CHAPTER THREE
EGGS
ONCE AN EGG is taken out of the breakfast category and put to use as a hot entrée, a luncheon, or a supper dish, it offers a great variety of presentations and you can draw on practically your whole cooking experience for its saucing and garnishing. In the following selection of recipes, we have concentrated on poaching, shirring, baking, scrambling, and omelette making, with a fundamental recipe for each, and a group of variations.
Wine and eggs have no great sympathy for each other, but as one usually likes to serve wine with an entrée, the best choice would be a fairly dry white wine with some body—such as Graves, Chablis, or Pouilly-Fuissé—or a rosé.
POACHED EGGSA poached egg is one that has been dropped without its shell into a pan of barely simmering liquid and cooked for about 4 minutes until the white is set but the yolk remains liquid. A perfect specimen is neat and oval in shape, and the white completely masks the yolk. The most important requirement for poaching is that the eggs be very fresh; the yolk stands high, the white clings to it in a cohesive mass, and only a small amount of watery liquid falls away from the main body of the white. A stale egg with a relaxed and watery white is unpoachable because the white trails off in wisps in the water leaving the yolk exposed. If the eggs are not quite as fresh as you could wish, simmer them in their shells for 8 to 10 seconds before poaching. This will often firm up the white just enough so it will hold its shape around the yolk when the egg is broken into the water. And a fine solution is the oval metal perforated egg poacher, carried in most gourmet-type cookware shops. Simmer the eggs 10 seconds in their shells, as suggested; place the poachers in the simmering water, adding vinegar if you think your eggs need help, and break an egg into each poacher, time as usual, and you get a beautiful egg. A final solution is the 6-minute boiled egg, l’oeuf mollet; when you peel it, you can substitute it for poached eggs in any recipe.
To transfer the egg from the shell to the water you may either break it directly into the water as described below, or break it into a saucer, tilt the saucer directly over the water, and slip the egg in.
A saucepan or a skillet 8 to 10 inches in diameter and 2½ to 3 inches deep
Vinegar (which helps the eggs to hold their shape)
Pour 2 inches of water into the pan or skillet and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water. Bring to the simmer.
4 very fresh eggs
A wooden spoon or spatula
A skimmer or slotted spoon
Break one of the eggs, and, holding it as closely over the water as possible, let it fall in. Immediately and gently push the white over the yolk with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 seconds. Maintain the water at the barest simmer and proceed with the other eggs in the same manner.
A bowl of cold water
After 4 minutes, remove the first egg with the skimmer and test with your finger. The white should be set, the yolk still soft to the touch. Place the egg in the cold water; this washes off the vinegar and stops the cooking. Remove the rest of the eggs as they are done, and poach others in the same water if you are doing more.
(*) The eggs may remain for several hours in cold water, or may be drained and refrigerated.
A bowl of hot water containing 1½ tsp salt per quart
A clean towel
To reheat the eggs, trim off any trailing bits of white with a knife. Place them in hot salted water for about half a minute to heat them through. Remove one at a time with a slotted spoon. Holding a folded towel under the spoon, roll the egg back and forth for a second to drain it, and it is ready to serve.
This is a boiled egg with a set white and a soft yolk which can be peeled and substituted for poached eggs.
2 quarts boiling water
6 eggs with uncracked shells
Lower the eggs into the boiling water and boil slowly according to the following table, adding 1 minute if the eggs are chilled.
| U.S. Large Eggs | 6 minutes |
| Extra Large | 6½ minutes |
| Jumbo | 7 minutes |
As soon as the time is up, drain off the boiling water and run cold water into the pan for a minute to set the white, and to cool the eggs enough to remove the shells. Tap gently on a hard surface to break the shells, peel carefully under a stream of water.
If to be served cold, refrigerate. If to be served hot, warm for a minute in a bowl of hot water.
