What is it ~~~ it’s tough and fairly cheap, doesn’t have a
famous chef’s name emblazoned on it; when treated with tender loving care, it will
last just about forever, and performs perfectly every time?
I’m talking about my favorite skillets, cast iron
skillets! I was lucky to “inherit”
my mothers’ 12" and my grandmothers' 10" skillets. Over the years, I’ve added to the
collection with a smaller skillet, a Dutch oven and a couple of corn stick pans.
Cast iron is heavy and holds heat well and distributes it
evenly. The skillets go smoothly
from cook-top to oven and when properly seasoned and cared for, will last for
generations; plus, the cookware adds iron to your diet.
You can cook a plethora of foods in cast iron ~ from
breakfast to lunch to dinner. Smokey
bacon and eggs, crispy hash browns, savory cornbread, frittatas, blackened
fish, smothered pork chops, pineapple upside-down cake, fried chicken like
Grandma used to make, and this delicious corn pie:
This Bolivian-style Corn Pie recipe was in the Chicago
Tribune a few weeks ago and sounded very appetizing to me. The article states that… “The recipe is
from Luna Maya, a Bolivian-Mexican restaurant in Norfolk, VA and is adapted
from “The World in a Skillet.”
The
international flavors evoke the New South, but cooked in the traditional
Southern skillet. The restaurant
finishes the casserole in a baking pan, but the food staff at the Chicago
Tribune used the same 12-inch cast-iron skillet throughout.” So did I.
In the recipe, you will see chorizo sausage, chicken, and
plenty of piquant spices from ground ancho chili to chipotle pepper; ground
allspice, cloves and thyme to sweet paprika, all blended together with corn and
milk and topped with a mild cheese.
It is a dish of truly unique flavors and textures and is hard to
describe. I just know it’s delicious,
and I hope you try it!
Bolivian-Style
Corn Pie
Ingredients:
1
tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound
Mexican pork chorizo, skins removed
1 white
onion, diced
6 cloves
garlic, minced
1
tablespoon ground ancho chili
1
tablespoon sweet paprika
2
teaspoons ground cumin
1
teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2
teaspoon thyme
1/2
teaspoon ground allspice
1/8
teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon
salt, divided
2 pounds
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup
chopped cilantro
Juice of
1 lime
1 yellow
onion, chopped
8 ears
corn, kernels cut from cobs (or 5 cups frozen)
1 cup
milk
1/4
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces
mild cheese, such as Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheese or your favorite
Method:
1. Heat
oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over
medium heat. Crumble in chorizo. Cook, stirring often, until browned, about 10
minutes. Transfer chorizo to a bowl, leaving fat in the skillet.
2. Add the
white onion, garlic, ancho, paprika, cumin, chipotle, thyme, allspice, cloves
and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet; stir. Cook, stirring often, until onion
is translucent, 5-8 minutes.
3. Stir in
the chicken; cook, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through, 15
minutes. Remove skillet from heat; transfer contents to a bowl. Stir in the
reserved chorizo, cilantro and lime juice.
4. Wipe
skillet clean; heat 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow
onion; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 5-8 minutes. Remove
skillet from heat. Combine onion with the corn and milk in a food processor;
purée until smooth. Return skillet to medium heat; add corn mixture. Cook,
stirring, until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining
1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Remove skillet from heat.
5.
Transfer corn mixture to a bowl. Spread the chicken-chorizo mixture in the
skillet. Spread the corn mixture over the meat. Bake 30 minutes. Remove dish
from oven; turn on the broiler. Spread the cheese over the casserole. Broil
until cheese melts and begins to brown, 3-5 minutes.
Makes 8 servings
Nutrition
information:
Per
serving: 631 calories, 37 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 145 mg cholesterol, 26 g
carbohydrates, 47 g protein, 1,232 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.
This is a great tasty dish, and now that I’ve made it, I’m looking
forward to when the farmers markets will open in the area with all their fresh
veggies and fruit! I have to wait
a few more weeks…
Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind Of Cooking. She
has useful tips on Tuesdays and yummy recipes every Friday!
