Email to Cat      

Classic Omelet

Source of Recipe

From "Nathalie Dupree's Favorite Stories and Recipes"


Recipe Introduction

"There are as many opinions about what makes a perfect omelet as there are for all egg cooking methods. In a class at a French cooking school, I was taught that omelets should be free of any specks of brown. To me, a bit of brown gives flavor. Some like them moist and slightly runny in the center; others don't. Make your own decisions. Water makes the omelet lighter. Milk toughens an omelet. Add salt at the end, as it also toughens."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 tablespoons butter
◦ 3 eggs
◦ 1 to 2 tablespoons water
◦ Salt
◦ Freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Heat the butter in a very heavy 8-inch frying pan until it sizzles and sings. Whisk the eggs with the water in a small bowl until frothy. Pour into the hot fat to cover bottom of the pan. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to give the eggs a good stir. Remove spatula. Let eggs cook and set 1 to 2 minutes.

Quickly push aside the set portion with the spatula, simultaneously tipping the pan so the raw portion runs under the cooked portion. Let eggs set again, and repeat, pushing and tipping the pan. Repeat the process one or two more times. Fluffy, soft layers of egg will build up. Holding the handle of the pan in one hand, and a plate in the other, tip the pan and slide half of the omelet out of the pan onto the plate. (If filling the omelet with grated cheese or other fillings, add them now.) Turn the pan in a slow flipping motion to fold the remaining portion on top, forming a half-moon on the plate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For a traditional omelet, after practicing with the two-flip omelet, try sliding one-third onto the plate, cover with the second third, and slide the third side under, jiggling the plate.

Serves 1






❧ Variations abound, including adding herbs and other ingredients to the eggs and filling with grated cheese, ham, chicken, etc. The sky is the limit.