Skillets were originally deep, much like the sauce pans we use today. A frying pan, often referred to as skillet these days, is a shallow, long-handled pan used for frying food. Frying pans are not for slow cooking or braising. Often they do not have lids because they do not have the need to seal in juices as a pan for braising must do. The sides of these pans flare out while the height remains shallow. A frying pan should not be too heavy to lift or move around easily. It should have a long handle that stays cool, so that you feel safe when cooking. The frying pan is the one to turn to when you want to sear and brown something fast and then bring the heat down quickly. These pans are what you need to use when you want to cook foods like pork chops, potato pancakes or soft-shell crabs, as well as peppers and onions.

You may also use a frying pan to sauté, which involves rapid frying in a small amount of fat followed by the addition of other ingredients to the pan, but that technique is better left to a true sauté pan with high straight sides.

Sauté pans have straight sides and a lid. They are also very versatile. The added height on the sides allows for cooking with more liquid or keeping moisture in the dish. This type of pan is well-suited for braising, pan-frying, sautéing, searing, or even making small amounts of sauce.

A 7-8 inch skillet is appropriate for cooking an omelet or scrambled eggs, sautéing garlic or your favorite vegetables. A 10-12 inch skillet can be used for frying greater volumes of the same items and for stir-frying, if the pan is made from heavy material that conducts heat well so there are no hot spots.

A French Skillet is a saute pan with sloped sides. An omelette pan has sides that are more flared than an ordinary frying pan to enable the omelette to slide easily out of the pan.

copper

A copper pan that is lined with tin or stainless steel is the first choice for delicate items that needs precise timing. Copper is the quickest responsive metal; it picks up heat immediately, but it will also lose heat as soon as the pan is removed from the burner.

Nonstick Omelet

If you purchase any non-stick aluminum pans, you should make certain they are anodized. Inexpensive non-stick pans will not wear well nor will they hold up to high heat. The editors of Cook’s Illustrated warn that even the best nonstick skillet will eventually become scratched and roughened from use, voiding its nonstick properties. Treating your skillet gently can delay this deterioration, but not prevent it. For this reason, they recommend choosing a lower-priced nonstick skillet, provided you can find one that performs well.

cast iron

For everyday cooking, whether sautéing mushrooms, hamburgers or chicken cutlets, pans made from stainless steel-wrapped aluminum and anodized aluminum are excellent choices.

Some foods require steady, even heat to brown. An old-fashioned cast iron skillet that doesn’t cool down when you take it off the heat would be a good choice for hash browned potatoes, bacon or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Although it is better to use a potholder when you are cooking, it is also important that the frying pan handle stay as cool as possible. You can look for metal handles that are hollowed in some way or that are made of a different metal than the pan itself. If you place your pan in the oven to finish cooking a dish, then you want handles that are oven proof.

Lemon-Thyme Chicken with Fingerlings

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon regular salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise, or tiny new red or white potatoes, halved
• 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/4 pounds total)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Directions

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme, the salt and pepper into the oil. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Cover and cook for 12 minutes, stirring twice.

Stir potatoes and push them to one side of the pan. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the other side of the pan. Add chicken breast halves to the side with the oil. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Turn chicken. Spread garlic over chicken breast halves; sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Arrange lemon slices on top of chicken. Cover and cook for 7 to 10 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F) and potatoes are tender.

Italian Beef Skillet

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef round steak
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 – 14 1/2 ounce can low sodium diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Hot cooked spaghetti for 4, optional

Directions

Trim fat from round steak, then cut meat into 4 serving-size pieces. Heat oil in a large saute pan. Add meat pieces and brown both sides of each piece. Remove meat to a platter.

Add mushrooms, onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic to the pan. Cook until vegetables are nearly tender. Then, stir in undrained tomatoes, herbs and red pepper. Return meat to the pan, spooning vegetable mixture over the meat. Cover and simmer about 1-1/4 hours or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.

Transfer meat to a serving platter. Spoon vegetable mixture over the meat and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve over pasta, if desired.

Sausage and Pepper Skillet

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage links
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium red, green and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 – 14 1/2 ounce can low-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions

In a 12-inch saute pan, cook sausage links over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until browned, turning frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook about 10 minutes more or until juices run clear. Transfer sausage links to a cutting board; thinly slice sausage links. Set aside.

Add the olive oil to the same pan and increase heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the bell peppers and onion; cook about 5 minutes or until crisp tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the sausage slices, undrained tomatoes, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper to the pan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Serve with crusty Italian bread.

Italian Three-Bean and Rice Vegetarian Skillet

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 – 15 ½ ounce can small red beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 – 14 ½ ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, cut up
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking brown rice
• 1/2 of a 10 ounce package frozen baby lima beans (1 cup)
• 1/2 of a 9 ounce package frozen cut green beans (1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed or dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
• 2 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a large saute pan combine beans, undrained tomatoes, broth, rice, lima beans, green beans and basil or Italian seasoning. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in spaghetti sauce. Heat through. Top with mozzarella. Place lid on pan just until cheese melts. Serve.

Fish and Vegetable Skillet

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia or any white fish fillets (1 lb.)
• 1/4 cup of your favorite Italian Vinaigrette made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon homemade or prepared pesto sauce
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise, then crosswise into slices
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Brush fish with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette; cook in a frying pan (skillet) on medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with fork. Transfer fish to a serving plate; cover to keep warm.

Add remaining dressing, pesto, vegetables and tomatoes to the skillet; cook 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Spoon over fish and top with basil and Parmesan cheese.

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Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Beans, Beef, Cheese, Chicken, Fish, Healthy Italian Cooking, Pasta, peppers, potatoes, Rice, Sausage, tomatoes Tags: Frying pan, Sautéing, skillet