What To Cook First In A Cast Iron Pan - Tasting Table

"Some culinary experts recommend bathing the pan in maximum fat from bacon, breakfast sausage, hamburgers, or fried chicken. As tempting as that sounds, others (including cast iron manufacturers) caution against this tactic. They suggest that the first run consist of vegetables, in particular those that can take a lot of cooking fat, such as sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, potato latkes, roasted vegetables, or stir-fry."

"Skillet cornbread makes an excellent contender for your pan's debut. Not only is cast iron one of the very best vessels to cook a hearty cornbread in, but the process lends itself to a hot oil bath and roasting that's sure to lay down another sweet layer of that luscious greasy patina on your pan. The key here is pouring in a good amount of oil and preheating it before adding your cornbread batter."

Seasoning a cast iron pan requires cleaning, oiling, and baking before cooking. Choosing the first foods affects seasoning development; proteins are more likely to stick to newly seasoned iron. Vegetables that tolerate cooking fat, such as sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, potato latkes, roasted vegetables, or stir-fry, spread across the pan and promote even seasoning without sticking. Skillet cornbread is another excellent first recipe because a hot oil bath and preheated oil coat the sidewalls and produce a greasy patina while baking. Pouring ample oil and preheating before adding batter helps establish durable seasoning.

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