Cast Iron Cuisine

The unmistakable sizzle from a cast iron skillet is often enough to make many individual’s mouths water. From the stovetop to the oven to the grill – sometimes all in one recipe – the durability and even distribution of heat that comes from cooking with cast iron can’t be beat. No matter if it’s something sweet or savory, recipes bake evenly, rise to perfection, and are often lined with those perfect, crispy edges that crowds go crazy for. Want a list of cast iron cuisine that will wow your guests? Read on to see what enthusiasts from the Chattanooga area are cooking up.

Photos by Rich Smith

Arroz con poolo

Sascha salazar

“Being from Miami, fall flavors weren’t very prevalent. So, when I think fall, I think warm and cozy food. And growing up Cuban, Arroz Con Pollo fills that spot amazingly!” –Sascha Salazar

Arroz Con Pollo

Sascha Salazar

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Course Main Course

Cuisine cuban

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

6-8 chicken thighs
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
⅛ cup white wine
2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 medium white onion finely diced
5 cloves garlic minced
1 green/red bell pepper finely diced
2 bay leaves
2 tomatoes diced
2 cups long grain white rice
1 pinch of saffron or Bijol seasoning
½ tsp. turmeric
2 cups chicken stock homemade or low-sodium store bought
2 cups light IPA or 2 more cups chicken stock
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup pimentos sliced

Instructions

Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet on medium-high with a little oil.
Once heated, add your chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear until golden brown. Flip and sear the other side. Remove chicken and set aside.
Next, lower your heat a little and add tomato paste. Once toasted, deglaze with the white wine.
Add cumin, dry oregano, smoked paprika, onion, garlic, and bell peppers to pan and sweat them down. Once the vegetables are tender, add the bay leaves and diced tomatoes and let simmer until it thickens a little.
Once the sofrito has thickened, add rice, saffron, and turmeric and mix with the sofrito and toast as well.
Next, add the chicken stock and beer to the pan.
Nestle the chicken thighs back into the rice and bring the pan to a gentle simmer on medium-low. Cover pan with either aluminum foil or a heavy lid and let cook for about 25 minutes; you are looking for the rice to be tender and the chicken to be cooked through (165°).
For the last five minutes or so, add frozen peas and pimentos to the pan and mix them in. Serve warm.

Notes

“Being from Miami, fall flavors weren’t very prevalent. So, when I think fall,
I think warm and cozy food. And growing up Cuban, Arroz Con Pollo fills that spot amazingly!”

Keyword ACP, Arroz Con Pollo, cast iron skillet, cheese, chicken, lodge cast iron, rice, rice with chicken

Arroz Con Pollo Recipe