You can clean your cast-iron skillet with soap and pop it in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes to remove the odor. However, it’s best to
avoid cooking foods that would be ruined by those lingering aromas for the next few cooks.
Eggs and other sticky things
For the first few months, I recommend avoiding sticky foods like eggs and pancakes. Once the pan is well-seasoned, you can make cast-iron egg recipes without any problem at all. But when it’s new, sticky foods may present a problem. Unless you like brown eggs and a gunky pan, relegate them to a regular nonstick pan for a while.
Delicate fish
Cast iron retains heat well, which is good
news for something like cast-iron steak. However, the same heat retention that gives steak a beautiful brown crust will probably be the end of a lovely piece of trout or tilapia. Save the delicate fish for a nonstick pan and use cast iron for meatier fish, like swordfish and salmon.
