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Denver Omelet

Source of Recipe

From "Cook It In Cast Iron" by Cook's Country


Recipe Introduction

"The Denver omelet has become a breakfast staple in American restaurants and diners. Filled with ham and vegetables in addition to cheese, it's a meal in itself. For our version, we found that cooking the filling separately, before the eggs, was the best way to avoid undercooked vegetables. We chopped the bell pepper and onion fine to make our filling easier to eat. Deli ham was readily available in small amounts and easy to dice. Using a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet, we sautéed the ham to create some browning and begin developing flavor for our omelet filling. Chopped pepper and onion were then added to the browned ham to gain some color of their own. For an omelet that was moist, tender, and sturdy, we focused on both the temperature at which the omelet cooked and the treatment of the eggs while they were in the pan. We cooked the omelet over medium-low heat until it was partway done, then we took it off the heat and sprinkled the filling and cheese over the top. After the omelet sat covered for about 5 minutes, the cheese was melted and the eggs were perfectly set but still tender. Gently tilting the pan made it easy to fold the omelet over as we slid it out of the skillet. You will need a 10-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. It is important to lift the edges of the omelet when cooking the eggs, rather than pushing them toward the center. This recipe can be easily doubled to make two omelets; make a doubled batch of filling and then use half for each omelet."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 (¼-inch-thick) slice deli ham (2 ounces), cut into ¼-inch pieces
â—¦ ½ red bell pepper, chopped fine
â—¦ ¼ cup finely chopped onion
â—¦ 6 large eggs
â—¦ Salt and pepper
â—¦ 1 ½ ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (â…“ cup)


Recipe

Heat 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet. Add ham and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl.

Beat eggs, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together with fork in bowl until thoroughly combined and mixture is pure yellow; do not overbeat. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium-low heat and swirl to coat. Add egg mixture and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set, about 1 minute.

Using heat-resistant rubber spatula, lift edge of cooked eggs, then tilt skillet to one side so that uncooked eggs run underneath. Repeat process, working around edge of skillet. Using spatula, gently scrape any remaining uncooked eggs toward edge of skillet until top is just slightly wet. Entire process should take about 2 minutes.

Off heat, sprinkle ham mixture and Monterey Jack evenly over omelet. Cover and let sit until eggs no longer appear wet, about 5 minutes. Run spatula around edge of skillet to loosen omelet. Slide omelet halfway out of skillet onto cutting board, then tilt skillet so top of omelet folds over itself. Cut omelet in half and serve immediately.

Serves 2