How do you make an omlette?

The Chessplayer

And for it to stick together? Do you have to add milk or what?

Faith

I'm far from an expert, mostly because I hate eggs, but the basics of it are you whisk some eggs (say 2-3 per person) and add a drop of milk to it. Pour it into a hot frying pan and let set for a few minutes. Then keep swirling the pan to move the uncooked egg on the top outwards so it cooks. It's done when the eggs are firm. You can finish it off under a grill if you like.

As for fillings, there's a couple of schools of thought. I chop everything and mix it into the egg mixture before I put it in the frying pan; others add it on top after it's in the pan.

Sparks

Depends on what kind of omlette you're making. The basic classic omlette though, doesn't have any milk in it. And don't use a hot pan, it's medium to low heat - you want to cook the eggs not fry them. And don't make an omlette for each person - make one big one and carve it up. Classic omlette - take two to three eggs per person, crack all into a big bowl, whisk, add salt and pepper. Heat butter in a large frying pan over low to medium heat, and when the butter's melted and swirled about, add the eggs. Swirl the pan a bit at the start to get everything evenly settled, but don't splash the eggs up the sides. Leave to cook slowly. Don't fold in the pan - cook almost through (the top will still be liquidy but starting to set up), fold out onto the serving platter and the heat in the cooked part of the omlette will finish cooking the rest by the time you get it to the table.

If you're adding stuff, do it when the bottom and sides have set up but the middle is still liquid. There's an infinite amount of fillings you can use. (Spanish omlettes, by the way, do not look anything like what you'll get as a spanish omlette over here).

copacetic

Sparks wrote: »

Depends on what kind of omlette you're making. The basic classic omlette though, doesn't have any milk in it. And don't use a hot pan, it's medium to low heat - you want to cook the eggs not fry them. And don't make an omlette for each person - make one big one and carve it up. Classic omlette - take two to three eggs per person, crack all into a big bowl, whisk, add salt and pepper. Heat butter in a large frying pan over low to medium heat, and when the butter's melted and swirled about, add the eggs. Swirl the pan a bit at the start to get everything evenly settled, but don't splash the eggs up the sides. Leave to cook slowly. Don't fold in the pan - cook almost through (the top will still be liquidy but starting to set up), fold out onto the serving platter and the heat in the cooked part of the omlette will finish cooking the rest by the time you get it to the table.

If you're adding stuff, do it when the bottom and sides have set up but the middle is still liquid. There's an infinite amount of fillings you can use. (Spanish omlettes, by the way, do not look anything like what you'll get as a spanish omlette over here).

that doesn't sound like a classic omelette at all to me Sparks, the pan should be very hot, you keep the egg moving so it doesn't 'fry'. You should have the whole thing done in a minute or two max.

Kevin Thornton did a good demo on that show where he tried out 3 randomers as chefs and tested them out making omelettes, described in in the sbp too:

The omelette my mother used to make using our own chicken and duck eggs from the farm.

Her recipe was simple: whisk three eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt. This helps to break down the white of the egg, making it easier to blend the yolk and white together.

Then ‘‘clean’’ the omelette pan with salt before using it. You do this by adding salt to the pan and placing it on the heat for a few minutes. Take the pan off the heat and use kitchen paper to rub in the salt. The latter, in this instance, acts as a much better solvent than water to clean your pan before cooking with it.

Dispose of the salt, return the pan to the heat, and add a little olive oil. Add the eggs and stir until the liquid starts to bind. Add whatever filling you wish to the centre of the mixture and fold the eggs over like an envelope to close. The entire process of cooking an omelette should take about 30 seconds. It is incredibly easy to make the perfect omelette, but surprisingly few people can make one.

When we are hiring new chefs at Thornton’s, making an omelette is always the first test of their culinary skills.

Sparks

Hmmm. I always thought it was a classic recipe. Well, I know it works, and it's hard to stuff up, so let's call it a beginner's omelette

copacetic

Sparks wrote: »

Hmmm. I always thought it was a classic recipe. Well, I know it works, and it's hard to stuff up, so let's call it a beginner's omelette

well it sounds like a classic recipe it's just the technique that isn't cheffy enough, my way you get to bang the pan around a lot and genereally do everything loudly and quickly!

tricky D

Omlettes are just great, there are so many variations, fillings and personal preferences.

Here's some variations:
Classic French Omlette, the chef's test (lightly seasoned, no filling, maybe a sprinkle of herbs, hardest to make,. The version I was taught was very similar to K Thornton's above except, after you add the olive oil, add a bit of butter for flavour and colour. Also add very small bit of milk or water to the egg mix to help give a small bit of fluff to the omlette. Pour in eggs, wait about 5 secs, tip pan to one side while you drag the lower side of the omlette into centre with spatula/fish slice , creating ripples in centre and liquid egg flows down to cover the bottom of pan, repeat tipping and dragging from the other side. Do this a few times until the egg is still a bit liquidy/uncooked on top. Fold over a third of the omlette, tilt pan down on unfolded side, remove from heat and slide onto hot plate while folding over the other side so that middle third is the upside and side thirds are tucked under. Garnish and serve immediately so that the egg is still cooking a bit and the centre should be just very slightly runny/gooey)

The more you add ingredients, you'll generally have to do it slower and use a grill. If the egg isn't quite cooked enough to your taste you can 'cheat' and pop it in the microwave for a few secs.

