My new toy, what to cook first?

[Zagut]

It's Farberware and made in China but it was free.
(Anyone remember S&H Greenstamps? And nothing is free.)

　
I usually pass on the freebies offered but this one looked like something I could use and didn't have.
　
Yeah it wasn't exactly free because I had to spend x amount to earn the stickers to get it at no cost but I was going to spend the bucks anyway.

Supposedly it cost $49.99 so paying nothing felt good.
　
I like it.

It fills a nich but now I need to find a place to keep it.
　
Any suggestions on what to cook in it to break it in?

 

[GotGarlic]

Looks like it would be great for a stir-fry. Or a casserole that you start on the stovetop and finish in the oven.

 

[msmofet]

What's the size (inches) and volume (quarts)?

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Zagut, you are free to use Himself's favorite phrase - "If it's free, it's for me!"

 

[Kayelle]

Zagut, one thing for sure...you'll need to invite some company for dinner.

That's a honey of a pan. I think with those high sides it would be a great skillet to help keep your stove from "flying frying splatters". Say that three times quick.

 

[Dawgluver]

Whoa, Zagut! Nice pan!

Thinking some fried chicken or some rice pudding might look good in it.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I find that nothing breaks in a new pan like popping some popcorn in it. Use cooking oil, flavored popcorn oil, or ghee. Get it near smoking hot, add popcorn kernels and salt, cover, and with the glass lid, you get to see the fun. Do you have kids, grand-kids who would love to watch the popping? plus, the popping corn spreads the oil all over the inside pan surface.

Why not break in a new toy with fun, make popcorn.

Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Cheryl J]

Nice pan, Z. You could cook up a good sized batch of marinara sauce to portion out in mason jars and freeze for the winter. Spaghetti anytime!

 

[msmofet]

Chili
Soup
Tomato sauce
Pot roast

 

[buckytom]

Good luck with it, Zag. Looking forward to pics of great stuff.

Our local Acme market (who still refuses to let me see the back room with the rocket skates and trebuchets) has a similar promotion. We just got the free Farberware 12" non-sitck fry pan.

It's realistically worth abput $40, and we had to spend $1600 over about 5 or 6 months, but without much effort we "earned" enough points. Tjat's about the only place we food shop now.

Now we only have a few weeks to earn something else. I might be buying a whole lotta toilet paper and paper towels just to get another pan.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

It's Farberware and made in China but it was free.
(Anyone remember S&H Greenstamps? And nothing is free.)...It fills a nich but now I need to find a place to keep it. ...

Do stores still give out S&H stamps, Zagut? I think I have some of the books in my Mom's old purse. Or maybe they're Eagle stamps...

Nice pan. If you need somewhere to put it, I have a place for it on my kitchen shelving unit. Just sayin'...

 

[jennyema]

Nice pan!

 

[Mad Cook]

It's Farberware and made in China but it was free.
(Anyone remember S&H Greenstamps? And nothing is free.)
View attachment 25841
　
I usually pass on the freebies offered but this one looked like something I could use and didn't have.
　
Yeah it wasn't exactly free because I had to spend x amount to earn the stickers to get it at no cost but I was going to spend the bucks anyway.

Supposedly it cost $49.99 so paying nothing felt good.
　
I like it.

It fills a nich but now I need to find a place to keep it.
　
Any suggestions on what to cook in it to break it in?

Paella?

 

[Katie H]

It's Farberware and made in China but it was free.
(Anyone remember S&H Greenstamps? And nothing is free.)
View attachment 25841
　
I usually pass on the freebies offered but this one looked like something I could use and didn't have.
　
Yeah it wasn't exactly free because I had to spend x amount to earn the stickers to get it at no cost but I was going to spend the bucks anyway.

Supposedly it cost $49.99 so paying nothing felt good.
　
I like it.

It fills a nich but now I need to find a place to keep it.
　
Any suggestions on what to cook in it to break it in?

