Kitchen Questions: #1 Cast Iron Skillet Seasoning

[tlcmurphy]

That looks divine.
Chef John on Allrecipes.com has a good Shakshuka recipe. Now I'm going to have to make it this weekend.

Me too, love it. I add Harissa to it, overdid it last time and burned out a few nose hairs.
TMI. I know

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That looks fantastic! I bet it tasted even better than it looks! YUM!

I had a Tunisian friend that made the best Shakshuka I have ever tasted. I can't seem to make it like she did, I can't seem to get the spices right.

Thank you so much! However I fix it is "right" for my family, we have never tasted an authentic version, just what Google tells me to do. I added a little celery to my sofrito (onion, bell pepper, garlic) and seasoned it with cumin, smoked paprika, cilantro, s/p, red pepper flakes) to bloom the spices. Then after I added the (canned, diced) tomatoes (3 14.5 oz cans), I thought it needed a little more salt, a little sugar for balance and a squeeze of lemon for brightness. I was happy with that and cooked it down to thicken it before adding the eggs. That's it! So much of cooking is just instinct and taste. Does it need turmeric? Throw some in. Oregano? Why not. Whatever your palate thinks it needs.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That looks fantastic! I bet it tasted even better than it looks! YUM!

I had a Tunisian friend that made the best Shakshuka I have ever tasted. I can't seem to make it like she did, I can't seem to get the spices right.

I bet she used fresh garden tomatoes and roasted them in the oven. Now THAT would be divine!

 

[LoneStarBirds]

I miss H.E.B. And that's an envy inducing collection of cast iron.

This is just a taste of the cast iron collect that a guy I once knew. This isn't even all that he had back then. There is no telling how much cast iron he has now!



Jaw dropping isn't it?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

whoa! That's not a collection! That's a .... warehouse!

 

[LoneStarBirds]

whoa! That's not a collection! That's a .... warehouse!

The cast iron warehouse of my dreams

 

[Bawkbok]

That's a serious illness. There's no way anyone can use that much cast iron in a lifetime. Is he selling it? I'm sure there's a market for it -- like us!

 

[Sally PB]

Oh, the conversations that collection would lead to.

"Honey, would you get the xyz pan from the stash?"

"Sure, where is it?"

"Very back corner of the upper shelf on the left side."

"Ok... I'll need the step ladder and the head lamp... See you in the kitchen in about 40 minutes."

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh, the conversations that collection would lead to.

"Honey, would you get the xyz pan from the stash?"

"Sure, where is it?"

"Very back corner of the upper shelf on the left side."

"Ok... I'll need the step ladder and the head lamp... See you in the kitchen in about 40 minutes."

It would take me longer than that to decide which one I wanted!
I only have 6 (and a wok which is not cast iron but has to be seasoned the same way) and I keep thinking I should downsize.

 

[BoundlessLove]

My aunt collected cast iron and old Tupperware for years. When she moved and downsized, she gave me a cast iron pot with lid and an old Tupperware canister set and cups.
She would make cornbread in cast iron skillet- made with buttermilk and white corn meal. No sugar.

My granny made it with what she called “sweet milk” which was whole milk.
My papaw would get a tall tupperware cup, break the cornbread into pieces, pour buttermilk over it and eat it with a spoon. I would climb up onto his lap and sit and watch the Braves (when they were terrible but he was a devoted fan). He would share his cornbread and buttermilk with me.

For years, I’ve been watching this couple on YouTube “Whippoorwill Holler”. They have lots of common sense and character.
Mrs. Lori and Mr. Brown.
Gives good advice for maintaining/using/cleaning cast iron.
Gives good advice about gardening, cooking, homesteading, animal husbandry, being thrifty, and just living in general.
She posts a lot of cooking videos. One of my favorites is bean and cornbread dumplings and it is a good recipe.