Chicken Fillets On Cast Iron

I made these cute guys on my cast iron skillet. And there is absolutely a big difference between these and the ones cooked on a regular non stick skillet. These are perfect! This skillet is my first cast iron item in kitchen and it will not be the only one. But how did I decide to start using cast iron? Just after reading this article by Oysterculture, I was persuaded not to use teflon (non stick) pans that often and this was the starting point of my cast iron experience. When you read her article, you will see that there is an unbelieavable link between teflon and dead birds.Go read that article if you want to learn further on how chemicals harm nature and our body.

(Before seasoning)

Searching cast iron on the Internet, I learnt that it is the healtiest cookware material. I must admit that I was so excited when we brought this skillet to home. You have to look after cast iron cookware, which makes it special and different from other pans. And it needs a process at the beginning before starting to use it called seasoning. With the guidence of salesman’s advice, we washed it just with water (no detergent), dried, brushed all around it with olive oil (including its holder), and cooked it in oven at 200C for 1 ½ hours. Then it was ready to use!

We love to grill beef or chicken on this skillet. As heat distributes equally on cast iron, this is a perfect way of grilling. And the cleaning part is not difficult. Just wash it under water, use salt instead of detergent to remove any remnants, dry, and oil it again before placing it on shelf. This method is like a natural seasoning and you will see how tasty your beef or chicken is each time you use it. So the more you use your cast iron skillet, the more scrumptious results you have. You can check this article out at Macheesmo to learn more reasons for using cast iron. Thank you Nick for listing these!

I generally marinade chicken or beef in a simple olive oil and tyme mixture, but I used a different one this time. I saw this great marinade here by dokuzuncubulut. Her sauce is much more flavorful, so it was a must for me to try. It is mainly a Turkish blog with many scrumptious recipes with helpful tips. Besides she shares not only her vacations but also her gardening and craft experience. It’s always fun to visit her blog and I always learn something from her blog. You know what? She also has some recipes in English, too. Go visit her blog! I’m sure you will find many things you like there.

I adapted this marinade from her recipe with what I have in my kitchen. She used red and black peppercorns, but I used ground blak pepper only as I didn’t have peppercorns. Also, I used a bay leaf and dried thyme although she didn’t. And also I used ginger powder although she used grated fresh ginger.

Demir Dökümde Piliç Bonfile

Mix all ingredients of marinade in a bowl.

Put fillets in a plastic bag and pour the sauce on them. Make sure all fillets are coated with sauce. And tie the bag. Put it on a plate and wait it in refrigerator for about 5 hours.
Put your cast iron skillet on stove over high heat (I didn’t add oil in it as I already keep my skillet oily as explained above). When it’s heated enough, you see fumes rising up.

(After seasoning)

Bring it to low heat and place chicken fillets on skillet. Turn them over after about 5 minutes. And brown the other sides for another 5 minutes. When they reach the color you desire, take them on a plate. Repeat the same steps until you finish the fillets.

You can serve these well browned chicken fillets with a minced parsley topping. And a fresh green salad is a perfect companion for them.