[Poached Eggs on Canapés, Artichoke
Bottoms, Mushroom Caps, or in
Pastry Shells]
A practically limitless series of elegant little hot first courses or luncheon dishes may be concocted with poached eggs, sauces, minces, and imagination. Here are some ideas:
This is a particularly good sauce for eggs; it is creamy, wine-flavored, cheesy, and has just a whiff of garlic. Sauce mornay (béchamel with cheese) may always be substituted.
For 6 servings (1½ cups)
Cook the shallots or onions for 1 to 2 minutes in the butter without browning. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
1½ cups dry white wine or ¾ cup dry white vermouth
¼ cup stock or canned beef bouillon
Then add the wine and stock and boil rapidly until liquid has reduced to 3 or 4 tablespoons.
1½ Tb cornstarch
1¼ cups whipping cream
A small mixing bowl
Blend the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the cream, then stir in half of the remaining cream. Pour it into the wine and shallots and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add more cream by spoonfuls to thin the sauce—it should coat a spoon fairly heavily.
½ to ⅔ cup grated Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Stir in the cheese and simmer, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Add more spoonfuls of cream if necessary. Correct seasoning, set aside, and reheat when needed.
6 poached eggs or 6-minute boiled eggs
6 canapés (oval slices of white bread sautéed in clarified butter)
Prepare the eggs and canapés.
3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb melted butter
A broiling pan or fireproof serving platter
Shortly before serving, preheat broiler to very hot. Place a cold drained egg on each canapé, spoon the sauce over, sprinkle with cheese and butter. Run for about a minute under the hot broiler to reheat the eggs but not to overcook them, and to brown the top of the sauce lightly. Serve on a platter or on serving plates.
Mix a spoonful or two of cooked, chopped spinach, or minced sautéed ham with a bit of the sauce and spread over each canapé to act as a bed for the egg. Use pastry shells, broiled mushroom caps, or cooked artichoke bottoms instead of canapés.
For 8 servings
1 lb. finely minced fresh mushrooms
3 Tb butter
3 Tb minced shallots or green onions
An enameled skillet
A handful at a time, twist the mushrooms into a ball in the corner of a towel to extract their juice. Sauté the mushrooms in hot butter with the shallots or onions for 7 to 8 minutes, until the pieces begin to separate from each other.
1½ Tb flour
Sprinkle on the flour and stir over moderate heat for 3 minutes.
¼ cup Madeira or port
½ cup whipping cream
½ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Stir in the wine and boil for a minute. Then stir in two thirds of the cream. Add the seasonings. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, adding more cream by spoonfuls if the mushroom mixture becomes too thick. Correct seasoning and set aside.
8 cooked pastry shells 2 to 2½ inches in diameter and 1½ inches high
8 poached eggs or 6-minute boiled eggs
2 to 2½ cups sauce béarnaise, or sauce choron (béarnaise with tomato)
Just before serving, reheat the mushrooms, pastry shells, and eggs. Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture into each shell, lay an egg over it, and coat with the sauce. Serve immediately on a platter or individual serving plates.
Instead of mushrooms, use creamed shellfish; follow the recipe for fondue de crustacés, and top with hollandaise. Broiled mushroom caps, broiled tomatoes, or cooked artichoke bottoms may replace pastry shells.
This is a good dish for a light supper or a winter luncheon, and can be made more important if it is garnished with sautéed chicken livers or braised onions, and sautéed or broiled mushrooms. Accompany it with a light red Burgundy or Beaujolais. Traditionally the eggs are poached in the wine, but they may be done in water in the usual way, if you wish.
For 8 servings
2 cups of brown stock or canned beef bouillon
2 cups good, young red wine
An 8-inch saucepan
8 very fresh eggs
Bring the stock and wine to the simmer and poach the eggs in it. Remove the eggs to a fireproof dish, add 1/16 inch of poaching liquid, and set aside. About 5 minutes before serving, set the dish uncovered over simmering water to reheat the eggs.
