Make sure to read to the end for an amazing giveaway offer! — NOW CLOSED
We had a plan. My dad would make one dish featuring the amazing Hestan Nanobond 11” skillet at my parents’ house, and then I’d do my own interpretation of the dish at my own home.
Yes, the skillet came in a set with a saucepan and saute pan, I said. You can use those if you want, but they’d just be extra. There’s no need.
So I got to my parents’ house for part one of this post, and guess what?? He had developed a whole menu using all the components of the set.
So extra!! What about the original plan??
And yet… I couldn’t get mad. When it comes to food, my extra-ness didn’t come from nowhere. It came from my dad.
So that’s how I ended up being sous chef to my Dad, just like when I was growing up.
First, a note about my Dad before we get into the recipes.
1) He’s a doer. My childhood house is filled with his projects — everything from handmade birdhouses, to a waterfall spout in the bathroom, to an entire house addition that he designed and built basically by himself.
2) He thrives on experimentation. When it comes to food, he’ll spend months or even years trying to perfect his macaron or lasagna or smoked ribs. He’ll try various tools and gadgets and when he finds something he likes, he will stick to it forever. (Which makes shopping for him a very high-stakes gamble since he will either love it or never touch it.)
And that’s what brought us here — a compulsion to create.
The star of the dinner was a rack of lamb. Our goal was to develop flavor in two ways: sear on the stove for major Maillard reaction, and then infuse with that extra something in the smoker. The Hestan Nanobond skillet was amazing at this because it can withstand temperatures of up to 1050˚F, creating a super-savory crust on the range. Then, off it went into the smoker. Even though the skillet looks fancy and luxe, it’s an absolute workhorse that can go into the smoker without looking any worse for wear (super-hard and non-porous titanium surface FTW).
The key is to sear all sides of the lamb chops. Get in every nook and cranny. Tilt your pan if you need to! You want the hot hot heat of the skillet on the meat.
I know lamb can be quite controversial (my mom won’t touch the stuff), but I think the smoke rounds out the gaminess of the lamb, giving it a fullness that’s less aggressively LAMB.
The rest of the meal continued in other Hestan pieces…
Taishan cauliflower is common in Taiwanese cooking and is a more delicate yet fuller-bodied cauliflower. Any member of the cruciferous family benefits from browning, and here the Taishan gets even sweeter and nuttier.
We also used the saucepan to make garlic-infused butter. We spread that on some baguettes and then threw them in the smoker. Why not?
And last, once the lamb was done, we had to do the extra credit thing. When we have family time and a new, high-performing cookware set ... this is our go-time.
We cleaned out the skillet and made a clafoutis. Was it extra? Yes of course. That was the point.
Father’s Day is coming up and if your Dad is anything like mine, he won’t want a gadget or a tool or a tie — he’ll want a piece of versatile cookware that will serve him well for all types of cooking exploits — from the stove to the grill to the smoker and beyond.
Nanobond can handle heat up to 1050˚F for high heat searing, and is lighter, faster to hear, and easier to maintain than cast iron. F
NanoBond skillets have 20% more surface area than traditional stainless steel skillets for optimal browning/flavor development.
The molecular titanium bonded stainless steel creates a non-porous surface that's 4x harder than traditional stainless steel, making it scratch/stain resistant.
Nanobond cookware cleans up like new, even after being directly on the grill and smoker
Check out the Hestan Nanobond 11” skillet here and the full 5-piece set here!
GIVEAWAY - CLOSED & WINNER ANNOUNCED & CONTACTED
I’m teaming up with Hestan Culinary to give one lucky winner an 11” skillet (a $280 value)! Gift it to the Dad in your life or keep it for yourself… I won’t tell. :)
Here’s how to enter:
1️⃣ Follow @jessica_tom and @hestanculinary on Instagram
2️⃣ Tell me what you’d sear in the Hestan Nanobond 11” skillet
3️⃣ Tag two friends
Winner will be chosen at random. This giveaway ends Sunday, June 16, 11:59 EST. Good luck and can’t wait to hear your searing ideas. 😋
This post is sponsored by Hestan Culinary, a company that makes incredible cookware I use daily even in my non-sponsored life.
SMOKED LAMB RECIPE
2 lb rack of lamb
Salt
Pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
Trim the fat on the lamb and liberally season with salt and pepper. Allow to come to room temperature.
Prepare and set your smoker to medium heat.
Heat skillet on stovetop on high. When a drop of water immediately sizzles and evaporates, add grapeseed oil. To see if the oil is hot enough, use the chopstick test. Submerge the chopstick tips into the oil. If oil immediately bubbles up, the oil is ready.
Gently add the lamb onto the skillet and sear, about 3-4 minutes on all sides.
When the lamb feels firm to the touch and is evenly browned, dispose of excess oil and bring to smoker. Smoke the lamb in the skillet for 25 minutes. Remove from smoker and allow to rest. Carve and serve!
BLUEBERRY SKILLET CLAFOUTIS RECIPE
2 ½ tablespoons butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup flour
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 ½ cup berries of your choice
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Gently melt butter in skillet. Add the sugar, flour, eggs, and milk. Whisk to mix.
Lightly coat the berries in flour (this is to prevent them from sinking). Add berries to skillet and gently incorporate.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the center is just set. Remove from oven and serve warm with ice cream.
