The soap will do its work, and leave you with a nonsticky pan. Of course, it won’t have a patina on it, either, and you’ll need to build that back up. Don’t worry. This, too, is easy work. Pour a few glugs of a neutral- flavored cooking oil like canola or grapeseed into the pan, and then place it on the stove over medium heat until the oil is shimmery and about to smoke. Turn off the heat, and let the pan sit for a few minutes, then discard the oil in it.
Wipe out the pan with paper towel, leaving it shiny and black. You know the drill from there: Cook something fatty in the pan as soon as you can, then rinse the pan out and dry it well. Repeat. A rusty pan may take some work. Start with hot water and the same metal scouring pad you use on a sticky pan, and upgrade to a wire brush if you need to. The process may take some time. But in the end you’ll end up with raw metal, and you can proceed from there with the oil and the heating and the wiping- out and the cooking and the repeating. And soon your cast- iron pan will be black and slick and nonstick.
And you’ll be able to tell anyone who asks how bad it was when you got it, and how awesome it is today. Want more? You might also like: • How to master basic knife skills• 2. Sam Sifton thinks you should cook this fall• How to make cocktails.
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Cast- Iron Skillet Cornbread Recipe Damaris Phillips. Watch how to make this recipe. Preheat the oven to 3. F. Add 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil to a 6- inch cast- iron skillet.
Put the skillet in the oven and allow to heat until very hot, 6 to 8 minutes. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. In a different bowl, combine the almond milk, applesauce, sorghum, egg and the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Fold to combine. Carefully remove the hot cast- iron skillet from the oven and pour in the batter.
Return the skillet to the oven and bake until golden with a crisp crust, 2.