Cooking with Induction: Techniques, Tips & Recipes

with PLAYTE Kitchen + Copper

Curious about induction cooking or looking to get more out of your Copper Charlie range? PLAYTE Kitchen partnered with Copper for an interactive culinary demonstration designed to help home cooks build confidence, explore new techniques, and discover the versatility of induction cooking.

Led by Chef Sandy Sauter, VP of Culinary at PLAYTE Kitchen, the session explored practical ways to cook with induction, from high-heat wok cooking and griddling to perfectly cooked eggs and oven-roasted vegetables. Along the way, we explored cookware compatibility, heat control, cooking techniques, and the everyday advantages of cooking with induction.

At PLAYTE Kitchen, we believe great cooking starts with understanding the why behind what we do. It's not just about following a recipe; it's about learning how your ingredients, equipment, and techniques work together to create delicious results.

Whether you're new to induction or already cooking with a Copper Charlie, we invite you to explore the recipes below, revisit the techniques demonstrated during the webinar, and put your induction range to work in your own kitchen.

Get curious, turn up the heat, and let's get cooking!

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KUNG PAO CHICKEN

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the Chicken:

  • 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ¾-inch chunks

  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • ½ teaspoon cornstarch

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

For the Stir-fry:

  • 2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine

  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable, divided

  • 1 large red bell pepper, cut into medium dice

  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut into medium dice

  • 2 stalks celery, cut on a bias

  • ½ cup roasted peanuts

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1-inch ginger, minced

  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced

  • 8 small dried red Chinese or Arbol chiles

PROCEDURE:

  1. For the Chicken: Combine chicken, soy sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.

  2. For the Stir-Fry: Combine chicken stock, soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk together until homogenous. Set aside.

  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add chicken, spread into a single layer, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, tossing and stirring frequently, until the exterior is opaque but chicken is still slightly raw in the center, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.

  4. Wipe out wok and heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat until smoking. Add bell peppers and celery and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until brightly colored and browned in spots, about 1 minute. Add peanuts and toss to combine.

  5. Push vegetables up the side of the wok to clear a space in the center. Add garlic, ginger, scallions, and dried chiles and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return chicken to wok and toss to combine. Stir the sauce and add to the wok. Cook, tossing, until sauce thickens and coats ingredients and chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Serve immediately.

Quick & Easy Pancakes

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (9 ounces)

  • ¼  cup sugar 

  • 3½ teaspoons baking powder

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, or melted butter, plus extra for greasing the skillet

  • 1⅓ cups whole milk, room temperature

  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

  • Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup

PROCEDURE:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, oil, milk and vanilla (if using) until well combined. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and with a whisk, stir gently until just combined (batter should remain lumpy with a few streaks of flour). Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking.

  2. Heat a large cast-iron griddle over medium-low heat and brush with 1 teaspoon oil or melted butter. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out excess oil, leaving thin film on the surface of the pan.

  3. To Test Temperature of the Griddle: Drop 1 tablespoon batter on the griddle. If the pancake is pale golden brown after 1 minute, the griddle is ready. If it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly.

  4. Using ¼-cup dry measuring cup or ice cream scoop, portion batter onto griddle, leaving even spacing between portions. Use the back of a measuring cup or a spoon to gently spread batter into a 4-inch round. Cook until bubbles on the surface are just beginning to break, edges are set, and bottom sides are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

  5. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until the second sides are golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and serve. (Alternatively transfer cooked pancakes to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, and hold warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.) Repeat with remaining batter, using additional oil or melted butter as needed.

Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed, outer leaves removed, cut in half

  • ¼  cup olive oil, divided

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 4 medium shallots, sliced thinly

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

PROCEDURE:

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-third position in the oven and place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven with sheets to 450°F with the convection fan on.

  2. In a large bowl, add sprouts, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. Once the oven has reached temperature, working quickly, remove the baking sheet with a dish towel or oven mitt and spread the Brussels sprouts mixture evenly on the tray, shaking sheets to distribute into a single even layer. Return the pan to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. While Brussels sprouts roast, in the now-empty bowl, toss shallots, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste to combine.

  3. Working quickly and carefully, spread the shallot mixture evenly over the pan of Brussels sprouts and stir to combine. Continue to bake until Brussels sprouts are deeply charred and fully tender and shallots begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.

  4. Immediately after removing the baking sheet from the oven, drizzle sprouts with balsamic vinegar and shake to coat. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired and serve.

Vanilla Caramel Sauce

makes 1½ cups

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ cup water

  • 1¼ cup granulated sugar

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract

PROCEDURE:

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Stir with a fork until syrup comes to a boil, about 4 minutes, then simmer without stirring until syrup is honey-colored, roughly 6 minutes, shaking and swirling as needed to ensure even caramelization. Continue cooking until syrup is light to medium amber, a minute more. Immediately add cream and reduce heat to medium-low.

  2. Stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula to knock back the foam, simmer until caramel registers 225°F on a digital thermometer, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a heat-resistant container, stir in vanilla paste or extract, and cool to room temperature. Caramel will be runny while warm, but thicken as it cools, turning just a little chewy when cold. Refrigerate up to 1 month in an airtight container.