Your Food Thread

[BradBigBrain]

http://www.lecreuset.com/wcsstore/CVWEB/images/product/full/L2584_35_67_Doufeu_Oval_9_full.jpg

Originally introduced in 1934 by Le Creuset, the oval doufeu features a recessed lid designed to hold ice rather than embers. The doufeu can be used just like any round or oval oven, but it has added performance benefits when it comes to slow cooking. As moisture begins to evaporate inside the doufeu, the ice-filled lid causes this moisture to condense. Specially designed dimples on the flat interior of the lid then direct the moisture back down onto the food. This self-basting effect minimizes the need to add additional water and ensures that food remains moist, nutrients are not lost and flavors intensify. Even when the ice in the lid melts, the self-basting process continues to function, as long as water in the lid remains below the boiling point.

This was my first Le Creuset item.

 

[thør]

This was my first Le Creuset item.

I had a cast iron pot with a domed lid that had those dimples on the lid for redirecting the condensate. The lid was a bitch to clean, so I took them off with a grinder. It still cooked just fine.

 

[Aquagal]

Dude!!!

That is so awesome....who makes em? I NEED these in my life.

go look for me!!

Okay I found my bacon cast iron. It's a little more high maintenance to clean because those grooves like to keep food crusties in them. I was thinking it was more oblong but it was a griddle I have. The brand name is WKM and I found a link from ebay that has one for sale. I'll post that too. I really like this brand because the handle can screw off, which is great for storing.

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w629/Moivulous/6ca776adbb001eb4929714268a936ea4_zps92626a45.jpg

ebay bacon cast iron for sale

Also, here's my aebleskiver pan, I haven't used this in years.

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w629/Moivulous/62358e15201504bcc2863dd7ecb08a92_zpsdd0c66fb.jpg

 

[Que Va]

Is that solid and if so, WHAT does that weigh???

 

[Aquagal]

Is what solid?

 

[Aquagal]

The aebleskiver? No, it has bulbous cut outs once turned over. It is pretty hefty though.

 

[BradBigBrain]

I had a cast iron pot with a domed lid that had those dimples on the lid for redirecting the condensate. The lid was a bitch to clean, so I took them off with a grinder. It still cooked just fine.

This lid just uses ice/water, so I don't have to clean it much.

Okay I found my bacon cast iron. It's a little more high maintenance to clean because those grooves like to keep food crusties in them. I was thinking it was more oblong but it was a griddle I have. The brand name is WKM and I found a link from ebay that has one for sale. I'll post that too. I really like this brand because the handle can screw off, which is great for storing.

Also, here's my aebleskiver pan, I haven't used this in years.

The grooves suck for cleaning. Do you make aebleskivers?

This is my skillet.

http://www.lecreuset.com/wcsstore/CVWEB/images/product/full/SquareSkilletGrill_Cherry_L2021-26_67_full.jpg

 

[NHKitty]

The grooves suck for cleaning. Do you make aebleskivers?

This is my skillet.

http://www.lecreuset.com/wcsstore/CVWEB/images/product/full/SquareSkilletGrill_Cherry_L2021-26_67_full.jpg

I have one like that, only not the nice red color just the standard. I still love it. And all my cast iron.

We had skivers in CO they were delicious.

 

[Aquagal]

This lid just uses ice/water, so I don't have to clean it much.



The grooves suck for cleaning. Do you make aebleskivers?

This is my skillet.

http://www.lecreuset.com/wcsstore/CVWEB/images/product/full/SquareSkilletGrill_Cherry_L2021-26_67_full.jpg

I haven't in years, but I got the pan! They are delish if you've never had them. There's a Danish touristy town near my old hometown that I first tasted them.

 

[BradBigBrain]

I have one like that, only not the nice red color just the standard. I still love it. And all my cast iron.

We had skivers in CO they were delicious.

I have an orange skillet that has been used so much to roast chicken in that the pan is almost all black.

https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/179008_10150093691196769_4244005_n.jpg?oh=b90f3b14b7797e5333b558b8f58055d1&oe=54D74D14

I can't take credit for this one...it was in Esquire.

I've now got a simple easy way to get a delicious bird with golden brown crackling skin and moist meat. This is chicken stripped of its pretense, and it reminds us all why we love roast chicken.

You can do this with chicken. Put a cut lemon in the cavity before roasting or just squeeze lemon over the meat before serving. If you like the flavor of herbs, stuff the bird with a few stems of rosemary before putting it in the oven. Even when the chicken renders a lot of fat, the cast-iron skillet will keep that fat from burning. Halfway through the cooking you can add some carrots or potatoes (use a small uniform dice to shorten and even out the cooking time) or you can remove the cooked chicken to rest, pour off about half the fat and saute some greens in what's left.

The whole process is incredibly fast. I can rinse, dry, season and get the bird in the oven and by the time I help my kids with their homework, dinner's ready.

The Recipe
Place your oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Get yourself a good chicken - 3 to 3.5 lbs is ideal - and rinse it inside and out under cold running water. Using paper towels, dry the bird thoroughly inside and out. The chicken must be bone dry or it will steam rather than brown. Set it in a cast-iron skillet and generously season with 1 tblsp kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and go about your business. For doneness: slit underside of thigh - juices must run clear (about 45 minutes). The high heat turns the chicken a golden brown and it's juicy as hell.

I tried this and it is fantastic. The ONLY thing I did differently is: I used the grill.