½ bay leaf tied with 2 or 3 parsley sprigs
¼ tsp thyme
1 clove mashed garlic
1 Tb minced shallot or green onion
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of pepper
After poaching the eggs, add the herbs, garlic, shallot or onion, and seasonings to the wine and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to 2 cups. Remove parsley and bay leaf.
1½ Tb softened butter
2 Tb flour
Optional: 1 Tb red currant jelly
Blend the butter and flour to a smooth paste—beurre manié. Off heat, beat it into the wine mixture with a wire whip. Boil for 30 seconds. Beat in the optional currant jelly for color and flavor, and correct seasoning.
(*) If not to be used immediately, set aside uncovered, top dotted with part of the enrichment butter.
1 to 2 Tb softened butter
Just before serving, reheat the sauce to the simmer. Off heat, beat in the butter.
8 canapés (ovals of white bread sautéed in clarified butter. They may be rubbed with a cut clove of garlic if you wish.)
2 to 3 Tb fresh minced parsley
Place a hot egg on each canapé and arrange on a platter or serving plates. Surround with whatever garniture you may have chosen, and spoon the hot sauce over. Decorate with parsley, and serve.
[Poached Eggs in Aspic]
This recipe is in the chapter on cold buffets.
SHIRRED EGGSA shirred egg is one that is broken into a small, flat, buttered dish and cooked quickly under the broiler. The white is softly set and tender, and the yolk is liquid, but covered by a shimmering, translucent film. Shirred eggs should never be attempted in the oven, as it toughens them.
For each serving
Preheat broiler to very hot.
A shallow, fireproof dish about 4 inches in diameter
½ Tb butter
1 or 2 eggs
Place the dish over moderate heat and add the butter. As soon as it has melted, break the egg or eggs into the dish and cook for about 30 seconds until a thin layer of white has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat, tilt dish, and baste the egg with the butter. Set aside.
Salt and pepper
A minute or so before serving, place the dish an inch under the hot broiler. Slide it in and out every few seconds and baste the egg with the butter. In about a minute the white will be set, and the yolk filmed and glistening. Remove, season, and serve immediately.
Using the technique of the preceding recipe, shirred eggs may be dressed up in the following ways:
[With Black Butter Sauce]
Substitute beurre noir, for plain butter.
[With Herb Butter]
Substitute herb or tarragon butter for plain butter.
[With Cream]
Use half the amount of butter. After bottom of egg has been lightly cooked on top of the stove, pour 2 tablespoons of whipping cream over the egg, then set it under the broiler. Basting is not necessary.
[Browned with Cheese]
This is the same as à la crème, but sprinkle a teaspoon of grated cheese over the cream, and dot with butter.
[With Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers]
Prepare the pipérade mixture of cooked onions, green peppers, and tomatoes. Then proceed as for the main recipe, spooning the pipérade around the egg before it goes under the broiler.
Just before serving, surround the egg with sautéed mushrooms, kidneys, chicken livers, sausages, asparagus tips, broiled tomatoes, tomato sauce, or whatever else strikes your fancy.
EGGS BAKED IN RAMEKINSThese are individual servings of 1 or 2 eggs baked in porcelain, pyrex, or earthenware ramekins. The ramekins must be set in a pan of boiling water, otherwise the intense heat of the oven toughens the outside layer of egg before the inside has cooked.
For each serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
½ tsp butter
1 ramekin 2½ to 3 inches in diameter and about 1½ inches high
2 Tb whipping cream
A pan containing ¾ inch of simmering water
1 or 2 eggs
Butter the ramekin, saving a dot for later. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and set the ramekin in the simmering water over moderate heat. When the cream is hot, break into it one or two eggs. Pour the remaining spoonful of cream over the egg and top with a dot of butter.
Place in middle level of the hot oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The eggs are done when they are just set but still tremble slightly in the ramekins. They will set a little more, when the ramekins are removed, so they should not be overcooked.
Salt and pepper
Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
(*) The ramekins may remain in the pan of hot water, out of the oven, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. To prevent overcooking, remove eggs from oven when slightly underdone.