Free is always the right size, isn't it? I love it and have taken advantage of the points I earn using my Amazon credit card and for the points I use to search with Bing.

Last year I bought a $500/600 Dyson vacuum cleaner using points. Didn't have quite enough to earn a free ride but still only paid $84.13 and enjoyed free shipping.

So far this year I've snagged a number of family Christmas gifts for nothing using the points and I still have points left.

Love your pan, too. Let us know what you finally decide to "baptize" it with.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Everybody was Kung Pao Chicken, dum da dum da dum
They said it was finger lickin' dum da dum da dum
They thought it was so exiciting, dum da dum da dum
It went together with expert timing dum da dum da dum

Kung Pao Chicken*
​

Ingredients:

2 Tbs peanut oil
4 dried red chiles, cracked
1 Tbs garlic, minced
½ Tbs grated ginger
1 tsp pepper
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts/thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbs cornstarch, dissolved in 4 Tbs water
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
⅓ cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts for garnish
2 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated

Marinade

1 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp salt

Sauce

2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs rice wine
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions:

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, wine, egg and salt and pour it into a large zipper bag. Add the chicken to the bag, squeeze out the air, and zip the bag closed. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, balsamic vinegar, sugar and broth.

Set up your mise-en-place with the peanut oil, chiles, garlic, ginger, pepper, bell pepper, the white part of the scallions, the marinated chicken, and the corn starch slurry, in that order. Remove the chicken from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels and discard the marinade.

Heat the peanut oil to smoking over high heat and swirl to coat the sides. Add the chilies and quickly stir-fry them until they begin to darken. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper and continue to stir-fry to infuse the oil. Add the bell pepper and snow peas, then add the chicken and stir-fry it until browned. Add the sauce and bring it to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and stir until thickened, reduce the heat to low, add the white part of the scallions and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place the Kung Pao chicken in a serving bowl and garnish with the peanuts and the green part of the scallions.


* You may substitute thinly sliced beef tenderloin or pork tenderloin for the chicken

 

[Zagut]

Looks like it would be great for a stir-fry. Or a casserole that you start on the stovetop and finish in the oven.

It seems like a good candidate for stir-fry. Kinda/ Sorta resembles a flat bottom wok.

What's the size (inches) and volume (quarts)?

When I measured it across the top it's 12 1/16". and it measures 3" in height. The base is 8 3/8".

I'll let you calculate the volume.

Zagut, one thing for sure...you'll need to invite some company for dinner.

That's a honey of a pan. I think with those high sides it would be a great skillet to help keep your stove from "flying frying splatters". Say that three times quick.

Kayelle I will not attempt to say that three times and I won't even attempt to say it twice. Once is enough.

As far as invites go... You are all welcome to join me here in my hermit cave for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner any time you'd like.
I do not provide travel expense's but if you'd like to sample the slop I cook anyone is welcome and invited. Just show up at the door and I'll feed you.

I find that nothing breaks in a new pan like popping some popcorn in it. Use cooking oil, flavored popcorn oil, or ghee. Get it near smoking hot, add popcorn kernels and salt, cover, and with the glass lid, you get to see the fun. Do you have kids, grand-kids who would love to watch the popping? plus, the popping corn spreads the oil all over the inside pan surface.

Why not break in a new toy with fun, make popcorn.

Chief Longwind of the North

That's a great suggestion Chief.
But I've been spoiled in my popcorn making.
I use my Whirley-Pop and once you've used one you can never go back.

Good luck with it, Zag. Looking forward to pics of great stuff.

Our local Acme market (who still refuses to let me see the back room with the rocket skates and trebuchets) has a similar promotion. We just got the free Farberware 12" non-sitck fry pan.

It's realistically worth abput $40, and we had to spend $1600 over about 5 or 6 months, but without much effort we "earned" enough points. Tjat's about the only place we food shop now.

