Cook it in Cast Iron: Sausage Lasagna/Easier Fried Chicken 🌞

SAUSAGE LASAGNA

SERVES 6


WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A big, bubbling lasagna is the pinnacle of
comfort food. We wanted a version that could be made quickly, with
minimal effort (and minimal dishes) and without sacrificing any flavor.
We started building a flavorful sauce by sautéing onion, garlic, and
red pepper flakes. We then browned some sausage and added tomatoes,
simmering only briefly to meld the flavors yet keep it fresh tasting.
After cooking the sauce, we emptied the skillet and layered the lasagna
as we would in a casserole dish with the tomato-sausage sauce, a ricotta-
egg mixture, no-boil lasagna noodles, and plenty of Parmesan and
mozzarella. Once our lasagna was assembled, we topped it with extra
cheese and transferred the skillet to the oven. After a short 30-minute
stint, we had the bubbly, cheesy top and perfectly cooked pasta we were
looking for, all made in a single pan. Do not use nonfat ricotta or fat-free
mozzarella here.

3 (14.5-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
12 ounces (1½ cups) whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 no-boil lasagna noodles, broken in half
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse tomatoes and their juice
in food processor until coarsely ground, about 10 pulses.

2 Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add oil and heat until shimmering.
Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in
garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sausage and cook, breaking
up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in processed tomatoes, bring
to simmer, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.

3 In separate bowl, combine ricotta, egg yolk, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in third bowl.

4 Spread ¾ cup sauce over bottom of now-empty skillet. Shingle 7 noodle halves around edge of
skillet and place 1 noodle half in center. Dollop one-third of ricotta mixture over noodles, then top
with one-quarter of mozzarella mixture and one-third of remaining sauce (in that order). Repeat
layering process twice, beginning with noodles and ending with sauce. Top with remaining
mozzarella mixture.

5 Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese is golden brown and lasagna is bubbling around
edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with basil and serve.

From "Cook It In Cast Iron"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27226864-cook-it-in-cast-iron

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EASIER FRIED CHICKEN

SERVES 4

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Juicy, crisp bone-in fried chicken is a cast
iron classic. We wanted to come up with a foolproof recipe that
would ensure chicken with a moist, perfectly seasoned interior and a
supercrunchy crust. To start, we brined the chicken in salted
buttermilk to infuse it with moisture and flavor. For a perfectly crunchy
coating, we combined flour with a little baking powder and some
seasonings, then added more buttermilk to make a thick slurry that
would cling tightly to the meat. Four cups of oil (instead of the usual
12) was all that was needed to get a perfect light brown crust on our
whole batch of chicken. Then to finish cooking we moved the
shallow-fried pieces to a hot oven (perched on a wire rack set in a sheet
pan to prevent burnt spots and promote air circulation around the meat).
This hybrid method gave us perfectly crisp, evenly cooked results that
were even better than deep-fried. We got all the benefits of frying without
any danger of burnt coating or undercooked chicken. Any combination
of chicken pieces will work well here; just be sure the total amount equals
2½ pounds. You will need a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with at least 2-inch sides
for this recipe. Don’t let the chicken soak in the buttermilk brine for longer
than 1 hour or it will be too salty. Covering the skillet with a splatter screen will
reduce the mess that frying inevitably makes.

1¼ cups buttermilk
Salt and pepper
1¼ teaspoons garlic powder
1¼ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2½ pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups peanut or vegetable oil


1 Whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼
teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne together in large bowl. Add chicken, cover, and
refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

2 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, 2
teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder, remaining 1 teaspoon
paprika, and remaining ¼ teaspoon cayenne together in large bowl. Add remaining ¼ cup buttermilk
and rub into flour mixture using your hands until evenly incorporated and small clumps form. Working
with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere, then transfer to
large plate.

3 Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Add oil to 12-inch cast-iron skillet until it measures about
¾ inch deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.

4 Carefully place half of chicken skin side down in oil. Fry until deep golden brown, about 6
minutes, flipping chicken halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil
temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer chicken to prepared rack. Return oil to 375
degrees and repeat with remaining chicken; transfer to prepared rack.

5 Bake chicken until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees,
12 to18 minutes. Serve.


From "Cook It In Cast Iron"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27226864-cook-it-in-cast-iron


Love my Lodge 12"!!