# How do you make your favorite omelette?



## RichardMillard (Apr 7, 2020)

Some note that in some respects its the easiest thing to cook, because you chuck in a few whisked eggs, but also it's one of the hardest because everyone likes it served differently.
Anyway my latest version was not ideal. I put in the butter, let it go nutty brown (a la Escoffier) and poured in the egg. I watched it cook, put the filling in (herbs and tomato) and tried to fold it. At which point it collapsed, tore in the middle and the innards spilt out over the pan. When I ate it it was tasty enough, but to look at it was no oil painting.
So, what's the secret to a perfect omelette? Is it the size of the pan, the number of eggs, the amount of butter, the filling?


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Actually I think cooking an omelet takes more skill than most of us realize. The best place to learn this skill is from the master:


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## Seoul Food (Sep 17, 2018)

I think it also depends on the type of omelette you are doing and the fillings. I can make a French omelette but I have never tried a Japanese rolled one. I've also seen people do folded ones like a large crepe on a flat top. Growing up I was always taught the lift the sides and angle the liquid egg under the cooked part technique but in school they had us do the stir really quickly with a rubber spatula and tri fold technique. If I am cooking a quick one at home I will just flip it in the pan half way and put my toppings in towards the end.


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

I was struggling with the classic French omelette. So a few tips:
1. Get the pan quite hot, but not extremely hot (my burner has 6 levels, so I use 5).
2. Let the butter foam and pour in the eggs as soon as the foam subsides somewhat (it will be close to noisette stage, but not quite there yet).
3. Pour in the whisked eggs (for a 20cm/8-inch pan, three eggs seem just right to me) and immediately start shaking the pan and whisking the eggs with a fork, without actually disturbing the bottom.
4. When the eggs have thickened but are still quite runny (custardy?), tilt the pan while holding it by the outer end of the handle with your left hand. Start folding in the omelette with the fork from the upper end (closer to the handle).
5. Lift the pan and start hitting the inner end of the handle really hard with your right hand's fist. The omelette should slide down and start rolling in from the other side. If it does not, hit harder.
6. Now you can stuff it or just close the fold and tilt it onto a plate. This is, I believe, the correct technique. Now to get it perfectly baveuse, it's just a matter of tweaking the temperature and timing.


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

RichardMillard said:


> Some note that in some respects its the easiest thing to cook, because you chuck in a few whisked eggs, but also it's one of the hardest because everyone likes it served differently.
> Anyway my latest version was not ideal. I put in the butter, let it go nutty brown (a la Escoffier) and poured in the egg. I watched it cook, put the filling in (herbs and tomato) and tried to fold it. At which point it collapsed, tore in the middle and the innards spilt out over the pan. When I ate it it was tasty enough, but to look at it was no oil painting.
> So, what's the secret to a perfect omelette? Is it the size of the pan, the number of eggs, the amount of butter, the filling?


The filling goes in at the end, unless, you're making a cheese omelette then, of course, you add the cheese towards the middle of the cooking process. Otherwise, if you are using aromatics such as onion/green onion, or other ingredients such as tomatoes or mushroom, prep your ingredients as you otherwise would. Season and cook them separately from the omelette and set aside. When the omelette is done, add your fillings before you fold. Personally, I prefer the tomatoes uncooked in my omelettes.

There could be a number of explanations as to why your omelette broke. Not enough eggs, the pan was too small, the heat too high, filling added at the wrong time and so on. My guess is that when you added the tomato filling, it probably slowed or stopped the cooking process and caused the omelette to cook unevenly. The uneven cook may have caused the omelette to break. You many have also used too much filling for the volume of eggs. Without seeing what you actually did, its impossible to know where the wheels came off.

Preparing an omelette is not a recipe. Its a technique and a deceptively difficult one. Whenever I considered hiring a new entry to mid level cook, I had them prepare and cook an omelette and poach 4 eggs. That was my audition. I started doing that back in the late 70's. Since this sort of test became famous in movies over the last 10 years or so, the applicants began to think the test was a joke. But, when they realized how hard it was, they stopped laughing. I would say 3 out of 5 didn't know how to make a proper omelette and properly poach an egg. Quite a few could do one or the other. But, that wasn't the test. They had to do both.

Fundamental techniques like these are the building blocks upon which good cooks are built. Keep practicing. You'll get it. ;-)

Cheers!


