Cast iron cookware. Photo: Deposit Photos

Cast iron cookware is no longer a relic found in Grandma’s kitchen. It is making a huge comeback in kitchens nationwide, and chefs are creating new recipes and cookbooks in line with the trend. The reasons for the resurgence of this old-fashioned cooking tool vary from unexpected benefits to delicious inspirations.

Looking for ideas of what to make in your cast iron cookware? Grab a copy of The New Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook by Ellen Brown.

Ellen Brown’s book The New Cast Iron Cookbook is perfect for the amateur cast iron chef. Her passion for cooking with cast iron is contagious, and with her detailed introduction, you learn a bit about the history of cast iron pans and the benefits of using them. Chapter one gives extensive advice on preparing and maintaining cast iron pans, including the do’s and don’ts of using them.

The recipes included in the book are old-fashioned with a modern twist, such as her Oven-Roasted Ratatouille, while others are surprising and new, including the Chicken Seafood Paella.

Tarte Tatin from New Cast Iron Cookbook

The Tarte Tatin is so delicious that it will definitely be a keeper for Sunday suppers. After checking out this wonderful new cookbook, you cannot help but fall in love with cast iron.

Chicken and Seafood Paella

Makes 6 to 8 servings

• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
• 6 to 8 (4-ounce) chicken thighs with bones and skin
• Salt and ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup olive oil, divided
• ¼ pound Spanish chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• 2½ cups short-grain Spanish paella rice or Arborio rice
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes in their juice
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 to 18 mussels, debearded and scrubbed well
• 6 to 12 small littleneck clams, scrubbed well
• 1 pound extra-jumbo (16 to 20 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Combine the stock and saffron in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat a deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and tilt the pan around to coat it evenly. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and brown them well on all sides, turning them gently with tongs. Be careful to not crowd the pan. Transfer the chicken to a platter and set aside.

Add the chorizo to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the chorizo to the platter with the chicken and set aside.

It is imperative that the mussels and clams be scrubbed well before adding them to the dish or you will ruin it. Putting them in salted water will purge them of any remaining sand they may have inside their shells. Remember that until you bake the mussels and clams, they’re still alive.

Note: The dish can be cooked up to adding the seafood up to 1 hour in advance and kept at room temperature in the skillet. Reheat it in the 400ºF oven for 10 minutes, then top it with the seafood and complete the cooking.

Excerpted from The New Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: 150 Fresh Ideas for America’s Favorite Pan by Ellen Brown. © 2014 Sterling Epicure. Hardcover.