Now we only have a few weeks to earn something else. I might be buying a whole lotta toilet paper and paper towels just to get another pan.

Don't hold your breath for pics. I only take them when the mood hit's me.

Sounds like your Acme has the same promotion as my Safeway.
I spent plenty of $ to get this thing but I'd have spent it anyway.

I won't go so far as to buy something just to earn stickers/points.

This was my cash in.

I got more stickers when I checked out and I asked a lady walking out the door with me if she collected the stickers. With the time left I wasn't getting anything else and she said yes. I gave mine to her and we both said Merry Christmas. I hope it helped her get the cookware she wanted.

Do stores still give out S&H stamps, Zagut? I think I have some of the books in my Mom's old purse. Or maybe they're Eagle stamps...

Nice pan. If you need somewhere to put it, I have a place for it on my kitchen shelving unit. Just sayin'...

They weren't S&H Green Stamps but it's kinda/sorta the same thing.

I think I can find a place to keep this thing but if I do find a need for external storage I let you know.

Do kitchen privilege's come with the storage option?

Everybody was Kung Pao Chicken, dum da dum da dum
They said it was finger lickin' dum da dum da dum
They thought it was so exiciting, dum da dum da dum
It went together with expert timing dum da dum da dum

Kung Pao Chicken*​

Ingredients:

2 Tbs peanut oil
4 dried red chiles, cracked
1 Tbs garlic, minced
½ Tbs grated ginger
1 tsp pepper
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts/thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbs cornstarch, dissolved in 4 Tbs water
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
⅓ cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts for garnish
2 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated

Marinade

1 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp salt

Sauce

2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs rice wine
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions:

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, wine, egg and salt and pour it into a large zipper bag. Add the chicken to the bag, squeeze out the air, and zip the bag closed. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, balsamic vinegar, sugar and broth.

Set up your mise-en-place with the peanut oil, chiles, garlic, ginger, pepper, bell pepper, the white part of the scallions, the marinated chicken, and the corn starch slurry, in that order. Remove the chicken from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels and discard the marinade.

Heat the peanut oil to smoking over high heat and swirl to coat the sides. Add the chilies and quickly stir-fry them until they begin to darken. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper and continue to stir-fry to infuse the oil. Add the bell pepper and snow peas, then add the chicken and stir-fry it until browned. Add the sauce and bring it to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and stir until thickened, reduce the heat to low, add the white part of the scallions and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place the Kung Pao chicken in a serving bowl and garnish with the peanuts and the green part of the scallions.


* You may substitute thinly sliced beef tenderloin or pork tenderloin for the chicken

Thanks for the recipe/suggestion SLOB.

Might not be the break in but it will find it's way into this pan in the future.



Thanks for the ideas folks.
It's still waiting for it's first use.
They call it a 12" Covered Everything Pan.
So once I use it I guess I need to cook everything in it.

 

[Zagut]

For the update.
Here's how I broke it in.
I washed it and heated it up. Then I put a little peanut oil in it and let it cook for awhile.Wiped it clean and and washed it again.
　
For it's first meal I made Mushroom, Onion, and Swiss burgers.
It's called an Everything Pan so I cooked everything in it.
First I toasted the buns in it.
Sauted the onions and mushrooms on medium heat in a little butter until soft .
Pulled them off and upped the heat to medium high .
Tossed on 2 quater pound ground chuck patties and cooked to slightly less the medium rare.
I'm a flipper these days.

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/the-burger-lab-how-many-times-should-you-flip-a-burger-while-cooking.html
　
Added the swiss, put the cover on to melt it then assembled the burgers and chowed down.
　
Sorry No Pics. I was hungry.
　
This pan will be a learning curve for me.
Although I've only cooked burgers in it the heating parameters are very different then the old faithful cast iron I usually use for burgers.

Clean up was different also but as always Bar Keepers Friend came to the rescue.
　
I think next I'll see how I can destroy a pot roast in it.