Need a Non-stick Skillet? - and Caramelized Onions?

 

When you treat your cast iron skillet correctly, you have an outstanding non-stick skillet! I've been told that much longer that you, dear reader, have been around - unless you are over 70 years old. Then I'll congratulate you on being tech savvy and assure you that I was not quite ten when Mom made certain I knew how important her cast iron skillet was to good meal preparation. 

Not all people understand the principle, and use soap, scrapers, or just leave some burned on food in the pan and complain (loudly sometimes) that "Whoever said iron skillets were non-stick are out of their mind!" But, we really aren't. My daughters got the news, and the youngest bragged on hers - with photo - during an online Pampered Chef party. A couple of members of our household are working on "getting it," but aren't there yet. So, in case you (or a loved one) haven't gotten it yet, let's look at some of the possible solutions.

Cook's Illustrated has an article on How to Clean a Cast-Iron Pan  - and that link will open in a new window when you use it - that has some excellent suggestions. It also explains why a cast iron pan does so many things well that other pans simply cannot, although they look awesome and are quite impressive. The iron pans literally can go where others can't, plus hold up under the most strenuous conditions.

I don't know what happened to my Mom's when she passed away. So much happened between that September and the following spring when Dad sold their home and moved into a fold-out trailer, staying with us in winter and summer. But I do remember one year he cleaned it for her. It much have been close to 30 years old at the time - I was married, and they got it right after they married. The pans pick up a lot on the outside, too. Mom asked Dad if he could clean it.

Dad worked for American Airlines at the Maintenance Facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Aircraft parts were cleaned using high speed blasting of walnut shells, which absorbed the oil and grease, leaving the parts clean. Dad got permission to hang Mom's skillet with a batch going through the cleaner - and it came out the softest, cleanest, gray that you've ever seen. I know that she had to bite her tongue for a while - she had asked for it to be cleaned - as she got it seasoned again.

A correctly seasoned cast iron skillet is non-stick. That's why we need to buy quality, and keep it correctly seasoned. But - sometimes we mess up. That's what happened to Rochelle Bilow as she explained in The Kitchn, August 5, 2020. She, to put it mildly, overbaked sweet potatoes in hers. Then she explains how to clean it by carmelizing onions in it. That is worth keeping! Which is why I wrote this blog - to keep it handy for me. Also, just in case the link should fail, here's how she did it - making caramelized onions:

"As the onions finished cooking, my kitchen smelled ah-mazing and I realized that I’d soon have a delicious topper for the bakery bread I’d just purchased. I also noticed that my cast-iron pan was almost back to its shiny, glossy self. All it took was a quick swipe with an oiled cloth (I keep one in a small bowl next to my stove for cast-iron maintenance), and my pan was ready for another cooking session. My pan was so glossy, I could see the reflection of my kitchen windows in it."

The Kitchn's How to Caramelize Onions explains: "It’s best to caramelize three or four big onions at once in a process that takes about an hour." Yes, you can do this with one or two onions, but since they can be used in many ways, it's better to do as many as you have.  Especially since The Kitchen found that the process cannot be rushed. Increased heat will scorch them, additives too early and the flavor will change. Keep the burner set to medium and cook slowly, checking every five minutes or so to scrap the bottom of the pan, stir together and adjust the heat to avoid any scorching or burning.  Count on it taking an hour. If it reaches "just right" before an hour, you are exceptional - enjoy it. Oh, and "just right" is determined by your taste buds, so take a bite when you think they are ready.

Take time to read the article to learn about the "fond" from the bottom of the skillet. You will not get this from a true "non stick skillet," but a cast iron (or stainless steel) is excellent for it, and you will have onions to use:

How to Use Caramelized Onions

So you’ve made caramelized onions — now what? Pile a spoonful of caramelized onions on baguette slices for a quick appetizer. You can also stir a scoop into soups, stir-fries, casseroles, pasta sauces, or braised dishes. They can go on top of pizza, layered onto burgers and sandwiches, or added to salads. I have trouble thinking of any dish that couldn’t use some caramelized onions! 

Here is The Kitchn's recipe from that same page with: 

INGREDIENTS:

2 to 4 large yellow onions

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, olive oil, or a mix

1/4 cup white or red wine, vegetable or chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, or water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda (optional)

1 tablespoon water (optional)

 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

• Slice the onions. Trim the tip and root from 2 to 4 yellow onions. Halve each onion from root to stem, then remove the skins. Thinly slice each half from root to stem.
• Heat the fat. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat, or heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering.
• Add the onions. Add all the onions to the skillet and stir them gently to coat with the fat.
• Caramelize the onions. Cook the onions, checking on them every 5 minutes. Stir the onions and scrape up any fond that forms on the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Exact cooking times will vary with the number of onions you're cooking, their liquid and sugar content, and their age.

• Around 10 Minutes: Onions will start to soften and turn translucent in spots. They will release a lot of liquid into the pan.

• Around 20 Minutes: Onions will be very soft and starting to break down. Some onions will start to show spots of caramelization and you may see some fond starting to build up in the pan. They will also start to smell caramelized. Adjust the heat if the onions seem to be cooking too quickly or you notice any burnt spots.

• Around 30 Minutes: Onions should be light blonde in color and starting to become jammy. More fond is starting to build up, but it should still be fairly easy to scrape it up with the evaporating liquid from the onions.

• Around 40 Minutes: Onions are golden and starting to smell very caramelized. Taste one — if you like the way they taste, you can stop now! For even deeper caramelized flavor, continue cooking.

• Deglaze the pan and salt the onions. When your onions have finished cooking, pour in 1/4 cup wine, broth, balsamic vinegar, or water. As the liquid bubbles, scrape up the fond and stir it into the onions. Use additional liquid as necessary to scrape up all the fond. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
• Add baking soda, if desired. Mix 1/8 teaspoon baking soda into 1 tablespoon water until dissolved, then add to the onions. Cook, stirring constantly, until the water evaporates, about 30 seconds.

Now, don't you agree that method of cleaning a cast iron skillet is a lot better than my Dad's? With a bunch of caramelized onions in your refrigerator for the next couple of weeks for any number of opportunities to add taste to dishes. And, a clean cast iron skillet.