SERIES: eggs and omeletes or omelettes
Week 3 of this 4-week egg series continues with omelets. What comes to mind when you think about omelets? I think of the classic Denver omelet that you can find at just about any breakfast diner in the US. This is typically prepared with a relatively thick layer of egg heavily filled with ham, green pepper, onion, and cheddar. Nothing wrong with that!
And then my mind wanders to the omelette. While a French word, the dish actually originated in ancient Persia. And most regions or cultures have some version of an egg dish that’s very omelette-like. Omelettes take my mind to Julia Child or her apprentice Jacques Pepin and with that comes humility in trying to replicate something each of them mastered over time. Still simple, but with a lot of technique where the small details mean everything. Sometimes this can be intimidating. But when my mind wanders to feelings of intimidation, I try to think of how boring a life it would be if we already knew everything. And how the learning process almost always involves failure. And so failure, especially when the implications are so small, connects to learning, not to inadequacy.
This week’s recipe will be the omelette and reflect my best version of what Julia Child so easily pulls off. The end result, should be a smooth omelette that is tender and creamy. In many cases on this blog, I’ll have recipes that have been tried and tweaked many times over and become proficient at the small details. That is not the case with this omelette. While I don’t believe this recipe needs adjusting, it takes a lot of practice to execute proficiently. This one takes a bit longer for me to learn and I’m still smack in the middle of that journey (or in the beginning). The recipe should serve you well, and you’re welcome to come along with me on the journey of learning how to make a proper omelette.
I love them because they are:
- Simple, yet feel luxurious
- Variation options are unlimited
- Convenient (often have ingredients on hand and come together quickly)
- Healthy and nutritious
- A lunch or dinner option when paired with a lightly-dressed spring mix greens, maybe a piece of crusty sourdough, and a dry glass of white wine
simple omelette
Ingredients
Omelette
- 3 large eggs
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 tbsp butter
Garnish / Filling
- My preference: Leeks or chives and cheese
- However, there are endless options you can experiment with
Instructions
Note: it’s critical to have a pan that allows the egg to slide around freely. For this reason, most gravitate to a non-stick pan, however you are able to use stainless steel or even cast iron & probably many others) as long as they’re seasoned and you’ve heated it to the right temperature before adding fat to the pan. Never let any pan, especially a cast iron one, sit empty on heat. It will overheat and burn your ingredients, and it does something to the pan that makes things stick to it in the future.
Omelettes are best made one at a time per pan. They key is for the depth of the egg mass to not be more than ¼” in the pan. So a pan with a 7” bottom is the right size for an individual 2-3 egg omelette.
Once you’ve selected your pan, beat your eggs in a mixing bowl and vigorously beat with a long table fork for 30-40 strokes, just until the egg white and egg yolk are thoroughly combined. Next, heat butter in the pan over very high heat. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to evenly coat the entire pan. Once the foam of the butter is nearly gone and the butter is at the point of coloring, you’re ready to add your beaten eggs.
Once you’ve added your eggs, let them settle in the pan for 2-3 seconds until they form a film of coagulated egg in the bottom of the pan. Hold the pan handle with both hands and begin jerking the pan vigorously at a 20-degree angle over the heat. You’re moving the pan toward you and away from you, back and forth. The sharp pull of the pan toward you throws the eggs against the far lip of the pan, then back over it’s bottom’s surface. Don’t be afraid to be rough
with the jerking motion or the eggs will not loosen themselves from the bottom of the pan. After several jerks, the eggs will begin to thicken. Add your garnish to the top of the omelette.
Now to fold the omelette in the pan, lift the handle to a greater angle and continue jerking which should create a folding of the omelette against the far lip of the pan. Use your fork if you need to assist in the shaping. The center of the omelette should remain soft and creamy. Transfer
to a plate, rub the top with a bit of butter and serve immediately.
Notes
Inspired by:
Julia Child
Jacques Pepin