New (to me) Omelet Pan--Who Woulda Thunk It?

[kaleokahu]

So there I was, wasting time on eBay, and I see this thick aluminum omelette pan. I mean T-H-I-C-K, even thicker than the famous, so-called Julia Child pan sold by Pan Shop of Boston. Marked "Rudolf Stanish Omelet Pan" on the bottom. No bids. So I bid the minimum on a whim, and won for $9.99. I measured it on arrival, and it mikes slightly >6mm. To give you some idea of the heft, this 10" pan weighs 3.3 lbs in *aluminum*.

Cleaned her up, seasoned her last night per the PSB instructions, and WHOA! *Less* stick than non-stick.

Had no idea who Rudolf Stanish is/was. Then I find this: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/l... Quite the story!

Anyone else have one of these, or similar extra-thick dedicated egg pan? Anyone know who actually produced the pan? Do you observe the rule that it is NEVER washed, just wiped out?

Based on this honeymoon omelet, I think my last remaining PTFE (a Swiss Diamond) is getting donated to the thrift store.

Aloha,
Kaleo

[INDIANRIVERFL]

Congratulations Kaleo!!!

Here is a prime example of keeping old posts open. I was in the north woods of Wisconsin when you originally posted this.

When I read your post, I had a suspicion, but when I saw his picture, 45 years disappeared in a flash. He gave demonstrations and classes at Gimble's Department store in Pittsburgh during the late sixties and early seventies. Even skipped school to go to the noon time ones at the downtown main store.

Buying his pan was not in the budget for Mom or I, but I still remember his disdane for the new, improved omelet pan with a hinge and teflon for easy flipping and no sticking.

[Scout58]

I inherited this pan and accompanying cookbook, "A Small Collection of Recipes for Omelette, Crepes..." from a dear departed friend. Her strict instructions were to NEVER wash it (wipe it with a paper towel), only use it only for omelettes & crepes, and use butter was the oil....I have honored her request and this pan makes one incredible omelette!

[Bacardi1]

I'm still having trouble understanding how one "seasons" aluminum.

[kaleokahu]

Hi, Bacardi1:

I'll leave it to others to speculate as to *how* it works. But the difference it makes is amazing. Since getting this pan, I've tried doing the same thing with basically ALL of my skillets (tinned, SS, black-enameled CI, "smooth" ECI), and it's improved every one to varying degrees. Obviously, washing is necessary with some preps, but you can easily habituate to the salty oil scrub.

Aloha,
Kaleo

[zhenya00]

I have an anodized aluminum omelette pan that, just as described here, is perfectly non-stick if I use it only for eggs, and just wipe it out after use. Never wash it. If someone does me a favor by washing it out, the next few omelettes stick badly.

[Bacardi1]

But since just wiping the pan out must leave a film of oil in the pan, doesn't that eventually turn rancid?

[RoseyMiss]

I have to agree with everyone else - awesome pan! And thanks for including the link; what a neat story!

[GH1618]

That is an interesting obituary. The pan looks like a bargain.

[Eiron]

Nice! And a wonderful back-story on Mr. Stanish, as well.

Related question: How's your wood stove project going?

Between this pan, your love of copper, & your wood stove, I now know your true culinary plan!

First, break out the copper mixing bowl & whisk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaSxtrhgR7o
As shown above, the omelettes must be whisked until the whites start to set!

Next, trowel some butter into your new pan, melt the butter, FILL the pan with nearly-set eggs & place IN the fire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc2LQ6...
Be sure to have your plate ready!

YUM !!! :-D

[kaleokahu]

Hi, Eiron:

Thanks for the links. Very interesting. I think I need some of those 4-foot-long handled pans! If you look closely, you'll see the pans are placed on trivets, not directly in the coals. But there is so much flame, it's difficult to see.

The Monarch woodstove has been in for about 5 months now. Went really smoothly, but I had to have some stovepipe cut and one piece custom-made. It's been a learning experience cooking on it--2 dampers, 2 drafts, the coal/wood grate choice, the separate oven diverter, wood choice, etc. all make for nothing staying constant, but you learn to know what direcion it's heading and adjust. Fully stoked and wide open, it will get the oven to 450F and the lids over the firebox to 900F. The lids to the far right will simmer at that burn. A full load of coal will burn about 12 hours, but it eats wood at a gluttonous rate.

