Will lemon in a cast-iron pan with roast chicken cause problems?
I have two chicken recipes that I've perfected over the years:
- Roasted spatchcock in the oven, in a pre-heated cast iron pan, using a rub with oil, paprika, and garlic
- Rotisserie on the grill, stuffed with a lemon, and basted with a sweet tomato-based sauce
The oven-roasted version results in nice crispy skin and great pan juices from the fat melting out of the chicken mixing with the rub. The rotisserie version has a nice lemon flavor from the whole lemon.
Since I can't use my rotisserie indoors (it's a grill attachment), I'd like to figure out how to get that lemon flavor into the chicken as we move into weather where I can't cook outdoors.
I've seen several recipes that involve roasting chicken in a cast iron skillet with lemon (for example, here and here), but I'm skeptical, as I have previously ruined the seasoning in my skillet by using too much vinegar when deglazing, and I know that lemon juice can also be used for deglazing. I'm also aware that there can be issues with acidic liquids leaching iron out of the pan and/or corroding the pan.
But perhaps I'm asking the impossible. Is there any way to get lemon flavor into a chicken that's roasted in a cast iron skillet, without ruining the seasoning?
Best Answer
This really depends on your existing seasoning. I have a cast iron pan that I have maintained for years. I roast chicken in it, sometimes with lemon slices, I don't have a problem with the seasoning. I occasionally wash it with soap and water (though that is not the general cleaning practice I use), with no problems.
If you don't want lemon on the surface of the pan, you could marinate your chicken. You could also put lemon slices under the skin.
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Does lemon react with cast iron?
To preserve it, avoid cooking acidic foods in your cast-iron pan for longer than a few minutes, or letting acidic foods sit in the pan for a while after cooking. Just finishing pan-fried chicken cutlets with a spritz of lemon juice? Should be fine.Does lemon rust cast iron?
Citric acid reacts very quickly with iron, but does not in itself rust the iron. The water in the lemon juice will help to rust the iron, however, in the presence of air.What should not be cooked in cast iron?
5 foods you should never cook in a cast iron skilletCan you ruin a cast iron pan?
Cast iron is a very hardy piece of cookware. It is possible to ruin it, but it would take a lot of neglect over a long period of time for that to happen. As long as you are washing it properly (ie.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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