Spanish Omlette (sliced spuds slowly fried, onions added for last few mins, remove from pan into seasoned egg mix in bowl, mix up to coat the spuds and then back to pan, cover and slowly cook. turn at some stage. can be served hot, warmed or cold)

Frittatas - various ingredients and the grill gets a fair bit of usage

American style omlettes where they move the egg with a whisk around the pan as opposed to the french omlette

enjoy!

Latchy

Just throw your mushrooms,cheese,egg and lil milk in a bowl and put onto a lightly greased frying pan and thats what works for me .

Sparks

On the milk-for-fluff point, it's not needed. But you do need to whisk that egg a lot. You're talking ten, fifteen minutes by hand.

_blank_

2 eggs per person, add milk and seasoning.

Leave to one side.

Fry/grill a few rashers, then cut them up into smaller bits. Put the mushrooms on the pan too. Leave the pan on a low heat.

Lash them into the egg mixture when done.

Add some Cheese, tomatoes, herbs, whatever else you can find in the fridge. Spinach is good too.

Add this mixture to the pan, and when it starts to bubble leave it for a few minutes more, then transfer under the grill to finish.

Xavi6

I make an omelette every Sunday.

5 eggs, beat them in a glass or whatever first.

Stick on the pan at a medium to high and fry some bacon/ham/rashers for a couple of minutes.

Add the egg evenly into the pan, using the same heat. Don't let the omelette stick to the bottom of the pan right away as it can lead to the bottom burning while the top is still liquidy.

Add whatever tomatoes/herbs/mushrooms you;re into (I don't eat nay of that stuff)

When the the egg has almost set sprinkle some quick melting mozzarella over the top for extra flavour.

If the top hasn't quite cooked at the same speed as the bottom, turn the oven on to a low heat and put the pan in it for about 3 minutes.

Voila!

noby

I more or less do Sparks' beginners/classic method. I also drag the edges into the middle. Add the fillings while the top is still runny, and fold over onto the plate.

The Chessplayer

Thanks folks. Will attack this next weekend, and maybe even post a few pictures for posterity

olaola

3 eggs pp, I cook off the fillings if I'm doing bacon/tomatoes/mushrooms in the same pan I'm going to do the omlette in.
Then put the beaten eggs in - draw the outside into the middle and when the top is still a but runny put the fillings in. Fold it over and let the cheese melt and then serve!

Dizzyblonde

I prefer a frittata - I fry sliced onions, bacon and mushrooms and add sliced tomatoes when the rest is almost cooked. Then I pour on the beaten eggs, add salt and pepper and when the bottom is cooked I pop it under a hot grill to cook the top. Yummy

Minder

This is how I do an omlette

Pan on a medium heat
Whisk 3 eggs, no seasoning
Knob of butter in the non stick pan
Swirl the butter and add the eggs
Stir the eggs with a spatula drawing the cooked egg into the centre
Turn the pan so the runny egg moves out to the hot egdes
As the runny egg sets, stop stirring and either use the spatula or tilt the pan to fold the omlette.
Plate up - it should be light, fluffy and without a hint of brown overcooked egg.

Seaneh

Classic omelette is made by...

Break 3 good eggs into a bowl, whick together.

put a non stick pan on a high heat
add a knob of butter
when the butter is melted add the eggs
using a fork pull the cooked sides of the egg into the centre (lets the uncooked egg flow out) season just before its fully cooked with a little salt.
serve on a warn plate.

Whats a classic fench omlette.

you NEVER add salt to eggs before cooking, it breaks down the protines and discolours the white and makes them thougher.

the whole process should take less than 2 and a half minutes.

the omlette should be firm but moist.

the beer revolu

I think we should stop referring to a Spanish Tortillia de Patatas as a Spanish omelette. It's an incredibly poor description and leads to confusion.

An omelette should be light and a bit fluffy with minimal fillings.

A tortillia is a cake of slowly fried potatoes (and a few other optional ingredients) cooked bound with egg. Only in the fact that there eggs in it does it resemble an omelette.


As for a classic French omelette:

I learned that a omelette should have a little water beaten into the eggs for lightness but never milk.

And I always believed that the eggs should be only lightly beaten.

A hot pan is essential, I've been told.

I never heard the one about not seasoning until almost cooked - I might have to do a test.


Funny how so many people have the "right" way to do it.:)