Le Creuset cast-iron sizzle platter
Le Creuset cookware is pricey, but my sister swears by her expensive cast-iron/enamel Le Creuset Dutch oven, as do multitudes of online reviewers.
So, at the Mojo flea market yesterday at the Santa Rosa Vets Hall, I boldly inquired about the price of an oval cast-iron pan. “$15,” said the lady. “They’re worth a lot more. This one was $65.” She said it didn’t originally come with a lid.
Underside mark
The price has gone up since then.
I currently have 3 cast-iron pans, one standard size and two large ones, but this one appealed to me both for the Le Creuset name, and because I thought it would work well in stovetop-to-oven cooking (e.g., for filet mignon) in my oversized convection toaster oven.
a standard cast-iron pan with a Le Creuset sizzle pan
Researching at home, I learned that Le Creuset calls their current version a “sizzle platter,” though eBay users also call them griddles and fajita pans. After a cleaning and reseasoning, this pan should be a nice little workhorse. Hmmm, what else can I use it for? (If you have any ideas, please leave them in the Comments.)
P.S. “Le Creuset” translates into English as “the Crucible,” from the medieval Latin cubiculum, and refers to a pot used to heat other metals to the melting point.
Things from Thing Stores 
Niece got it in the end. I realized I can use my regular cast iron pans, but she’ll use it for veggies on the grill. I’m all about the thrill of the hunt!
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Chef Keefe said elsewhere: “With those griddles/sizzle plates, they’re not really good with direct heat over long term. They lack the mass of cast iron pans on the heating surface, so unless your heat source hits the whole pan at once, you’re putting uneven stresses on it that may lead to metal fatigue down the road.
What they’re great for is finishing a sear on stuff like steaks, tuna or mahi mahi, or chops when you pop them in the oven to cook through. Sear one side in a regular cast iron, transfer your food to a preheated griddle in your oven to finish and sear the other side, and deglase the original pan for a sauce. They also do well with smoking spices such as paprika for your own use. And if your grill is big enough in the backyard, you can use them as a buffer between the food and fire for such things as poaching salmon (with the lid on the pan) or leaf wrapped plantains. You get the smokey flavor without the worry of over char or delicate food falling apart.”
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Sell it! Unnecessary space waster. Or give it to Ella, who can use up HER valuable kitchen space until she realizes she has never used it.
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SCORE!!!
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or, you could give it to your niece!!!
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