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Omelette Savoyard as
made by Aldo Zilli and Pasquale Amico from a recipe in Delia Smith's How To Cheat.
Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian
There is something magical about a good omelette – the way a couple of eggs and a
pinch of salt can, in less than a minute, achieve such greatness. Light, yet rich in flavour,
swift, but satisfying, the omelette is the ultimate frugal supper.
As with all very simple things, the omelette has attracted a certain mystique amongst
those convinced that there must be more to it than meets the eye. In the titular essay
from the collected short works of Elizabeth David, An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, the
'awful genius' of post-war food writing tells of a certain Madame Poularde, celebrated
throughout France for her omelettes.
"She mixed water with the eggs, one writer would say, she added cream
asserted another, she had a specially made pan said a third, she reared a
special breed of hens unknown to the rest of France claimed a fourth. Before
long, recipes for the omelette de la mère Poulard began to appear in
magazines and cookery books. Some of these recipes were very much on the
fanciful side. One I have seen even goes so far to suggest she put foie gras
into the omelette."
Finally, David writes, someone saw fit to ask Madame herself for her recipe. "I break
some good eggs into a bowl, I beat them well, I put in a good piece of butter in the pan. I
throw the eggs into it and I shake it constantly. I am happy, monsieur, if this recipe
pleases you."
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Ingredients
This method, although common, is by no means sacrosanct. Larousse Gastronomique,
which published its first edition seven years after Madame P's death in 1931, suggests 2-
3 tbsp of milk can be added to its 8 beaten eggs if desired. Darina Allen at Ballymaloe
substitutes water – a view endorsed by Steven Shaw, co-founder of influential foodie
community egullet, who says
"One teaspoon of cold water per large egg will make a difference in the
fluffiness of the omelette. Though it would seem that the addition of water
would dilute the egg mixture, what happens with much of the water is that it
becomes steam upon hitting the pan. This steam rises through the omelette
and acts as a leavening agent of sorts, thus making the omelette fluffier."
Having filled the kitchen with eggs (medium organic, since you ask – in the interests of
making this a fair test, I had to turn down a kind offer from a friend with hens for fear of
exhausting the poor things), I selected my pan (a nine inch non-stick number suitable
for a standard two-egg omelette) and got cracking (sorry).
There's no such dispute about the cooking fat, butter being the medium of choice for all
concerned. As well as tasting good, the butter serves another purpose. The great Auguste
Escoffier described the omelette as "scrambled eggs held together in a coagulated skin".
Consider that the pan must be hot enough to set this skin in a matter of seconds (it is
helpful to get your eggs to room temperature if possible before cooking – fridge-cold
eggs will take longer to set, and I found this resulted in an overcooked base), which
means the omelette must be cooked fast, or it will be tough.
Equipment
Now for the question of the pan. It is vitally important to match omelette to the size of
your pan: if the pan is too big, the omelette will cook too quickly, too small, and it will be
tough on the outside while still excessively runny within. (We are aiming for a classically
baveuse result here: a thin, delicate skin encasing a meltingly soft, slightly liquid
interior.) In my experience, a nine inch (23cm) pan is perfect for a two-egg omelette.
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Technique
Pan and ingredients sorted, it's time to turn the spotlight on my method which, although
competent enough, is not always to be relied upon to produce the neat yellow cigars I
yearn for. Omelette cooks divide into two broad camps: those who hold that spatulas are
for amateurs, and those of us who live in the real world. Personally, I am a devotee of
the Michel Roux Jr school, in which one pours in the eggs, allows them to set for about
20 seconds, then simultaneously stirs and shakes the pan like a maniac until the thing is
done. (It must then be taken off the heat sharpish, or it will overcook.) The contrary
case, as made by Julia Child, whose omelette-tossing antics are a joy to watch, holds that
allowing the omelette to form itself, rather than torturing it with a spatula, makes it
"more tender and creamier than … any other method."
Personally, I don't think too much air becomes an omelette – such things should be left
to soufflés. However, in the interests of those of you who do like a bit of fluff, I finished
by testing out the idea put forward in Larousse that whisking the yolks and eggs
separately, and then combining them at the last minute, leads to "a lighter and foamier
omelette". Although not to my taste, I must admit the thing practically towered – for
ultimate height, add a teaspoon of water per egg when you mix the two together.
For a great omelette, you need three things: good ingredients (and plenty of them, in the
case of the butter), the right-sized pan, and fearlessly quick wits. Time is of the essence
– it should be on a plate within a minute.
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1. Whisk together the eggs until just mixed, then season. Lay out any fillings by the hob.
2. Heat a 23cm pan over a medium-high flame and add the butter and swirl to coat.
When the foam begins to die down, pour in the eggs. They should sizzle.
3. Shake the pan to distribute the eggs evenly, then leave for 20 seconds until they begin
to bubble. Add any filling.
4. Using a spatula or fork, draw in the sides of the eggs to the centre while shaking the
pan to redistribute the liquid to the edges. The omelette is done when still slightly runny
in the middle.
5. Take off the heat, and fold two edges into the middle. Shake the pan so they roll
together, then tilt it and turn your omelette on to a warm plate (you can tidy it up before
serving if you like). Season and eat immediately!
What's your favourite omelette recipe, and are you a stirrer or a shaker? And can these
delicate French omelettes ever compete with a whopping British half moon, oozing with
cheese, and served with chips?
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