Shortcut Suppers

You'd be surprised what a grand meal you can make in a single skillet. We often advise home cooks who are shopping for new equipment to buy as large and heavy a skillet as they can afford; it's so essential to nightly meals that it should go on must-have lists above a tea kettle. In a good skillet with a heatproof handle, you can brown food on top of the stove and then transfer it to the oven. Or do it all on top. When Sheryl's oven was on the fritz recently, we were reminded that you can start and finish almost anything on burners alone. From delicate dishes, like cod cooked with green beans and corn, to heartier suppers of chicken and white rice, the one-pan method works seamlessly.

COD AND VEGETABLES IN A SKILLET
SERVES 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and halved
1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into 4 serving pieces
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob
1/2 cup bottled clam broth
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the green beans and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring often. Push the beans to the sides of the pan and tuck the cod in the center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown the cod over medium heat for 5 minutes on one side.

Using a spatula, turn the cod. Add the corn and broth. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Place a pat of butter on each piece of fish. When it melts, sprinkle the fish with parsley. Serve at once.

SKILLET CHICKEN THIGHS WITH RICE AND OLIVES
SERVES 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
8 chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 cup whole peeled tomatoes, crushed in a bowl
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
Pinch of saffron threads
3 cups boiling water
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, quartered
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until the onion softens. Add the garlic, salt, and black pepper, and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chicken and turn the heat to high. Cook the chicken, turning it several times, until it is opaque on the outside.

Add the tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and cook the chicken for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Stir the rice and saffron into the chicken mixture. Add the boiling water. Turn the heat to medium low, re-cover the skillet, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and olives. Re-cover the pan. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the water and the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve at once.

SHRIMP BOIL
SERVES 4

Add corn to the pot for as long as it's in season, then simply omit it from the recipe. We use unpeeled shrimp, so guests have to peel it themselves, but you can buy peeled shrimp (get them in the freezer section, where they're much less expensive than at the fish counter) and spare your company the trouble. To thaw them partially, soak them in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes before cooking.

6 cups water
2 cups white wine
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup celery leaves
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning (available at fish markets)
Salt, to taste
8 small red potatoes, scrubbed
2 ears fresh corn, each cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp in their shells
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)

Have a large deep platter on hand.

In a large pot, bring the water and wine to a boil. Add the onion, celery, celery leaves, crab boil seasoning, and salt. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and cook over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are almost tender. Add the corn and shrimp and return to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and the corn is tender.

With a slotted spoon, lift the potatoes, corn, and shrimp from the pot and transfer to the platter. Spoon some of the cooking liquid on top. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.

Set the platter in the middle of the table. Serve at once with lots of napkins.

Ask the Cooks: Hot Topic

Are Teflon-coated pans safe to use?
Cynthia Bauman

Teflon is a registered trademark of the DuPont company. It is probably the most familiar nonstick coating on the market. Teflon has become associated with public figures who seem immune to criticism, but it appears the product itself is unable to avoid a growing controversy.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Teflon as a food contact surface in 1960. Since then, there have been calls from scientists for a rigorous review of Teflon's effect on public health. Recently published studies show that a chemical used in the manufacture of Teflon and other similar substances, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, has been found in the blood of people worldwide. It has also been demonstrated that heating Teflon-coated pans beyond 500 degrees can cause the release of toxic fumes - fumes that can prove deadly to pet birds and cause flulike symptoms in humans. DuPont has a website, www.teflon.com, that addresses some of the health questions surrounding Teflon, but consumers might also check out www .mindfully.org for information about potentially toxic fumes from overheating.

The most prudent advice is to avoid overheating Teflon pans and discard them if they become scratched or begin to flake. To eliminate any doubt, switch to stainless steel and follow the cook's mantra: hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick! Heat the pan for a few seconds, add cooking oil and let it heat for a few seconds, then add food.

Answer by Peter J. Kelly, chef-instructor at Johnson & Wales University.