The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word BAIN-MARIE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
A
I
N
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M
A
R
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E
More clues leading to the result BAIN-MARIE
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "pan" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pan = bain-marie.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BAIN-MARIE mean?
BAIN-MARIE noun- In cooking, a large pan containing hot water, into which other smaller pans are set in order to cook food slowly, or to keep food warm.