Seasoning a carbon steel pan

Anyone have experience with carbon steel pans? I just got one and seasoned it via the stovetop method. See attached picture. Does this seem to be a normal start to the seasoning process? I cooked an egg and it glided around like a hockey puck, but then I cooked some halibut and it stuck and created a big mess, so I started over.

Thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks,
Andrew

I usually cook bacon till it burns, then take everything out, add green onions and swipe around.

then  leave it on the stove with everything out and try and get as much oil out as possible wiping with paper towl.

And do you find it to be pretty non-stick? From what I've read they're supposed to be like a layer of ice and everything just glides around.
I just did another seasoning and it's turning a more even brown.

I pretty much only use carbon steel. 

They are not as non stick as a nonstick pan.  Halibut sticks a lot, haven’t found a perfect method for it.  Butter is the best non stick fat that I’ve used.

The seasoning definitely can get beat up with acidic foods so I have one pan that I baby and keep the seasoning perfect for sticky foods like eggs and fish. The others I’m pretty rough with.

Looks don’t matter, surface should be smooth.  For new pans I like the potato method to make sure all the wax is removed.  Then for regular use I stove top season with peanut oil after each use.  Wash the pan, put over high heat till smoking and add a drop of oil, wipe oil off.

Your picture looks like the oil maybe pooled? It should be pretty even when you first season it.  After you cook tho it will be splotchy.

I would say it takes a bit of cooking in them before they get to their prime. The weak seasoning comes off and you add more, and eventually the pan is mostly solid seasoning.

I have an electric stove which coils outwards from the center, so there is a little hole in the center with no coils, hence the circular gap in the middle of the pan's coloration. On my last seasoning I moved the pan around the heat and the color formed more evenly. And yes, it's very smooth, not gummy or rough.

Maybe this isn't a halibut pan. I'll try something fattier like salmon and see if it sticks.
Thanks for the input!

The way to go is the oven method.  Lightly oil then heat as hot as it’ll go til it stops smoking, repeat.  It will stink up your house, though.

The way to go is the oven method.  Lightly oil then heat as hot as it’ll go til it stops smoking, repeat.  It will stink up your house, though.

So if I want to go that route, do I need to start over with a new pan? Or can I just clean it and season it? Do I need to scour the surface first?

I did my wok this way...
You don't need to understand what they're saying. You should notice the color change took place as the flame heats up the wok. When the color change take place for the entire wok, it is done. You just wash it, then heat up your wok again and season it with oil. I image it would be no different for a pan.

I just keep wiping oil on it and moving the pan around to distribute the heat.  Eventually it goes all black.  Keep wiping for a smooth surface.  You'll see it smoke, then start to pool in patches, at which point wipe again.

-Allen

I think what’s he saying is you gotta have burner that can burn your face off☺️

I recently did a couple of woks.
Used a 200,000 btu propane burner.

Home stoves are too weak; 200,000 btu is also overkill... but damn fun!