Omelette sticking to frying pan

[Lady DeWinters]

Last weekend I made an omelette... the darn thing stuck to my pan. How do I stop this from happening? Thanks.

 

[Andy M.]

Last weekend I made an omelette... the darn thing stuck to my pan. How do I stop this from happening? Thanks.

Tell us more. Type of pan and process used.

 

[healthyfoodie]

unless it's a nonstick pan, I don't have much luck with omelettes.

 

[Katie H]

Ditto what Andy said. We need a little more information.

 

[KellySeven]

If you heat the pan before putting oil in it will become non stick. Ish.

 

[ironchef]

If you heat the pan before putting oil in it will become non stick. Ish.

It will to a point, but not to where most people can make an omelette with a pan that's not non-stick. I'll shake the hand of anyone that can successfully make an omelette in a stainless steel pan without using a puddle of fat.

 

[Jeekinz]

So....to clean the pan, would you use..


an Eggstractor?.......



(couldn't help it)

 

[DramaQueen]

I just read an article that stated because of the high protein content and certain enzymes in eggs, they are one of the few food items that will stick to a pan unless it is non stick or unless you use Pam, or some other non stick spray. It's the nature of eggs to stick so use one of the above. I have a good quality non-stick pan that I use for eggs only. I don't cook anything else in that type of pan.

 

[Andy M.]

I just read an article that stated because of the high protein content and certain enzymes in eggs, they are one of the few food items that will stick to a pan unless it is non stick or unless you use Pam, or some other non stick spray. It's the nature of eggs to stick so use one of the above. I have a good quality non-stick pan that I use for eggs only. I don't cook anything else in that type of pan.

The sprays are another way to get oil into a pan. A splash of vegetable oil or a pat of butter will accomplish the same result.

You need a clean hot pan with hot fat in it to keep food (including eggs) from sticking.

 

[strawberry]

It will to a point, but not to where most people can make an omelette with a pan that's not non-stick. I'll shake the hand of anyone that can successfully make an omelette in a stainless steel pan without using a puddle of fat.

*shakes hand*

Pan spray works very well. I have an old stainless steel pan from my grandmother. It does wonders for omelettes and crepes, but for the omelettes pan spray is a must.

 

[CharlieD]

SS pans are tough even for other foods, not just omlet. However alumiun or cast iron pans are easier to work with.

 

[MickeyJoe]

Might sound crazy, but i seaon my ss pans like i do cast iron,
rub em with veggie oil and then roast em for 30 minutes at 450

it blackens the pan just like CI
draw backs

pan must be all metal (no wood or plastic handle)

and you have to gently handwash the pan to prserve the veggie oil coating

 

[Lady DeWinters]

These are some very cool ideas! Thank you so much for the tips!

 

[Caine]

Turn down the heat, and use butter as your frying medium. Eggs need to be cooked in butter. They beg to be cooked in butter.

 

[DramaQueen]

Might sound crazy, but i seaon my ss pans like i do cast iron,
rub em with veggie oil and then roast em for 30 minutes at 450

it blackens the pan just like CI
draw backs

pan must be all metal (no wood or plastic handle)

and you have to gently handwash the pan to prserve the veggie oil coating

Yep, sounds crazy all right. . Actually the reason we season Cast Iron is because it's very porous and seasoning seals the pores. Stainless steel is not porous at all so the seasoning is not necessary. I wouldn't want my ss pans to turn black because what you've done is burnt the oil into the pan. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[GotGarlic]

Turn down the heat, and use butter as your frying medium. Eggs need to be cooked in butter. They beg to be cooked in butter.

Or bacon drippings

 

[MickeyJoe]

Yep, sounds crazy all right. . Actually the reason we season Cast Iron is because it's very porous and seasoning seals the pores. Stainless steel is not porous at all so the seasoning is not necessary. I wouldn't want my ss pans to turn black because what you've done is burnt the oil into the pan. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

It's not crazy,

seasoning of cast iron is for several reasons, not just to "fill in the pores", corrosion resistance, flavor transfer (from previously cooked food and from the iron itself, did you ever have "steel eggs"? yuck), a light coating of baked on oil takes care of all of these problems, and yes, the pores in the CI grips the baked on oil. (Microscopically, the baked oil surface looks like an evergreen forest from the backside)

Seasoning is the wrong term for what you can do to stainless steel, but I use the term because the process if the same.

Most commercially available SS cookware has a #4 or #3 directional finish,
kinda like a brushed finish, but all the scratches go in the same direction,
this finish has the gripping properties of a pair of vise grips. Putting a nice thin coating of oil (not burned but baked on) on the pan (works for brush finish aluminum too) fills in these "scratches" and inhibits the gripping action.

True, at high temperature the oil will burn, pans treated as such are typically used for specifics. The oil in cast iron will burn too, did you ever have your dutch oven in the fire and start smelling what smells like the local greasy spoon restaurant? That's the oil rendering and burning.

I've even got some chef friends who will do a pork fat or bacon glaze on their pans, the only problem with that is, any period of inactivity could result in rancid oils on your pan, so they typically clean them at the end of the day and re season when cooking begins (one guy has his prep cooks clean and season his prized pans a couple times a week)

Anyway, if you have a pan you always use for omlets and such, you can bake a nice brown glaze onto it, and it'll be non stick.

 

[Andy M.]

...Anyway, if you have a pan you always use for omlets and such, you can bake a nice brown glaze onto it, and it'll be non stick.

I sometimes get a brown glaze when I sear a piece of meat and finish it in the oven. It takes the form of light brown spots on the edges of the pan.
Is this what you are talking about?

I worked to get that stuff off and now you're telling me I should leave it on!!

 

[kitchenelf]

I worked to get that stuff off and now you're telling me I should leave it on!!

I've always been under the impression that you want to get that off Andy. Otherwise it affects the pan as far as uniformity of heat. Is this not correct?

 

[MickeyJoe]

Stainless Steel Pan?

Sounds like it, is it kinda slick, looks like it's wet, but dry to the touch?
Thin. smooth, no particles in it.
if so, it's what I'm talking about.

Only issue though, like i said about the bacon and pork fat
It can go rancid

If i had that occur, I would continue using the pan as is for that particular cooking session (veggies to go with the meat etc)
I love roasting a filet and then using the same pan to brown some white potatoes or saute some asparagus, they seem to just enjoy being in the meat gunk more than they like PAM or oil or such.
but then I'd clean it like you have been.

I agree with Kitchen elf too, what I'm talking about is a verythin glaze of oil.

Not the grease and gunk buildup you get from using your stovetop pan for roasting


Nothing like a nice case of the "you know what's" cause you cooked your eggs in rancid oil.