Sorry, no roasted pygmy recipes tonight. Maybe another day.
I am restoring the finish on an old Lodge chicken fryer. This is a medium high sided skillet, halfway between a high but cumbersome and handleless dutch oven, and a typical shallower cast iron skillet.
Why am I noting this? Not for the usual reasons at all.
I haven't fried chicken in probably 30 years, not that I don't like it.
The reason is one that escapes most cooks.
This is a good all around moderate sized, 10 1/4 " across the top roasting pan with its original spiked lid.
One of the best reasons to use it, or another piece of cast iron, is that its heat retention and heat radiating characteristics can be used to conserve power and money, whether it is used as a roaster, braiser, or simmerer.
In the oven, you can actually cook at a lower temperature and get a similar result in the same time or less. In fact you have to be careful because it cooks somewhat hotter. Similarly for stove top.
See prior posts re seasoning. I am not an advocate for a thick or permanent seasoning layer of burnt oil on cast iron. It needs to be mostly scoured off all the time in my judgment and risk a little rust. Burnt oil is like cooking on teflon, and maybe just as unhealthy.
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