Cooking with a cast iron skillet offers unique advantages that may not be replicated with an electric frying pan or a regular frying pan. Some dishes that are particularly well-suited for cast iron cooking include:
Cornbread: Cast iron skillets are ideal for baking cornbread because they heat evenly and retain heat, giving you a crispy and golden crust.
Dutch Baby Pancake: This puffy, oven-baked pancake benefits from the even heat distribution and heat retention of a cast iron skillet, creating a fluffy and crispy treat.
Frittatas and Quiches: Cast iron skillets can go from stovetop to oven seamlessly, making them perfect for cooking frittatas and quiches with a crispy crust.
Deep-Dish Pizza: Achieve a crispy, golden crust by using a cast iron skillet for your deep-dish pizza.
Steak: Cast iron skillets can reach high temperatures and provide excellent searing capabilities, creating a flavorful crust on steaks that's hard to achieve with regular frying pans.
Pan-roasted Chicken: A cast iron skillet is great for pan-roasting chicken, providing crispy skin and juicy meat.
Tarte Tatin: This classic French dessert benefits from even heat distribution, caramelizing the fruit perfectly while baking in the oven.
Hash Browns: Cast iron skillets excel at browning and crisping potatoes for delicious hash browns.
Roasted Vegetables: Roasting vegetables in a cast iron skillet enhances their flavors and caramelization.
One-pan Meals: Cast iron skillets are excellent for cooking one-pan meals, where you can sauté, sear, and bake all in one dish.
Remember that while cast iron skillets have unique benefits for certain dishes, electric frying pans and regular frying pans have their advantages too. For example, electric frying pans offer precise temperature control, and regular frying pans are often non-stick, making them ideal for delicate foods that might stick to a cast iron surface. Each type of pan has its strengths, so it's good to have a variety in your kitchen to suit different cooking needs.