Mushroom Ajillo in a Ceramic Skillet

Pacific saury, mushrooms, chestnuts and sweet potatoes: autumn brings plenty of reasons to enjoy cooking.

A ceramic skillet is a lovely way to prepare seasonal ingredients, from tender fish to juicy mushrooms.

Meet Eld, POTPURRI's ceramic skillet, designed to make cooking and serving seasonal ingredients a little easier.

Contents
1. Cooking mushrooms in a ceramic skillet
2. POTPURRI's Eld Ceramic Skillet
　　1. A long handle for comfortable control
　　2. A manageable weight and balanced shape
　　3. A base that makes serving easy
　　4. Easy care, including dishwasher use
　　5. A choice of sizes
3. Making mushroom ajillo in the Eld Skillet
4. A final thought

1. Cooking mushrooms in a ceramic skillet

Mushrooms are one of autumn's pleasures, with so many varieties to enjoy.

Mushrooms can shrink and become dry if overcooked. Gentle heat and attention to their texture help bring out their best in a ceramic skillet.

One of its useful qualities is the way the ceramic holds heat.

Careful heat control is more useful than a high flame here. Let the mushrooms cook gently in the oil, and take the skillet off the heat once the ingredients are done; the ceramic will continue to hold warmth.

Like rice cooked in a donabe, food prepared in ceramic cookware can have a wonderfully satisfying texture when the heat is carefully controlled.

The skillet works well for fish and steak, but seasonal mushrooms are a particularly good way to enjoy its cooking qualities.

The Eld Skillet can also go into the microwave or oven. Try roasting mushrooms and finishing them with a little soy sauce.

Bring the skillet straight to the table on a heatproof trivet. There is no need to transfer the food, and you can enjoy all the delicious cooking juices while the ceramic keeps the dish warm.

2. POTPURRI's Eld Ceramic Skillet

Convenient, stylish ceramic skillets that go straight from cooking to the table have become popular in recent years, with many types available.

Unlike a plate, a skillet is a cooking tool. Its practical performance matters just as much as its design.

POTPURRI's ceramic Eld skillet is designed with uncompromising attention to ease of use as well as beauty.

Five thoughtful details of the Eld Skillet

Feature 1: A long handle for comfortable control
The defining feature of POTPURRI's Eld skillet is its long, upward-curving handle for comfortable control. The handle can still become hot during cooking, so use dry oven gloves when needed, especially after oven use.

The long handle also helps when bringing the skillet to the table and serving food while it is hot.

2. A manageable weight and balanced shape
The Eld Skillet's long handle helps you control the pan while cooking. Ceramic can break if knocked or dropped, and the handle can become hot; use dry oven gloves when needed.

The handle joins the body at a reinforced point, while the bowl of the skillet is designed to feel manageable. Its slightly raised front helps contain food as you stir and turn it.

3. A base that makes serving easy
Since the skillet goes straight to the table and serves as a plate, it also needs to work well with cutlery.

Eld uses a glaze that resists scratching from metal cutlery, with the angle of the rim and the curved interior shaped for easy scooping.

4. Easy care, including dishwasher use
Allow the skillet to cool before washing it with dishwashing liquid and a sponge. It is also dishwasher-safe and does not need the oil coating used to maintain cast iron.

For food that sticks, let the skillet cool and clean it gently with dishwashing liquid and a suitable sponge. Avoid sudden temperature changes and abrasive metal scourers that may damage the surface.

5. A choice of sizes
Eld comes in four sizes—S, M, L, and LL—for a wide range of uses.

All sizes can be used on a direct-flame hob, in a microwave or in an oven. The long handles on sizes L and LL may prevent them fitting into some appliances.

Refer to the dimensions below and choose a size that fits the usable interior space of your appliance.

Eld size guide
Width is the diameter of the round pan; length is that diameter plus the handle.

• S: length 24.5 cm, width 14 cm, height 6.4 cm
• M: length 30 cm, width 17 cm, height 6.8 cm
• L: length 37.5 cm, width 21.5 cm, height 6.8 cm
Microwaves and ovens with a capacity of 22 litres or less may be too small.
• LL: length 42.5 cm, width 24.7 cm, height 7 cm
Microwaves and ovens with a capacity of 22 litres or less may be too small.

3. Making mushroom ajillo in the Eld Skillet

A recipe for mushroom ajillo in a ceramic skillet

Ajillo is a Spanish preparation in which ingredients such as seafood cook in olive oil flavored with garlic and chili. A small skillet or suitable heatproof dish works well.

Here we use POTPURRI's Eld Skillet M to make shimeji mushroom and shrimp ajillo.
Ingredients
Half a pack of shimeji mushrooms　
7 peeled shrimp
1 clove of garlic
Half to 1 dried red chili, to taste
Olive oil, enough to cover the base of the skillet to a depth of about 1 cm
A little parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

How to make shimeji mushroom and shrimp ajillo

1. Prepare the ingredients
Devein the shrimp, rinse and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels before adding them to the oil. This also helps reduce splashing.

Remove any visible dirt from the mushrooms, trim the base and separate them into small clusters. Peel and thinly slice the garlic.

2. Gently heat the oil with garlic and chili

Put the olive oil, garlic and chili, broken in half, into the skillet. Start with the oil at room temperature and warm it over low heat so the garlic can flavor the oil without burning.

3. Add the shrimp and mushrooms when the garlic is fragrant

When the garlic becomes fragrant, add the shrimp and shimeji mushrooms and cook over a gentle medium-low heat.

Ceramic retains heat and takes time to cool down. Keep the flame moderate and adjust it early rather than letting the oil become too hot.

Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, then scatter torn parsley over the top.

Ajillo, with its seafood, mushrooms and fragrant oil, is an inviting way to try cooking with the Eld Skillet.

4. A final thought
Many types of ceramic skillets are available, offering delicious cooking with less washing up. When choosing one, look carefully at its practical performance as well as its design.

POTPURRI's ceramic Eld skillet puts ease of use first, with a long handle that takes considerable work to make. Its shape, balance and serving edge are carefully considered. Treat it as ceramic cookware: avoid knocks and use dry oven gloves whenever the handle is hot.

Thoughtful design makes cooking more enjoyable. We hope you will try it for yourself.