Fish Fry Pan
I’m so happy to report I finally got a fish pan for my kitchen! It’s a 12-inch oval fry pan by Wolfgang Puck that also comes with a lid. I got it for a very good bargain on Ebay, new but not flawless. It had some scratches on the handle…something I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t so anal about handwashing my favorite pots and pans. But I got it for only half its market price. So yes, it was a very good deal at $15.00, including shipping.
Every Filipino household should have one of these pans. Even if we Filipinos can eat fish three times a day, everday each week, an elongated fish pan like this is uncommon in the Philippines. Yup, we’re a nation of fish eaters and anything edible from the sea. The Philippines is an archipelago with 7,100 islands after all…you’re never far from water…and fresh fish.
The pan worked perfectly. I did my old trick of thoroughly heating the pan before putting in some oil and it was virtually nonstick. But I think that was mainly due to the very smooth, mirror-like finish of the pan. There are no angles around the inside which made turning the fish so easy. That no-angle sides would make it perfect for omelette-making as well. The pan is oven-proof up to 400F so I can use it for roasts and steaks. In fact, this pan would be great for longer sausages and so many other things. It’s so easy to clean too, nothing stuck to the bottom so it was a quick rinse and soaping with a light sponge…nothing more.
It’s 18/10 stainless steel with an encapsulated aluminum disc at the bottom that gives you incredibly even heat all over the pan. Indeed, the whole fish (head included as you can see) came out perfectly and evenly browned and crisp on the outside. This, despite the fact that my round burner didn’t match the oval pan. The inside of the fish was perfectly flaky and moist, Spouse pointed out how it was the best fried fish I’ve cooked.
Of course, anyone could be biased if they had a shiny, new pan that was made especially and perfectly for fish. Kinda like auto-suggestion, don’t you think?
October 14th, 2006 at 4:08 am
I considered a fish pan when I bought my last pan set (Meyer Analon).
In the end I opted for 2 frying pans (large and small), a chef pan, and a milk pan.
I’m a little annoyed now that I didn’t buy the extra small pan, which would have been perfect for pancakes…
Anyway the fish pan is great – if you have a fish pan to hold all your pans!
October 14th, 2006 at 8:30 am
Hi Scott, thanks for dropping in. Yup, this pan is great and I’ve used it for other dishes as well. I picked up a set of stainless steel Caplphalon pans from a military exchange some years back, it was in a terribly knocked around box but was complete and had no damage on any of the pots – a steal for about a third of the price! They are in constant use since and they look as good as the day I bought them…
October 19th, 2006 at 4:53 am
Wow, that’s cheap, Mita. Simple stainless pan here costs around P1,800-3,000. Wala naman akong paypal account dito sa Pinas kaya di makabili sa EBay. Saka pag dito siguro ishi-ship ang mahal na talaga.
October 19th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Great deal, no? That’s why I snapped it up when we confirmed we were moving back home. I think Paypayl will offer Philippine residents some service so you can pay – receiving money is another thing. If you have relatives in the US, then mail won’t be so bad. Or you can check with: http://www.manilaforwarder.com who offers receipt of US internet purchases and they’ll deliver it to you in da Pinas too. mmm…I think I have material for another blog post there somewhere…