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

We offered three different omelets in our Cafe. The three meat always went the fastest. Ham and cheese second and a veggie was third. In America the people don't look at the omelet like they do in France. This is more like we served and is not even close to what you'll find in France. I always found Americans like the eggs cook a bit more. I could never get away with a soft center. At home i would make them like Pepin. Going back a few years ago I cook omelets for the guy at the homeless mission. Five egg omelets fully loaded, they loved them.


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## Innocuous Lemon (Apr 29, 2019)

crack eggs into wide metal bowl, good pinch of salt. Whisk thoroughly. let sit for 10-15 mins. Brown butter in a pan, turn it down, add a drop of oil and add eggs. break apart into curds occasionally as it cooks, swirling pan to get the egg to exposed areas of the pan. turn heat even further down and let it finish up


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Chef John has nothing to worry about from me. I need to practice making videos, learn how to work some editing software.

Mark's omelet

Two eggs, whisked briskly with a fork. Then I went out and grabbed a scallion from the garden. Diced it up, separated the white parts from the green. Whisked the eggs some more. Melted some butter over medium low heat, ended up being a little too hot. Gave the white scallion bits a bit of a fry, dumped in the eggs. I was surprised that the flip went so well. But I should have taken the omelet out before I messed with the hash browns again.

All in all, it wasn't a bad dinner.










mjb.


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## Seoul Food (Sep 17, 2018)

teamfat said:


> Chef John has nothing to worry about from me. I need to practice making videos, learn how to work some editing software.
> 
> Mark's omelet
> 
> ...


Looks good. On a side note I like Chef John's content but cannot stand the guy's voice.


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## toddhicks209 (Nov 14, 2017)

RichardMillard said:


> Some note that in some respects its the easiest thing to cook, because you chuck in a few whisked eggs, but also it's one of the hardest because everyone likes it served differently.
> Anyway my latest version was not ideal. I put in the butter, let it go nutty brown (a la Escoffier) and poured in the egg. I watched it cook, put the filling in (herbs and tomato) and tried to fold it. At which point it collapsed, tore in the middle and the innards spilt out over the pan. When I ate it it was tasty enough, but to look at it was no oil painting.
> So, what's the secret to a perfect omelette? Is it the size of the pan, the number of eggs, the amount of butter, the filling?


Using 2 eggs to make your omelette in a large skillet coated with butter is a good idea. To me, the hardest part of cooking omelettes is turning them over then flipping them onto a plate neatly with a flick of the wrist.


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## thomas fontaine (Oct 2, 2016)




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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

Wow, that looks amazing. I've heard of La Mère Poulard and their legendary omelette, but never saw it done. Would love to have a taste!



slayertplsko said:


> 4. When the eggs have thickened but are still quite runny (custardy?),


Just read somewhere that the moment to turn is when, pressing with a fork, it leaves indentations in the eggs.


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## thomas fontaine (Oct 2, 2016)

slayertplsko said:


> Would love to have a taste!


La Mère Poulard, I think that when you go to Mont St Michel, you have to stop at La Mère Poulard to see, feel and dream. But do not consume and thus keep the whole dream (a bit like a brothel). Because by reading and seeing the photos and comments on Tripadvisor, YouTube, ... you will understand that the risk of disappointment can be great. Nevertheless, my congratulations to the operators for their sense for entertainment, experience, unique gastronomic marketing. It seems to me that it really does not take much to the owner for the party to be assured for all.
StaySafe


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

slayertplsko said:


> 1. Get the pan quite hot, but not extremely hot (my burner has 6 levels, so I use 5).
> 5. Lift the pan and start hitting the inner end of the handle really hard with your right hand's fist. The omelette should slide down and start rolling in from the other side. If it does not, hit harder.


Actually, the highest heat worked today even better (of course, don't burn the butter). And when hitting the pan (5), the pan should be horizontal again.


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## violetgarlic (Jul 30, 2020)

I like omelette with cream instead of milk. The texture is softer. Sometimes can add tomatoes but usually prefer plane one


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## dectra (Nov 2, 2016)

Innocuous Lemon said:


> crack eggs into wide metal bowl, good pinch of salt.


I've found that salting that early can cause it to separate and be a bit watery. That, of course is only my view, lord knows there are a million ways to make an omelette.


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## Innocuous Lemon (Apr 29, 2019)

dectra said:


> I've found that salting that early can cause it to separate and be a bit watery.


the idea behind it is to do basically just that - have further broken down eggs which are softer. It depends what youre personally after but ive had some brilliantly soft fluffy omelettes incorporating the method of salting eggs 10 minutes before starting


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