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Dinner Tonight: Proper French Omelet

Posted by Blake Royer, June 2, 2009 at 5:15 PM

This post isn't meant to be a take-down of good old American diner omelets: fluffy, stuffed full of fixings, oozing cheese. I happen to love omelets like that. But I also love an omelet that's done in the classical French way, a more artful affair that's thin, spare, and just barely cooked past runny. Laced with a bit of cheese, perhaps some chopped herbs, or nothing at all—what's important is that the omelet is not a vehicle for what's inside. It's about the eggs themselves.

And it's a sublime transformation from raw eggs to omelet, done in less than two minutes (unlike scrambled eggs, which are best cooked for an age over impossibly low heat), so the perfect quick pantry dinner. I found the recipe I was looking for in an old post on eGullet, a website which never fails to satisfy (and usually stoke) my curiosities. Besides offering good suggestions for salt and pepper, it also suggests a teaspoon of cold water per egg, which steams during cooking, adding some extra fluffiness to the eggs.

In the end, a good omelet is about good technique, which is really a matter of practice. But this post got me started.

About the author: Blake Royer founded The Paupered Chef with Nick Kindelsperger, where he writes about food and occasional travels. He is currently living for the year in Tartu, Estonia.

Proper French Omelet

- serves 1 -

Adapted from eGullet.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 grinds of fresh pepper (preferably white, but only for aesthetic reasons)
2 teaspoons cold water
1/4 cup grated cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (optional)

Procedure

1. In a mixing bowl or measuring jar, combine the egg, seasoning, and water. Whisk vigorously to combine so that the mixture is relatively homogeneous.

2. Heat a small skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat until drops of water dance on the surface. Add the butter. When the foam subsides, add the egg mixture all at once.

3. Immediately, begin to shake the pan to distribute the eggs all over the pan and up the sides. Technique varies—some suggest pulling up the sides of the omelet and tilting the pan to let uncooked egg slide under, or using a spatula to gently break holes in the eggs to let uncooked egg run there. What's important is to never quit shaking the pan to prevent any browning, and to cook until the eggs are still wet on top. Distribute cheese or herbs across the whole omelet, if using.

4. Using a spatula, fold one side of the omelet 1/3 of the way towards the opposite side. Tip the omelet out of the pan, rolling it onto a plate so both sides fold under. Serve immediately.

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Tags: breakfast, brunch, eggs, French, omelets

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