[With Herbs]
Add half a teaspoon of mixed fresh parsley, chives, and chervil, or tarragon to the cream in the preceding recipe.
Instead of cream, use one of the brown sauces, especially those with herbs, mushrooms, or tomatoes. Or substitute one of the white sauces of which sauce soubise with onions, or sauce au cari (curry sauce) are especially good. The tomato sauces are other alternatives.
A spoonful or two of any of the following cooked ingredients may be put in the bottom of the ramekins along with either cream or sauce:
Minced mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, artichoke hearts
Diced lobster, shrimp, crab
Diced truffles, and/or a slice of foie gras
SCRAMBLED EGGSScrambled eggs in French are creamy soft curds that just hold their shape from fork to mouth. Their preparation is entirely a matter of stirring the eggs over gentle heat until they slowly thicken as a mass into a custard. Salt plus half a teaspoon of liquid per egg helps blend yolks and white, but no more liquid or liquid-producing ingredients or the eggs will turn watery.
For 4 or 5 servings
A fork or a wire whip
8 eggs, or 7 eggs and 2 yolks
A mixing bowl
Salt and pepper
4 tsp water or milk
Beat the eggs in the bowl with the seasonings and liquid for 20 to 30 seconds, just to blend yolks and whites.
2 Tb softened butter
A heavy-weight saucepan or skillet 7 to 8 inches bottom diameter (no-stick suggested). Depth of eggs in pan should be ⅔ to 1 inch
A rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Smear the bottom and sides of the pan with the butter. Pour in the eggs and set over moderately low heat. Stir slowly and continually, reaching all over the bottom of the pan. Nothing will seem to happen for 2 to 3 minutes as the eggs gradually heat. Suddenly they will begin to thicken into a custard. Stir rapidly, moving pan on and off heat, until the eggs have almost thickened to the consistency you wish. Then remove from heat, as they will continue to thicken slightly.
1½ to 2 Tb softened butter or whipping cream
A warm buttered platter
Parsley sprigs
Just as soon as they are of the right consistency, stir in the enrichment butter or cream, which will stop the cooking. Season to taste, turn out onto the platter, decorate with parsley, and serve.
(*) The eggs may be kept for a while in their saucepan over tepid water, but the sooner they are served the better.
[With Herbs]
Beat a tablespoon of minced fresh herbs such as parsley, chervil, chives, and tarragon into the eggs at the start. Sprinkle more herbs over the eggs just before serving.
[With Cheese]
Stir 4 to 6 spoonfuls of grated Swiss cheese into the eggs along with the enrichment butter at the end.
[With Truffles]
Stir 1 or 2 diced truffles into the eggs before scrambling them. Sprinkle a bit of chopped truffle over the eggs before serving.
Aside from ham, bacon, or sausages, the platter may be garnished with such things as: broiled or sautéed mushrooms, kidneys, or chicken livers; sautéed eggplant or zucchini; broiled tomatoes, tomato sauce, or the pipérade mixture on this page; diced sautéed potatoes; buttered peas, asparagus tips, or artichoke hearts.
A good French omelette is a smooth, gently swelling, golden oval that is tender and creamy inside. And as it takes less than half a minute to make, it is ideal for a quick meal. There is a trick to omelettes, and certainly the easiest way to learn is to ask an expert to give you a lesson. Nevertheless we hope one of the two techniques we describe will enable you, if you have never made an omelette before, to produce a good one. The difficulty with all written recipes for omelettes is that before you even start to make one you must read, remember, and visualize the directions from beginning to end, and practice the movements. For everything must go so quickly once the eggs are in the pan that there is no time at all to stop in the middle and pore over your book in order to see what comes next. Learning to make a good omelette is entirely a matter of practice. Do one after another for groups of people every chance you get for several days, and even be willing to throw some away. You should soon develop the art, as well as your own personal omelette style.
