Skottel basics: choosing and seasoning one
What a skottel is, which size and surface to buy, how to season a bare steel pan, and what to do before the first cook.
A skottel is a wide, shallow steel pan over a gas burner. This guide explains the types you can buy, which size suits how you cook, and how to prepare a new one so food does not stick.
Where it comes from
The skottel grew out of farm cooking, when a worn plough disc was set over a fire and used as a pan. Today’s versions keep the same shape: a shallow dome with a hot centre and cooler, sloping sides. Fat runs to the middle, where you sear, and you push cooked food up the slope to keep warm.
The main types
- On the gas bottle. The burner and pan sit straight on top of a small gas cylinder. Light and quick to set up, but less stable, so keep it on flat, firm ground.
- On legs. A burner on a stand with folding legs and a hose to a separate cylinder. Steadier, and the usual choice for family cooking and paella.
- Pan only. A disc or skottel pan used over coals or a separate gas ring.
Size
Portable pans are roughly 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 inches) across, enough for two to four people. Family pans run about 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20 inches) and will cook breakfast for six or a paella for eight. A bigger pan needs a bigger burner to heat evenly. Check that your burner is rated for the pan you put on it, and never use a pan larger than the maker allows.
Thicker steel holds heat better and is less likely to warp.
Surfaces
| Surface | Good for | Care |
|---|---|---|
| Enamel coated | Easy cleaning, no seasoning | Soap and a soft sponge. Avoid metal scrapers; enamel can chip |
| Non-stick liner | Eggs and delicate fish | Wooden or silicone tools only; never heat empty on high |
| Bare carbon steel | Searing, stir-fries, paella | Season it, keep it dry, oil it after use |
| Cast iron | Even heat, holds warmth | Season it, heavy to carry |
Seasoning a carbon steel or cast-iron pan
Seasoning is a thin layer of oil baked onto the steel until it turns hard and black. It stops rust and makes the pan close to non-stick.
- Wash a new pan with hot, soapy water to remove the factory coating that stops rust in the shop. Dry it completely over the flame.
- Wipe on a very thin film of neutral oil such as sunflower or canola, then wipe it back off with paper towel so the pan looks almost dry. Thick oil turns sticky instead of hard.
- Heat on a medium-high flame for about 10 minutes, until the oil smokes and then stops.
- Let it cool a little and repeat three or four times. The pan will go from silver to brown to black.
An older trick also works. Fry a handful of potato peels with a cup of coarse salt and a little oil for 8 to 10 minutes, moving them over the whole surface, then throw them away and oil the pan.
Before the first cook
For an enamel or coated pan, rub on a little oil, heat it gently for 2 to 3 minutes, let it cool, then wash and dry it. For any skottel, check the hose for cracks and test new connections with soapy water. Our guide to skottel heat and gas safety explains how.
Start with something fatty and forgiving, such as the skottel breakfast. Bacon fat helps build the seasoning on a new pan.