Around here, Chris makes the omelets. Some time in 2009, everything changed. His omelets went from good to 'holy crap that's good'. Now we eat them for dinner (thus the night-time photo). And we eat them often. yum.Chris watched a omelet-focused episode of Alton Brown's show Good Eats (see: a Youtube video of the 'technique' and Part II of the video, here). Since then, Chris' style/technique changed (see minute 9 in the Youtube video), the length of cooking time become much shorter, and the taste of the omelet improved tremendously. Even his presentation of the omelet (the fancy 3-fold, fold-over) got, well, fancy. The only major difference between Alton Brown's omelets and Chris' is the amount of butter used. Chris only butters the pan and calls it a day.
Given this recent skill development, a family member sent Chris a very nice omelet/crepe pan for Christmas. It cooks evenly throughout, has a shallow slope (which allows for ease with the classic french omelet fold-over), and has resulted in many more omelets for dinner.
Alton Brown's French Omelet Recipe (on FoodNetwork)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbls milk
- Pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbls unsalted butter
- Omelet filling suggestions, optional, follow
"Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and mix very well with a fork or a whisk.
Set a plate by the stove. Heat a small (about 6 in.) seasoned omelet pan or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is warm, add the butter (it should sizzle gently). Swirl the pan to distribute the butter as it melts. When the butter stops sizzling and the foam subsides add the eggs. Pause to let the eggs heat slightly and then stir vigorously, with a heatproof spatula, making sure you include the sides of the egg mixture occasionally so the omelet cooks evenly. Once the eggs are just set, bang the pan gently on the burner to release the omelet from the pan. Check to see that it is not sticking to the sides or bottom of the pan, if so release the omelet with a heat proof spatula. Hold the pan at a 45-degree angle to the stove and carefully fold the omelet like a business letter. Cook just until the desired degree of doneness lifting the pan or reducing the heat to prevent browning. (A classic omelet doesn't have any browning on it.) Transfer to a warm plate and serve.
...Once the eggs are set add any ingredients before folding. Possible ingredients: 1 T finely chopped fresh herbs, or 2 - 3 T cooked vegetables like, chopped asparagus, spinach or other greens, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant or peppers, or 2 T diced fresh tomato or avocado, 2 T grated cheese, like Gruyere, Goat cheese, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Feta..."
What else can I say? Don't over cook the omelet! And Chris sautes spinach and garlic (with EVOO) separately and adds them in with a bit of cheese before the fold.** For more recipes, check out the RedPepperFlakes Recipe Archives.