The two methods set forth here are rapid, professional techniques. The first is the simplest. The second takes more manual skill.
OMELETTE PANS
An omelette cannot be made in a sticky pan; the eggs must be able to slide around freely, and if they cannot, you simply cannot make an omelette at all. Since the first edition of this book, professionally shaped omelette pans of heavy aluminum with no-stick interiors are everywhere available, and that’s what we use—gratefully. However, the great omelette maker Dione Lucas insisted on her specially made cast-aluminum pan half an inch thick, while that other famous omelette queen Mme Romaine de Lyon and many another French cook swear only by the plain iron pan ⅛ inch thick like the one in our illustrations. Whatever you buy, you should have the long handle and the straight-sloping sides 2 inches deep; the bottom diameter should be about 7 inches, since this is the perfect size for the perfect 2- to 3-egg omelette.
If you prefer the French iron pan illustrated, you must first scrub it with steel wool and scouring powder, rinse and dry it, then heat it for a minute or two just until its bottom is too hot for your hand. Rub it with paper towels and cooking oil and let it stand overnight. Before making your first omelette, sprinkle a teaspoon of table salt in the pan, heat it again, and rub vigorously for a moment with paper towels; rub the pan clean, and it is ready for an omelette. If the pan is used only for omelettes (a wise decision), it needs no washing afterwards; merely rub it clean with paper towels. If the pan is washed, dry, warm, and oil it lightly before putting it away. If it becomes sticky again, rub again with salt. Never allow any pan, particularly an iron one, to sit empty over heat—this does something to its internal structure so that foods stick to it forevermore.
EGGS AND HOW TO BEAT THEM
An omelette can contain up to 8 eggs, but the individual 2- to 3-egg omelette is usually the tenderest, and by far the best size to practice making. At under 30 seconds an omelette, a number of people can be served in a very short time. In fact, unless you are extremely expert and have a restaurant-size heat source, we do not recommend larger omelettes at all. But if you do want to attempt them, be sure to have the correct size of pan. The depth of the egg mass in the pan should not be over ¼ inch, as the eggs must cook quickly. A pan with a 7-inch bottom is right for the 2- to 3-egg omelette; a 10- to 11-inch pan is required for 8 eggs.
Just before heating the butter in the pan, break the eggs into a mixing bowl and add salt and pepper. With a large table fork, beat the eggs only enough to blend the whites and yolks thoroughly. From 30 to 40 vigorous strokes should be sufficient.
If you are making several 2- to 3-egg omelettes, beat the necessary number of eggs and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl, and provide yourself with a ladle or measure. Two U.S. large eggs measure about 6 tablespoons; 3 eggs, about 9 tablespoons. Measure out the required quantity for each omelette as you are ready to make it, giving the eggs 4 or 5 vigorous beats before dipping them out with your measure.
TRANSFERRING THE OMELETTE FROM PAN TO PLATE
In each of the methods described, the finished omelette ends up in the far lip of the pan. This is the way to transfer it from the pan to the plate.
Hold the plate in your left hand. Turn the omelette pan so its handle is to your right. Grasp the handle with your right hand, thumb on top. Rest the lip of the pan slightly off the center of the plate so the omelette will land in the middle of the plate. Then tilt plate and pan against each other at a 45-degree angle.
Quickly turn the pan upside down over the plate and the omelette will drop into position.
If it has not formed neatly, push it into shape with the back of a fork. Rub the top of the omelette with softened butter and serve as soon as possible, for omelettes toughen if they are kept warm.
[Scrambled Omelette]
This is best in a French omelette pan, but a skillet can be used.
For 1 omelette, 1 to 2 servings. Time: Less than 30 seconds of cooking
2 or 3 eggs
Big pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
A mixing bowl
A table fork
Beat the eggs and seasonings in the mixing bowl for 20 to 30 seconds until the whites and yolks are just blended.
