(I’d like to point out that omelet can be spelled two ways- omelet or omelette. WordPress does not like omelette so I am going with the former)
I rarely consider myself to be an expert on any thing culinary, but I am proud to say that I have learned how to make a great omelet! I don’t know if it warrants a “how to” post per se, but why not? So, here goes…
For years and years we have eaten egg dishes on the weekends. Scrambled, over easy, “dippy”, poached, the list goes on and on. Sometimes, we added other ingredients to our eggs, but they just got scrambled along with the eggs. This was good and all, but it never came out looking very pretty and each bite was drastically different from the next, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but ya know.
When we were in Jamaica we went to the breakfast buffet every morning (yeah, I think I mentioned how indulgent the trip was!). At the buffet I visited the omelet making station a few times and studied the omelet maker very closely. I was very eager to learn what the secret was and I was able to pick up a few ideas to utilize at home from her.
1. She used a nice, rather large, flat top grill (not something I have access to, unfortunately) with a large metal spatula.
2. She used the spatula to grease up the grill before every omelet (oh yeah).
3. She mixed the eggs with the filler ingredients in a small bowl and then poured the mixture onto the grill.
4. She let the egg mixture cook for about 2-3 minutes or so and then added the cheese.
5. After adding the cheese, she closed up each side of the omelette and served it almost immediately.
Like I mentioned, I do not have a flat top grill so I use a frying pan. This works fine, as long as it is greased well with butter (hence that nice brown crust on the omelet above), but can present some challenges when it comes to maneuvering the spatula under the sides of the omelet to close it up. Overall though, it works well. I use a plastic spatula since the pans are (or were at one point) non-stick and I make sure to use the largest one we have and sometimes even use two spatulas to carefully maneuver it to the plate.
First, I like to prepare all of my omelet ingredients. For this particular omelet I am showcasing here I used some ingredients that I purchased at the local farmer’s market.
I cooked some local, farm-fresh chorizo, made from naturally raised (and fed) pigs. YUM! This chorizo rocked!
I also added some local ramps. Ramps are a big deal in the foodie world and I was lucky enough to find them at the farmer’s market as well. They have an oniony-gralicky flavor and I couldn’t resist them, even if they were overpriced.
Once the chorizo was cooked and the ramps chopped up, I added a serving of each to 3 beaten eggs (I also added some previously cooked spinach to my omelet) and prepared my cheese for when the time would be right to add it (I used goat cheese for mine, shredded cheddar for Greg’s). Preparation is essential because once the omelet goes into the pan, everything happens really quick! OK, time to cook!
Butter is really the key here. If the omelet sticks to the pan at all, it’s ruined! OK, that’s a bit drastic it won’t be ruined but it won’t look pretty or cook the way you want it to. So butter people, don’t be afraid! Use just enough to coat the pan well and make sure it spreads ALL over the pan. Also, make sure the butter is bubbling slightly (you probably want to set your burner to medium heat) so it’s hot enough to cook the eggs but not too hot where the bottom will burn.
Add your egg mixture.
(I think this one is Greg’s omelet: tons of chorizo, some ramps, no spinach)
Like I mentioned, moving quickly is essential and I was not able to snap a picture of when I put the cheese in (sorry!). I know to put the cheese in when the edges turn white (about 2-3 minutes in) and the top is considerably less runny. There will still be some runniness to it when you add the cheese, but considerably less and the bottom will have started to firm up. If you are unsure you can take a peek by using the spatula to pick up one of the edges. If the bottom has started to brown you are good to go.
After adding the cheese, just flip each side’s edge in towards the center. Or, flip one edge into the center and the flip the entire half-moon over onto itself.
Remove from the pan and put on a plate. It will finish cooking on the plate and the cheese will melt within seconds.
Check out the “layered” center.
This one below is the chorizo, spinach, and goat cheese omelet with fresh ramps.
Hopefully, with these basic steps you can make a great omelet too. I think it takes a little practice and patience, especially for the folding over part, but it’s worth it!
Good luck!
Starving Kitten 