THE CLASSIC OMELET
By:
EVOO Cookbook
There are three classic ways to make omelet. We demonstrate all three during our OMELETS 101 class. You pick the style you want and make your own.
They all start with 3 eggs, but of course, two eggs or even two egg whites and one yolk or all egg whites can be substituted. Omelets are filled with anything you want or nothing at all, just herbs, with cheese or without. We use a well made non-stick pan, not too heavy, over medium heat to ensure success.
Ingredients:
3 eggs, scrambled
- 1 ½ Tablespoons water
- Butter or EVOO, as needed
-
Seasonings of salt, pepper, coriander
Fillings suggestions: Peppers, red, green, yellow, chopped or julienne; bacon / ham bits; mushrooms, sliced; baby spinach, raw; caramelized onion or raw onion, chopped
- Optional fine herbs ( chervil, tarragon, parsley, chives) (a must in a true French Omelet)
- Cheeses: Swiss, Cheddar, Feta, American, Monterey Jack, etc
- Optional sauces: Classic Hollandaise, Mornay; or Salsa
Method:
All three omelets start the same. Blend eggs with water (yes, water not milk) and beat with fork. Set aside.
Flat or Italian Frittata Omelet Heat pan with a little EVOO. Add filling ingredients minus cheese. Season vegetables and fillings to taste. When filling is heated through pour over egg & water mixture; lifting and allowing egg to run under filling and to to fill entire pan. Season eggs once they are semi firm. Add cheese to the entire top. Remove from heat and place pan into oven at 350F for 5 minutes until cheese is melted and eggs have “souffléd.” Loosen and slide open faced onto plate.
All-American Omelet: Heat pan on medium heat. Sauté the desired fillings in small amount of EVOO, minus cheese. Remove to hold on warm plate. Scramble eggs and water together in bowl. Add small amount of butter to the pan heated pan. When just foaming, add the egg and immediately lift and tilt eggs to run onto bottom to cook. Spread through out the bottom of the pan in a thin layer of egg. Season eggs with salt to taste. When egg is almost cooked, add cheese over surface. Add filling on the forward half of the eggs opposite handle of the pan. Tilting the pan so gravity helps, fold over the omelet to half moon shape. Grip pan handle like an “arm wrestle” hold, and gently slide omelet onto plate as you complete the arm-wrestle move over the plate. Serve immediately with or without sauce.
Classic French Omelet: Cook filling ingredients if desired in a little EVOO and set aside on warm plate. Heat pan. Add butter but do not let it brown. Scramble eggs with water and fine herbs; add to pan; immediately swirl and scramble quickly with heat resistant spatula. (you are stirring rapidly to keep eggs from cooking too quickly and as they do cook they remain very soft and custard-like. As eggs form soft wet “curds,” tilt pan toward the far edge, opposite the handle, retaining round shape and leaving a shallow film of egg on the upper half of pan and thicker portion on tilted side. Allow eggs to set without browning. Add the cheese and warm filling if using on forward half in the pan. When eggs are mostly dry, grip handle of the pan using arm-wrestle grip and roll omelet out of pan onto plate, using gravity toward front edge of pan. Spill/roll onto plate using same grip as for the American omelet and following through as if arm-wrestling.
TO RECIPES
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