In the United States a cast-iron skillet is an institution. They can be passed down from generation to generation and can be used for anything from a breakfast fry-up to fried chicken, or the perfect T-bone steak. It's no wonder that a "skillet supper" is comfort food to so many Americans. What could be better than a whole dinner made in a single pan? This is the low-rise version of one-pot cooking.

Chicken in ratatouille

Perfect straight from the skillet, this lovely chicken and vegetable dish can be served hot, warm or even at room temperature.

4 chicken thigh fillets, preferably skin-on

salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

2 anchovies, roughly chopped

2 large brown onions, cut into 3cm pieces

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 zucchini, cut into 2cm rounds

1 eggplant, cut into 5cm pieces

1 yellow capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces

1 red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

4 sprigs thyme

½ cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn

1.Halve the chicken thighs and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a very large skillet, frying pan or chef pan over high heat and brown the chicken well on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

2.Add the anchovies, onion and garlic to the oil and fry until fragrant. Add the zucchini, eggplant and capsicum and fry until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and thyme and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper then return the chicken pieces to the pan, sticking them into the ratatouille skin-side up. Simmer the ratatouille for about eight minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat and stand for at least 10 minutes before serving, scattered with the basil leaves.

Serves 4

Okonomirosti

Part Japanese and part Swiss, this fusion dish puts a European twist on Japan's famous savoury pancake, okonomiyaki.

4 potatoes, peeled and grated

1 small onion, grated

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

1 ear corn, kernels stripped from the cob

2 rashers bacon, rind removed sliced into strips

salt, to season

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup grated cheese

¼ cup Japanese mayonnaise, to serve

¼ cup finely chopped chives, to serve

Sauce

¼ cup tomato sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp grated ginger

1.Mix together the grated potato, onion, cabbage, corn and bacon, and season with salt.

2.Heat a 26 centimetre skillet or frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Place half of the potato mixture into the pan all the way to the edge and scatter with the cheese. Top with the remaining mixture. You don't need to press the mixture down. Cook for 10 minutes then place a plate larger than the pan upside down on top of it. Invert the pan and plate to remove the rosti to the plate, then slide the rosti back into the pan so that the browned side is now facing upwards. Cook for a further 10 minutes until the rosti is crisp and browned on both sides.

3.Remove the rosti from the pan onto a serving plate. Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and brush over the rosti. Drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and scatter with chives to serve.

Serves 2-4