PETROMAX SKILLET | GEAR REVIEW

If you’ve been reading my weekly blog posts this summer, you know I’ve been having a lot of fun testing out my new Petromax cast iron skillet.

This marvellous bit of chunky outdoor cooking equipment (this one) was a gift from my friends at Whitby and Co, who I’ve been working with for a good few years now (they’re the people behind my Klean Kanteen and Leatherman gear reviews). And while this is indeed “hashtag gifted” (!), it is genuinely something I’ve wanted for an age, but have never purchased because didn’t know how much I’d use it.  

But I needn’t have worried. I’m having so much fun taking the time and making the effort to use this in my garden, it has very quickly become part of my One Hour Outside activity rotation – an example, a bit like my kayak, of when a bit of good quality kit broadens my life outdoors just a little bit more.

I mean, I’m not cooking all my meals on this by any means, or even using it once a week – I know, the shame. But what I have been doing is making specific plans to use it to cook breakfast, lunch or dinner outside when I have the time and the weather is nice. It’s giving me an excuse to set aside time to be outside at home, lighting a fire, preparing fresh ingredients, and cooking some tasty food.

About the Petromax Skillet

Made from high-quality cast iron, this 30cm skillet is a fantastic bit of kit. It’s got some real weight to it – I mean, you’ll be using two hands to pick it up and move it anywhere, especially when there’s food in it! This one has two handles, rather than one long handle, which makes it easy to pick up and carry. Just make sure you wear oven gloves!

Cast iron pans are known for being extremely durable, the heavy base means they get to a high heat and stay there, and when looked after properly, can last for decades. Petromax send their skillets pre-seasoned so you can cook in it straight away, which saves a tonne of effort (and faff). I also got a tub of the natural Petromax Care and Seasoning Conditioner to make sure I keep that seasoned finish for as long as possible.

Four Portions

The 30cm size (outer diameter of the upper edge) has a 25cm base and holds up to 2.5l of food. I chose this size as I generally cook for two people, and my 25cm frying pan works well for that (a very scientifically based decision!). In practice, I have found it to be just big enough to make four portions of something like a paella or a risotto, or to fry bacon, eggs and mushrooms for two. If I was cooking regularly for a family of four, I’d go up a size.

Of course, my skillet hasn’t been confined only to my fire bowl, as you’ll see a bit later in this post. It also works very well on my induction hob – and, indeed, any other kind of stove top – as well as in the oven. It’s good for frying, roasting or grilling. I’ve heard people say that a cast iron, especially if you have a lid (I don’t), is the only pan you’ll ever need.

My Petromax skillet really is proving to be a useful and versatile addition to my outdoor – and indoor – kitchen. Let me share some of the recipes I’ve cooked in it this summer so I can share some of my thoughts about the skillet in practice…

Petromax Paella

I had originally planned on cooking something super simple like bacon sandwiches for breakfast to give my Petromax skillet a basic test run before I cooked dinner in it. But that didn’t quite work out, so I ended up going all in and christened it with paella.

Paella is something I cook indoors on a semi-regular basis, and as it’s traditionally cooked over fire, it seemed like a good option for my first skillet dinner. My version, which I know is not particularly traditional so don’t judge me too harshly, uses chorizo and prawns, onion, bell pepper and peas. Plus a bunch of Spanish seasoning, of course.

I don’t think it’s a slight on the skillet to admit I had to put in much more effort than I would normally for a Monday evening meal. It took two hours, including the time spent preparing and lighting the fire, waiting for it to burn to a temperature good for cooking on, and then cooking and eating dinner. The biggest difference outdoors rather than in, was being unable to truly regulate the heat. I mean, I was cooking on a wood fire so that is to be expected! Even with that, we ate delicious paella for dinner two days running (I cooked enough for four), and so I absolutely called the test a success.

Most importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed the extended period spent in my garden, tending the fire, and cooking our meal – and the extra smokiness from cooking on flame really did make the paella taste different, I would certainly say better. It wasn’t the start of me cooking all my weeknight dinners over my fire bowl, but it was a concept proven and the start of a summer of experiments.

Eggy Bread

Is there anything better than eggy bread cooked on an open fire? I don’t think so… the best outdoor breakfast or lunch going, in my humble opinion. I had to give it a try in my skillet. So, one Saturday after getting in from a morning paddle on my local river, I decided to treat myself to an outdoor lunch.

If you’ve never had it (of course you have but I’m going to tell you anyway), eggy bread is basically fried bread that’s been soaked in egg (there’s no sweetness added like in French Toast). Crack and whisk up a couple of eggs with a tiny dash of milk to loosen it up, add some seasoning, then soak a couple of slices of bread (cheap white bread works best…) in the mixture. Fry the bread in a little oil until the egg is cooked – and serve with tomato ketchup.

Now I’m not going to win any culinary awards with this, and I know Harrison is shaking his head at the state of this plate (have you pre-ordered his book yet?!), but it was absolutely delicious.

Okay so I did burn it a teeny bit… not too black or anything, just a bit more brown than I’d hoped for. Even a few weeks later I’m still getting used to the skillet and how to regulate the heat when cooking over flames (it’s been a long time since my Scouting days), but I also blame getting distracted with making my salad and not watching the pan as closely as I should. Serves me right! And practice makes perfect, after all.

