish, as the two are quite different: Mexican chorizo is spicier and needs to be cooked before eating.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

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  Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water just until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.

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  In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, cook the chorizo over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes. To soak up the extra oil from the sausage, simply blot lightly with paper towels. Add the butter and white onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring, until the potatoes are well blended with the sausage, 6 to 8 minutes. Top with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with the green onions, and serve.

1½ pounds small red potatoes, cut in quarters

6 ounces uncooked Mexican chorizo, removed from casing

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup diced white onion

½ cup sour cream, for topping

½ cup chopped green onions, for topping

crumpets

Many crumpet recipes call for yeast, but in this one the cream of tartar, baking soda, and buttermilk create an active, bubbly batter. Some recipes use molds to form a perfect circle, but we like to have different shapes. We can’t think of a better match than crumpets and cast iron—except, of course, a cup of your favorite tea. Butter and jam are traditional toppings, but we also like to serve the crumpets sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

MAKES 12 CRUMPETS

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  Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar into a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the cold butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles pea-sized lumps. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the eggs and ¼ cup of the buttermilk; whisk well. The flour should gradually come in from the sides and incorporate into the center. Add another ¼ cup of the buttermilk and beat until the dough becomes airy. Add the remaining ½ cup buttermilk and whisk in to blend. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

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  Lightly oil (using 2 teaspoons oil per batch) a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet. Over medium heat, drop spoonfuls of batter, each 2 to 3 tablespoons, into the hot pan and cook until bubbles appear on top. Flip each crumpet over and cook briefly until lightly golden on the bottom. Serve with butter, jam, or apple butter.

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter

Butter, jam, or apple butter, for topping

green chili soufflé with dungeness crab

This is a nice, light, and creamy brunch dish. When corn is in season, use fresh—there’s nothing better! If you can’t find Dungeness crab, you can substitute jumbo lump crabmeat.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

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  Butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly in the skillet. Top with chilies, corn, and remaining cheese. Mix the flour and half-and-half until smooth. Mix in the eggs and blend well. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Place portions on 6 individual plates, top each with 2 tablespoons salsa verde and about 1 ounce crab, and serve immediately.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1½ cups grated medium cheddar cheese

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained

1 cup canned corn, well drained

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups half-and-half

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 (7-ounce) can Embasa salsa verde or other green salsa

½ pound fresh Dungeness crab, for garnish

blueberry sour cream coffee cake

At one of James Beard’s cooking classes back in the early 1970s, he had the class prepare a brunch menu. Everyone came back with a menu that included dishes like veal piccata. James took one look at the menu, threw it down, and demanded, “Where are the coffee cakes? Where are the sausages?” Now we always serve coffee cake and sausages for brunch. The cast iron skillet gives this coffee cake a moist interior and a crunchy, golden crust.