Fix a "Sticky" Pan
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: January 3, 2008

Don't you just hate when you've finally gotten your favorite little omelette pan perfectly seasoned only to have it get that sticky, tacky feel? You scrub and scrub and it comes off, but you also lose that nice seasoned coating.   Chef's Secrets: Insider Techniques from Today's Culinary Masters, a fun little gem of a book, offers a simple remedy to reestablish that nonstick surface.


Heat your pan on high heat until very hot.
Pour a bunch of salt into the pan (the book says to use iodized salt, but I used about a cup of Kosher and it worked quite well).
Swirl the salt around in the pan (I pushed the salt around with a Silicone spatula to make sure I got the sides). This will clean out the pores in the metal and remove impurities.
Dump the salt out and wipe with a clean towel.

Voilà! Your pan is now back to its seasoned self.
Check out Secret Sauce for some chef secrets of the culinary variety.

Comments:
Nina
January 16, 2008

Thank you so  much for this really helpful tip.  I have two pans that desperately need this treatment.  Now I know what to do.