Note to self: do not rely on the semi-non-stick nature of an enameled cast iron pan, even when cooking something with a bit of grease to it.
Oh, no disaster; I made a small batch of corned beef hash with panko breadcrumbs on the bottom, a ring-sliced Shishito pepper and an egg on top in a little skillet that's just the right size. It cooked up fine, and I laid a plate over the top, flipped -- and it neatly separated, dropping the egg-covered top on the plate and leaving the crust and about half the hash in the pan. A thin spatula pried that away cleanly, and there was breakfast, reassembled and ready. But that moment of wondering oh-what-have-I-done is something to avoid.
A learning experience. The enamel is slightly rough, and it's possible one of the fancier (and 10X as costly!) Le Creuset types with shiny super-smooth enamel would release just fine. I'm unlikely to find out -- I like to look at the stuff but I can't justify the cost for the kind of cooking I do.
"Guaranteed non-stick forever" means "most stuff won't stick for a while; after that, use LOTS of butter". I gifted one of those miracle no-stick pans to someone I cook for (self-serving and practical!). Here's a tip: don't let anyone else use it. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your cooking posts.