How to use an iron skillet for the first time

Seriously, just how cute are these little Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Pans? And there is really so much you can do with them – they would look cute in your kitchen to hold some flaky sea salt, used as a basting dish for BBQing meats, or get cheffy and serve guests out of their own pans: individual brownies ala mode come to mind, individual baked dinner rolls or cornbread (a real southern staple) or how about a cute egg muffin breakfast stack? As you can see, I did use mine for eggs galore – it was just so tempting to do that as one pan perfectly holds and cooks one egg. This was timed perfectly with having just moved to the country and acquiring some chickens – a mini Lodge Cast Iron served us our very first farm fresh egg! Just gorgeous, both in taste and presentation.

Cast iron is an excellent conductor of heat and works well over any heat source – on the hob or straight over a fire.

Cooking with cast iron just feels like coming home to me. I grew up with both my mother and grandmother using cast iron – it’s just what you do in the southern US states, and the tradition has been passed down to each generation. That also means that I’ve also seen the pans being “seasoned” over and over again. I can tell you, there is no mystery or hard science to this.

So what does it mean to ‘season’ anyway? It does not actually have anything to do with seasoning like salt and pepper. To season your cookware means to add a layer of fats and essentially bake it in (the seasoning gets better each time you use the pan), creating a natural non-stick coating. This makes cast iron cook like a dream – and not only does it create a better and easier cooking surface, it actually makes the food taste better over time, too.

How to Season your Cast Iron for the First Time

With regular use, your pan will develop lovely layers of natural seasoning. However, the first time it is a good idea to perform a few easy steps in order to season it evenly and all over:

Step 1: Wash the Pan with Hot, Soapy Water and Dry Thoroughly:

It’s important to wash the pan as to get any dust or other dirt particles off which may remain from the factory or from shipping and handling. Make sure to completely dry the pan, so all the moisture is gone. It’s a good idea to place the pan quickly on the hot stove to evaporate any micro drops you can’t see. This will ensure an even coating is achieved.

Step 2: Rub it All Over with Some Oil:

Pour about a tablespoon of oil (for a full-sized frying pan, about a teaspoon for the minis) into the pan and using a paper towel, buff the oil all over the pan evenly – inside and out and even on the handle. Which oil to use? You can really use any oil, but according to this Cast Iron Seasoning Guide from Seriouseats.com, the best oil to use is an unsaturated cooking fat such as corn oil, canola or vegetable oil. I thought a very useful tip from the article was not to use flax seed oil, which is typically recommended, because it eventually flakes off.

It’s important to buff the oil into the pan with your paper towel, so that it doesn’t look oily anymore. This ensures the oil is evenly distributed into the surface area. If left looking greasy or with pools of oil, the pan would become sticky or form hardened marks on the surface of the pan during seasoning.

Step 3: Bake the Seasoning into the Pan:

Over time, you will naturally cook more and more seasoning into your pan with the use of cooking oils and in a wide manner of ways, but for the first time, baking ensures the most even cooking on every surface of the pan. Simply pre-heat the oven to 230C (450F) and place the pan into the oven for 30-minutes. You may notice a little smoke, but that is perfectly normal. SeriousEats recommends placing the pans upside down over a baking tray to catch any oil drips.

Step 4: Repeat this Process 3-4 times:

Take the pan out of the oven, remembering it is very hot, and after cooling enough to touch, repeat the process 3 or 4 more times, each time with a 30 minute stint in the oven. This will ensure a nice coating is built up.

The pan is now ready to use!

Step 5: After Each Use, Buff a Little More Oil into the Pan:

After each time you cook with the pan, it’s important to wash again with hot, soapy water, dry thoroughly and buff just enough oil in to keep the pan slightly lubricated. This will protect against rust forming.

Now that you know how to season your Lodge Cast Iron, shop the range here. 

Huevos Rancheros in the Mini Lodge Cast Iron Pans

Huevos Rancheros, or Ranch Eggs is a delicious and easy breakfast, brunch or dinner dish that can be individualized with different toppings and spices. Traditionally cooked over a campfire (can also be done on the hob!) and served with eggs, beans and a flour or corn tortilla.

Ingredients List:

• 1 or 2 eggs per person
• Butter
• 1 or 2 flour/corn mini tortilla per person

Toppings:

• 1-2 Tbsp beans per person (I used edamame but black beans are great in this)
• Finely chopped red onion
• Chopped coriander
• ¼ avocado per person
• Lime juice
• Hot sauce
• Sprinkle of toasted fennel and coriander seeds
• Sour cream

Instructions:

Wrap the tortillas in foil and set aside.

Toast the spices for a couple of minutes in a dry pan until fragrant and lightly brown. Set aside.

Butter generously a large cast iron frying pan or individual pans for the eggs and then heat until bubbling over fire or the hob.

Crack the eggs into the pan(s) one by one and allow to cook through, about 5 -7 minutes. Move if necessary to get more or less heat underneath.

Begin to warm the beans in another pan. Place the tortillas in their foil packet over the heat source and cook for the same amount of time as it takes the eggs. Flip the packet once in this time.

Serve the eggs with the warm tortillas, beans and desired toppings.

About the Author:

Becky Gilhespie is a food writer and former Masterchef semi-finalist. She is currently working part time as a chef, having chosen to do on the job training instead of enrolling at culinary school. Becky is a recipe writer and product tester for many household name brands via Everten, and her own food blog, www.eatwhatweeat.com focusses on family friendly meals with the wow factor that are healthy, fast and simple to prepare.

Becky is originally from the US but lived in London for 15 years and now resides in Sydney with her husband and two little boys. Her food is inspired a lot by her travels (and desire to travel more).