The photo in my OP is of a propane 2-burner sitting atop the Monarch. I've been using that for quick dishes where I don't have time to build up a good fire. By the time cold weather hits, I expect it'll be lit most of the time. Wonderful heat and smells...

Any progress with the knife biz?

Aloha,
Kaleo

[Eiron]

"Any progress with the knife biz?"

I have finally finished building my own knife-making grinder & have taken one 'practice knife' all the way from 'scrap metal & wood chunks' to a finished piece. I did this first one solely to understand the process of shaping & thinning the steel, & attaching & finishing the handle. It's not as well-finished as my actual product will be, but the point was to learn the problems I'll face, not to make it pretty.

I'm now cutting out blanks from the production steel & will start working on them as time permits.

[mwhitmore]

WOW! If that is a true omelet, I've never had one...maybe never will. Is the whisking done over heat, I can't tell from the video? Has anyone else documented this recipe? How many eggs per, looks enormous? Any ingredients besides eggs and butter, salted when?

[cowboyardee]

Nice find.

I'm curious - what were the PSB's instructions for seasoning?

[kaleokahu]

Hi, cowboy:

The seasoning instructions are basically:

1. Wash with soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly.
2. Coat inside with vegetable oil and heat to near the oil's smoke point.
3. Turn off heat and let sit overnight.
4. Pour out oil. Heat pan again. Add 1T salt and wipe it around pan, then out. You're done.
5. Do not wash the pan. No water, ever after, just wipe it clean.

Works really well so far.

Aloha,
Kaleo

[jljohn]

Kaleo,

Wow! What a pan! Nice score.

I'm curious now. Do you have any idea how thick the pot shop's pan is? (I live about 4 miles from Vincent's shop, so I really should just head over there one of these days.) I wonder how the two pans compare.

I see that these pop up on ebay regularly, but almost all of them seem to be "club" pans with plastic handles, and they honestly look thinner. They also seem to be lighter, as all stated weights are less than 3 lbs. Do I see correctly that yours has a metal handle? Did you come across anything in your research about variations on this pan (early thick pans and later thinner club pans, etc?)

Thanks!

Jeremy

[kaleokahu]

Hi, Jeremy: "Do you have any idea how thick the pot shop's pan is?"

Not directly. At the time I was musing bidding on this one, there were two 8-inch PSB pans on ebay. You know from your copper shopping how a smaller pan of the same thickness always looks thicker, so I judged this 10" to be thicker visually. It'd be nice if you could get Vincent to tell you the actual thickness. The PSB pan looks to me to be a tad shallower.

"Do I see correctly that yours has a metal handle?" Yes, it's either SS or chrome plated steel, pretty short handle. And it does weigh 3.3 pounds.

Nope on the research. I mostly was interested in Stanish himself. Turns out the chef he trained French under was himself a student of Escoffier! Cooked for JFK at his inaugural brekkie? Princess Di and Marilyn Monroe? Paul & Bunny Mellon's personal chef? Amazing story, really.

Aloha,
Kaleo

[breadchick]

That's some pan.

[wabi]

There's another on Ebay, but it's interior is pretty beat up.

[kaleokahu]

Hi, breadchick:

Now I want his omelet cookbook!

Aloha,
Kaleo

[breadchick]

Me too!! What a story.

[kaleokahu]

Hi, breadchick:

Chef Stanish's book arrived yesterday--$5.99 (used) from Amazon. 70 pages of pearls, much of it on cookware. Among them: "A special pan should be kept solely for making omelets and crepes. It should be of cast aluminum...The pan should never be washed in a detergent. To clean away small egg particles that may remain, use a little salt and wipe out with a paper towel...The pan should never be washed again."

Aloha,
Kaleo

[Eiron]

"The pan should never be washed again."

That would definitely keep it safe from anyone else in MY house ever using it!

:-D

[pine time]

I've read the same about never washing cast iron, but I wash mine anyways.

[breadchick]

Hi kaleo,

So, this pan can be treated similar to carbon steel. Now, if you run water over the surface, does it bead up? I never realized aluminum would do that. Hey, at least it won't RUST, lol!

Happy omelet making!
bc

[kaleokahu]

Hi, bc:

Yes, water beads. But I think carbon steel's seasoning relies on actually polymerizing the oil (which among other things, darkens the pan), whereas this method leaves the pan visually unchanged.

Regards,
Kaleo

[andrewtree]

I'm jealous! And will now be keeping an eye on ebay.

[Jay F]

What a nice story (and pan). Thanks, K.