Omelet Basics

A friend asked about making omelets. I couldn't be happier to give some tips and share "do's and dont's" when cooking eggs. Let's dive in.

They say that in some French restaurants as an "interview" they ask you to make an omelet, meaning the sign of a great chef is to be able to execute an omelet. Now, after this post you will know how to make an omelet in your head, but half the battle is doing it, be willing to practice over and over and even throw some away. 

First you need the right pan. You need a pan that will allow the egg to slide around freely. You have several different options for pans and it depends on what you like - stainless steel aluminum or carbon steel. The pan should have 2 inch sloped sides and a 7 inch diameter with a long handle. 

If you are making individual omelets you need 2-3 eggs - the depth of the egg mass in the pan should not exceed 1/4 inch - because the egg must cook quickly, otherwise they get rubbery. 

Put your eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, whisk with a fork, 30 good strokes to blend the eggs. Be aggressive here; you want them nice and mixed. 

I'm going to show you the classic roll omelet. This method is trickier, but definitely the most fun. You can do it though!

Place 1 TBS of butter in your pan over high heat. 
As the butter melts tilt the pan so it goes all over. 
Watch the butter, and when the foam subsides and it almost starts coloring that means the butter is ready. It's crucial that your butter is the right temp. Then pour in your eggs.
Let the eggs settle for a few seconds before jiggling or moving the pan, I know that will be your first reaction. 
If your pan is the right size and your butter is the right temperature, you should not need a spatula at all.
Grasp the handle and begin jerking the pan vigorously away from you raising it away from the heat at a 20 degree angle, holding the pan over the heat as you continue to jerk every second. This would be where you add your fillings. 

Then increase the angle at which you are holding your pan slightly, this will force the egg to roll over on itself and with each jerk at the lip of the pan it will continue to roll. Utilize the edge of your pan. As soon as its taken shape let in sit in the pan and let it get golden brown. Simply roll out onto a plate. 

Okay, second is the "scrambled" version.
Same as above with the butter. 
After you add your eggs let them sit and coagulate in the bottom of the pan, then simply take your fork (you don't want something with a large width, you'll see) and simply drag the cooked egg to the center allowing more of the uncooked eggs to reach the bottom of your pan. Keep moving the coagulated eggs until you get the eggs cooked how you like, then start folding onto each other. The bottom should be nice and brown while the middle is nice and soft. 

Suggestions for fillings:

Fresh herbs, parsley, thyme, chives
Cheese: fontina, parmesan, Swiss
Spinach, broccoli or asparagus
Diced potatoes
Ham or chicken
Mushrooms
Shrimp or crab