DURING THE LAST YEARS, the skillet of rigor was cast iron. This material is stove-to-oven safe, distributes heat well, and develops a natural non-stick surface. Meanwhile, another metal with these qualities has remained largely off the radar of home cooks.
Carbon steel has long been the workhorse of professional kitchens. Like cast iron, this metal is composed of carbon and iron, but in different proportions. The higher carbon content of cast iron makes it more brittle and prone to breakage; carbon steel is nearly indestructible, hence its ability to topple restaurant pans. The weight difference is also considerable: a 12-inch Lodge cast iron skillet weighs nearly 8 pounds, while a 12.5-inch Mauviel carbon steel skillet weighs 5.
Finally, it seems, consumers get it. Direct-to-consumer cookware retailer Made In introduced its first French-made carbon steel skillet a year ago, followed by a larger skillet, wok and, this fall, a rotisserie. According to co-founder Jake Kalick, the first shipment of Made In’s new pan sold out in the United States before it jumped ship.
Chef Elizabeth Karmel, author of “Steak and Cake,” now prefers carbon steel over cast iron for steakhouse-quality char. “The surface is smoother, smoother and gives a perfect end-to-end crust in a shorter time,” she said. Pastry chef François Brunet, former head baker of Daniel Boulud, favors carbon steel for a tarte tatin, the French upside-down apple pie. “It’s especially good for caramelization,” he said.
Seasoning, a process of burning fat on a pan’s surface to make it naturally nonstick, tends to take time with melting. A carbon steel pan is much quicker to develop a patina, so a smooth fried egg will glide over it like an air hockey puck.
Chinese cooking expert Grace Young recommends a method traditionally used to season carbon steel woks. First, remove the factory coating, usually oil or wax, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Mrs. Young scrubs a new wok inside and out, several times, with a stainless steel scouring pad and dish soap, and rinses with hot water. Dry on the stove over low heat until all the water is gone. When a drop of water poured onto the pan vaporizes in a second or two, add two tablespoons of a high smoke point oil, such as grapeseed, half a bunch of Chinese chives or half a -cup sliced ginger, and a bunch of green onions cut into 2 inch pieces and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, occasionally coating the vegetables all over the inside surface of the pan, all the way to the edge, adding a tablespoon of oil if the mixture becomes dry.
“The heat opens the pores of the metal so the oil can coat it as it burns in the pan, and chives and Chinese scallions contain sulphide, which has antifungal and antiseptic properties,” Ms Young said. . The metal may appear stained; it’s normal. In use, the pan will turn almost black.
According to Corry Blanc, founder of Blanc Creatives, a Virginia-based carbon steel pan maker, the best cleaning method is to pour the oil out after cooking, wash with hot water, wipe the pan dry, and place it on a burner to evaporate the leftovers. humidity. Before storing, put a few drops of oil on a paper towel and apply a light coat of rust protection, a low-maintenance proposition for such a capable pan.
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Photo:
F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal
Handcrafted by blacksmiths in Charlottesville, Virginia, Blanc Creatives designs are works of functional art, with thoughtful touches. Take this 11 inch skillet. Its handle, secured with two rivets, features a “Y” slot, a space between the handle and the pan that effectively disperses heat and keeps the handle cool while cooking on the stovetop. $240, blanccreatives.com
IDEAL FOR A ONE-DISH MEAL
Photo:
F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal
This medium rectangular roasting pan from Made In is perfect for nesting a chicken on a bed of root vegetables and calling it dinner. Thanks to the calorific value of carbon steel, the vegetables brown beautifully while the chicken roasts. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, a Made In investor, favors this model because it allows him to start cooking on the stovetop before transferring the roast to the oven. “It’s all done in one pan,” he said. $99, madeincookware.com
PRO-GRADE PERFORMANCE
Photo:
F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal
Andrea Nguyen, cookbook author and carbon steel enthusiast, likes pans made from thicker steel, which will conduct heat better. That’s what sold her on the 11-inch Mauviel 651.28 M’Steel. The commercial-grade skillet is versatile – the size fits everything from pancakes to seared fish. The wax coating is easy to remove and the manufacturer’s seasoning instructions are extremely effective. In our tests, the fried eggs slid across the surface of the pan in no time. $80, perigold.com
YOUR DAILY SUPPORT
Photo:
F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal
The blue carbon steel skillets produced in France for Made In are the workhorses they promise to be. They are sturdy, reasonably light and easy to season. The convex, high-walled sides make them suitable for sautéing unwieldy ingredients or baking the tarte tatin pictured here (recipe below). If you’re cooking for one to three, get the 10 inch. The 12 inch is good for big batches, like French toast or latkes for a crowd. $69 for a 10 inch skillet, $89 for a 12 inch skillet, madeincookware.com
Pan-fried tarte tatin
Sticky apples slide off the surface of the well-seasoned carbon steel, making it easy to invert this upside-down apple pie.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of all-butter puff pastry
- 7 medium Royal Gala or Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- 6 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
- 1 cup of sugar
directions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry and use a sharp knife to cut out a round slightly larger than 9 inches. Refrigerate.
- In a 9-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Turn off the burner and sprinkle with sugar in an even layer. Arrange the apples tightly, cut side down, in concentric circles.
- Cook the apples, without disturbing them, over medium heat. Juices, butter and sugar should bubble up during cooking. Adjust the heat as needed. When the caramel starts to brown, after 25 to 30 minutes, use two forks to turn the apples over and dip the insides into the caramel. Bake until the apples are tender enough to be easily pierced with a knife and the caramel is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.
- Let the apples cool slightly, then place the cold dough on top, tucking the dough in at the edges. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the pastry is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the pie. Place a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper over the pan and invert. If some apples stick to the pan, carefully remove them and place them on the pie. Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or fresh cream.
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Corrections and amplifications: In an earlier version of this article, photos of pans were associated with the wrong captions. This error has been corrected. (December 12, 2019)
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