Induction Hash

I had fully intended to cook our dinner outdoors on our most recent Bank Holiday Monday. But alas, it chucked it down. Again. Honestly, I’m even sat here writing in a jumper as I write this, how is it autumn already? Anyway, instead of abandoning my dinner plans entirely, I used it as an opportunity to test out my Petromax skillet on the induction hob in my (indoor) kitchen. One of the really good things about cast iron is you can use it on any type of stove, as well as in the oven – more versatile than most other kitchen pans.

I know hash is generally considered breakfast food, but I often make it for dinner (who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?!). It’s a great way to use up leftover veggies (and roast meats if you’ve got some) – you can pretty much use whatever you have in the fridge. It’s quite simply the perfect quick and easy comfort food for eating in front of the telly after a busy day.

On this particular occasion we had fried potatoes (already cooked), red onion, red bell pepper, courgette and chestnut mushrooms, all topped with a couple of fried eggs, some rather excellent smokey barbecue sauce (Tubby Toms Smokey Schweet, of course), and a few crispy onions. The skillet did the job perfectly; the fact you can get the pan to a very high heat means you get crispy edges, and nothing turns to mush. Dinner was ready in no time at all.

There’s no doubt our hash would have tasted even better if I’d cooked it outside on my fire bowl, but sometimes the weather just doesn’t play ball, and at least I didn’t miss out on my dinner entirely!

Quesadillas (with Homemade Tortilla)

Another one of the indoor ways I’ve made use of my skillet is by cooking quesadillas… and more importantly, the homemade flour tortilla that formed the basis of this weeknight dinner. Okay, so I 100% regretted my meal planning choices when I was midway through a double cooking experiment on a School night, but it was worth the effort. And we didn’t eat that late!

I don’t know what’s taken me so long to make my own tortilla. I was given a cast iron tortilla press as a gift quite a while ago now, but it’s been one of those ‘good intentions’ sat on a shelf in the dining room since then. And honestly, it’s such a nifty bit of kit! Wholly unnecessary, as you can easily create tortilla with a rolling pin, but so easy and quick to use, and it does look good on display (and that’s saying something as I really don’t have ornaments or even useful things out on show).

Tortilla dough is super simple – flour, a bit of oil, a pinch of salt, and some warm water. This is the recipe I’ve been working with; my second batch working slightly better than the first as I tweaked my technique with both the press and the frying. I fully intend (I’m good at intending…) to continue to perfect my tortilla cooking to the point where I can make a batch and freeze them for quick lunches later.

If you’re wondering, I filled my quesadillas with a super tasty barbecue sweet potato and bean filling and some portobello mushrooms. A successful experiment, for sure, something that will surely make it onto my meal plan again in the future.

Cooking Bread

The benefit of using my Petromax skillet over a cheap frying pan for this particular meal, was the confidence with which I could put a slightly sticky thin dough into a dry pan and know it wouldn’t stick. There was never any suggestion that my tortilla dough would stick to the pan. The ability to heat the pan to a very high heat came into play again, and the fact that once the pan is hot, it stays there without much fluctuation, meant I could get through a batch of tortilla without losing heat.

Now I know that bready goodness is on the list, I’ll be testing out naan, chapati, roti, and anything else I can think of! Some of those will be amazing over open flames, too.

Some Final Thoughts

I could talk about food all day, so I’ll stop there and attempt to sum things up for you. It’s fair to say that I am really enjoying my Petromax skillet. These recipes, and a handful of others, have certainly helped me enjoy cooking this summer.

It’s a fantastic bit of cooking equipment; heavy, well made, versatile, and easy to use. Cleaning it is a doddle (don’t use soap or a scourer – just wipe with hot water), and the conditioner I’ve been using on it has kept it looking like new.

Maybe I should caveat this post by saying I know I could have cooked all of the above meals with a good frying pan. I’ve got one of the Ninja Foodi Zerostick ones, which is decently heavy for a normal pan. I could probably even use that pan on an open fire if I really wanted to (but won’t be doing!). A cast iron fire skillet is just such a wonderful luxury, and opens up so many fun cooking experiences – I know I’ve only scratched the surface. That heavy base makes it so good outdoors. And as I mentioned at the top of this post, as it’s cast iron, it will probably outlast me.

Inspiration Needed

There’s more for me to try. For example, I am yet to try cooking recipes that go from stove top into my oven. I’ve also not tried anything sweet, which is a bit of an oversight given my sweet tooth. If you have recipe suggestions, especially those which work as one-pot dinners cooked outdoors on my fire bowl, then I’d really love to hear them. Drop links in the comments below, give me some cooking inspiration.

The Petromax skillet can’t do everything. It’s doesn’t come with a lid like a cast iron Dutch Oven does (like this 3l one, also by Petromax), so you can’t bake bread or make long-cook stews in it. But what it does do – working as a super heavy weight frying pan that holds its heat and works on all kinds of stoves – it does brilliantly. If you are in the market for a cast iron skillet, an almost-does-it-all pan to inspire your outdoor (and indoor) cooking, then do give the Petromax skillet a serious look.

Mine is the Petromax 30cm cast iron fire skillet with two handles.

With thanks to Whitby and Co for sending me the Petromax skillet (and a bunch of accessories) to help encourage me to cook more outdoors this summer. I received the product for free, but as always, this review is based on my own experience. No re-nosed press releases here! This is not a sponsored/paid for advertorial.