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From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from something raw to something cooked using simple ingredients, free of measurements and complicated techniques. A method that you can have in your back pocket and whip out whenever you like. We call it recipe-free cooking.
- a bowl
- a spoon
- a fork
- a large nonstick frying pan
- a rubber spatula
- a plate
- three eggs
- milk
- salt and pepper
- butter
- grated cheese
Illustrations by Bill Russell
I agree with Kanasurce. That's is the way I make my omlet too.
A real French omelet does not have milk but 1 tbs cold water and is not folded twice, once over the filling is perfect. Milk is used in scrambled eggs not in omelets.
Use 1 tsp water/non-fat milk per egg, one/two drops of hotsauce per egg, for 3 eggs you will need a 10/12 inch pan, hard items like potatoes, vegetables are best added with the eggs (though difficult then to fold over), you can flip the omelet over in the pan, if you have a good wrist (1/3 at a time). Cover pan and turn heat down if you want a more cooked omelet.
This is great for someone that does not have the ability to flip the omelette and doesn't mind a little raw egg in the middle.
http://www.pbs.org/juliachild/
Watch Julia Child make omelettes.
I agree - a perfect omelette (esp a plain French omelette) is the sign of a pro. It's simple - but everything must be just right - the amount of egg in relation to the pan, the heat, even making sure the eggs go in before the butter stops bubbling. Julia Child's video on Youtube shows how make an everday French ometeltte - to do gourmet omelette you also smooth out the top with a fork while...+READ
I agree - a perfect omelette (esp a plain French omelette) is the sign of a pro. It's simple - but everything must be just right - the amount of egg in relation to the pan, the heat, even making sure the eggs go in before the butter stops bubbling. Julia Child's video on Youtube shows how make an everday French ometeltte - to do gourmet omelette you also smooth out the top with a fork while moving the pan. The outside of the omelette should not be too golden/browned - an omelette should be made quickly.
Water, milk or cream can (and should) be added to the egg mixture - each one gives a different texture and richness. I'll be honest - the first time I tried Julia's method the omelette was perfection - and I've never quite hit that mark since.-COLLAPSE
jayfo, it may be "the first thing people learn how to cook," but most of those people never learn to do it well. A quality omelet is the true mark of a pro. In fact, LEGION are the chefs who use no other criterion when hiring a cook than shoving him/her toward the stove with a bowl, a pan, a fork, and three eggs.
To answer Doug's question about pre-teflon omelets, I have made a few recently in a seasoned cast iron pan, using Julia's French Chef technique. Actually she used a carbon steel pan with sloping sides, and showed us a clip of a well known French lady who turned out hundreds every day, very quickly.
My seasoned, black pan was heated to a smoking level, and a teaspoon of ghee added. (Any oil that...+READ
To answer Doug's question about pre-teflon omelets, I have made a few recently in a seasoned cast iron pan, using Julia's French Chef technique. Actually she used a carbon steel pan with sloping sides, and showed us a clip of a well known French lady who turned out hundreds every day, very quickly.
My seasoned, black pan was heated to a smoking level, and a teaspoon of ghee added. (Any oil that can withstand the heat, and just start to smoke, is OK). Three lightly beaten eggs go in, the pan is shaken over the burner, and excess egg moved to the edge, in the first 20-30 seconds. Then the pan is tipped over a plate, and allowed to slip out, bottom side up. It may take a few seconds longer if you fill the omelet, but it has to be fast so that the bottom is not overcooked.
Surprisingly, there is no hint of sticking, and it is much faster and fresher tasting than the teflon method.
My cast iron pan is really too heavy to use this way regularly, so I will definitely get a carbon steel pan. They are inexpensive, and lots are in flea markets or garage sales.-COLLAPSE
I'll add milk to an omelette if I feel like it. An omelette should be about the omelette eater.
my suggestion is the keep the pan moving back and forward, it help the eggs from sticking. It never fails to produce the best omelets. I hate to admit it I learned that from Martha Stewart
Kind of bugs me: this is exactly the kind of feature that would benefit from a video. Not reviews of processed food (enjoyable though they are).
Really?.....Its an OMELET! Maybe the first thing people learn how to cook in their lives. Ridiculous.
I thought it was the milkfat that helped the eggs retain that nice creamy texture. My omelettes and scrambled eggs turn out better when I use a bit of half-and-half or cream in the egg mix.
Of course, I also cook my omelettes in a ton of butter, so that might have something to do with it too!
Oops, meant to type milk instead of eggs *
Step 0: Bring your eggs to room temperature, most easily done by placing warm water for a few minutes. Your omelettes will not be the same (for the worse) if your eggs are cold.
woops.
"I have a little about this..." should be,
"I have read a little about this..."
How were Omelettes made before the introduction of Teflon/PTFE Non-Stick pans?
Did they use Cast Iron, Carbon Steel (i.e. Black Steel or Blue Steel) or some kind of cured Stainless Steel? I have a little about this and always seem to get conflicting answers.
Also, any thoughts on the All-Clad Stainless Steel Omelette pan? Does it really work for making Omelettes?
Silicone spatula. With the advent of silicone into the domestic kitchen, rubber spatulas have gone the way of the sliderule.
if we're being technical about it:
omelettes are supposed to really be about egg; adding milk kind of loosens up the texture and can get it watery.
but getting a soft enough texture with egg alone take a lot of practice, which is why lots of people add milk.
Sounds good.
pobo: Is there a specific reason why eggs shouldn't be added to omelettes or is it just a personal preference?
Good technique, but you should never add milk to an omelette! Also, when blending, try not to get too much air into it.