I stuffed a cut lemon, garlic and rosemary or sage inside the cavities. And halfway through I tossed in some potatoes. It smelled great while cooking, it tasted wonderful and the potatoes were as crispy and tender as the chicken. And the next day I made chicken salad.

So, in recipe format:

Ingredients:
3 to 3.5 pound chicken
1 Lemon cut into pieces
2 sprigs of rosemary or TBSP dried sage
2 garlic cloves
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1. Preheat oven or grill to 450 degrees.
2. Thoroughly rinse bird and pat dry with paper towels. Chicken must be bone dry.
3. Stuff with herb/lemon.
4. Put in cast iron pan
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
6. Place in grill or oven for about 45 minutes or until juices run clear from thigh when slit.

Halfway through add potatoes. Be careful, the grease is hot.

 

[snugglestruggle]

Food Porn Alert !!!

In regarding the "crusties" at the bottom of the pan (especially if your roasting a chicken or chuck roast). If there's a ton of fat (chicken) drain some of it off but Your supposed to take a nice hunk of your favorite crusty bread and sop that stuff up. The Concentrated juices... so, so , good. You can thank me later.

Oh and a tip for cleaning , put the pan over a range top and heat it up a bit, when you see the remaining juices sizzling , pour in some vinegar ( a few tablespoons or as much needed depending on size) and work it with a wooden spoon. The acid in the vinegar will deglaze the bottom of the pan and make cleaning a snap. Lemon juice will work too but white vinegar is cheaper.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Back in the 1970s, I started reading hippie cookbooks. I started to notice the food prep habits, of the little old people.

The little old people peeled everything!

Then, again, in the bad old days, the use of chemicals on food crops was in its infancy.

I am starting to wonder if the little old people had the right idea, after all.

 

[warrior queen]

Back in the 1970s, I started reading hippie cookbooks. I started to notice the food prep habits, of the little old people.

The little old people peeled everything!

Then, again, in the bad old days, the use of chemicals on food crops was in its infancy.

I am starting to wonder if the little old people had the right idea, after all.

Back in the old days, those peelings would have been fed to the chickens.
The eggs were more nutritionally valuable than the peel.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Then, again, the crushed eggshells kept the creepy crawlers from snacking on the fresh veggie plants Their soft squishy bodies could not endure the nicks and cuts.

 

[Que Va]

I froze some left-over, grilled pineapple a while ago. I dug it and some pork sirloin out of the deep-freeze. Diced and sauteed the pork, added pineapple, green chilli and tomatillo sauce. Simmered a bit. Rolled it into a burrito. Delicious.

Be even better with some fresh cilantro. I make the same dish with shrimp instead of pork. Delicious.

 

[M. Jordan]

I froze some left-over, grilled pineapple a while ago. I dug it and some pork sirloin out of the deep-freeze. Diced and sauteed the pork, added pineapple, green chilli and tomatillo sauce. Simmered a bit. Rolled it into a burrito. Delicious.

Be even better with some fresh cilantro. I make the same dish with shrimp instead of pork. Delicious.

That sounds great! Sort of along the same lines, I like to make mango salsa with purple onion, dices mangos, some green chilies and lots of cilantro. Great on fish.

 

[Que Va]

That sounds great! Sort of along the same lines, I like to make mango salsa with purple onion, dices mangos, some green chilies and lots of cilantro. Great on fish.

Yes seafood with any combination of citrus, mango or pineapple is really good. I cannot get my head around ceviche, but "cooking" in acid is quite delicious.

 

[Saint Peter]

You fuckers eat too much.

 

[Garnate]

You fuckers eat too much.

It's like every day with some people!

 

[Garnate]

I made pretzel bread bowls filled with a chicken and sundried tomato basil soup that was out of this world.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk161/boodles1981/5d735c3b-8d32-4bbc-a1de-ffca8ec53f14_zps8481e240.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk161/boodles1981/5e33b053-caeb-4b80-8579-be8a5c1fa350_zps4104134d.jpg

 

[Vikingstone]

I made pretzel bread bowls filled with a chicken and sundried tomato basil soup that was out of this world.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk161/boodles1981/5d735c3b-8d32-4bbc-a1de-ffca8ec53f14_zps8481e240.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk161/boodles1981/5e33b053-caeb-4b80-8579-be8a5c1fa350_zps4104134d.jpg

Is that a special flour one can buy? Pretzel flour...?

 

[Garnate]

Is that a special flour one can buy? Pretzel flour...?

Uuuhhhhhh no.

 

[Vikingstone]

Uuuhhhhhh no.

Ah, so it's just a pretzel writ large and not fried.

Yeah, I'm not much of a baker.

 

[Lorilei]

I made pretzel bread bowls filled with a chicken and sundried tomato basil soup that was out of this world.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk161/boodles1981/5d735c3b-8d32-4bbc-a1de-ffca8ec53f14_zps8481e240.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk161/boodles1981/5e33b053-caeb-4b80-8579-be8a5c1fa350_zps4104134d.jpg

*drool*

 

[bluebell]

In regarding the "crusties" at the bottom of the pan (especially if your roasting a chicken or chuck roast). If there's a ton of fat (chicken) drain some of it off but Your supposed to take a nice hunk of your favorite crusty bread and sop that stuff up. The Concentrated juices... so, so , good. You can thank me later.

Did it with the pork roast last Sunday! Yums!

I made pretzel bread bowls filled with a chicken and sundried tomato basil soup that was out of this world.

Jeebus that looks so good. So verra good. Good enough to, like, EAT. *eyeballs Petey*