1 Tb butter
An omelette pan 7 inches in diameter at the bottom
A table fork
Place the butter in the pan and set over very high heat. If you have an electric heat element, it should be red hot. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to film the sides. When you see that the foam has almost subsided in the pan and the butter is on the point of coloring, it is an indication that it is hot enough to pour in the eggs.
Hold the panhandle with your left hand, thumb on top, and immediately start sliding the pan back and forth rapidly over the heat. At the same time, fork in right hand, its flat side against the bottom of the pan, stir the eggs quickly to spread them continuously all over the bottom of the pan as they thicken. In 3 or 4 seconds they will become a light, broken custard. (A filling would go in at this point.)
Then lift the handle of the pan to tilt it at a 45-degree angle over the heat, and rapidly gather the eggs at the far lip of the pan with the back of your fork. Still holding the pan tilted over the heat, run your fork around the lip of the pan under the far edge of the omelette to be sure it has not adhered to the pan.
Give 4 or 5 short, sharp blows on the handle of the pan with your right fist to loosen the omelette and make the far edge curl over onto itself.
Hold the pan tilted over heat for 1 or 2 seconds to brown the bottom of the omelette very lightly, but not too long or the eggs will overcook. The center of the omelette should remain soft and creamy.
A warm plate
Softened butter
Turn the omelette onto the plate as illustrated on this page, rub the top with a bit of butter, and serve as soon as possible.
[Rolled Omelette]
This omelette should be made in a French omelette pan and a high gas flame is usually more successful than an electric heat element. The rolled omelette is the most fun of any method, but requires more practice. Here the pan is jerked over high heat at an angle so that the egg mass is continually hurled against the far lip of the pan until the eggs thicken. Finally, as the pan is tilted further while it is being jerked, the eggs roll over at the far lip of the pan, forming an omelette shape. A simple-minded but perfect way to master the movement is to practice outdoors with half a cupful of dried beans. As soon as you are able to make them flip over themselves in a group, you have the right feeling; but the actual omelette-making gesture is sharper and rougher.
For 1 omelette, 1 to 2 servings. Time: Less than 30 seconds of cooking
2 or 3 eggs
Big pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
A mixing bowl
A table fork
Beat the eggs and seasonings in the mixing bowl for 20 to 30 seconds until the whites and yolks are just blended.
1 Tb butter
An omelette pan 7 inches in diameter at the bottom
A table fork
Place the butter in the pan and set over very high heat. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to film the sides. When you see that the foam has almost subsided in the pan and the butter is on the point of coloring (indicating it is hot enough), pour in the eggs. It is of utmost importance in this method that the butter be of the correct temperature.
Let the eggs settle in the pan for 2 or 3 seconds to form a film of coagulated egg in the bottom of the pan.
Grasp the handle of the pan with both hands, thumbs on top, and immediately begin jerking the pan vigorously and roughly toward you at an even, 20-degree angle over the heat, one jerk per second.
It is the sharp pull of the pan toward you which throws the eggs against the far lip of the pan, then back over its bottom surface. You must have the courage to be rough or the eggs will not loosen themselves from the bottom of the pan. After several jerks, the eggs will begin to thicken. (A filling would go in at this point.)
Then increase the angle of the pan slightly, which will force the egg mass to roll over on itself with each jerk at the far lip of the pan.
As soon as the omelette has shaped up, hold it in the angle of the pan to brown the bottom a pale golden color, but only a second or two, for the eggs must not overcook. The center of the omelette should remain soft and creamy. If the omelette has not formed neatly, push it with the back of your fork.
Turn the omelette onto the plate as illustrated on this page, rub the top with a bit of butter, and serve as soon as possible.
[With Herbs]
Beat into the eggs at the beginning 1 tablespoon of minced fresh herbs such as chervil, parsley, chives, and tarragon. Sprinkle more of the same over the finished omelette.
[With Cheese]
After the eggs have set for 2 or 3 seconds in the pan at the point indicated in either of the two omelette recipes, sprinkle in 1 or 2 tablespoons of grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese and finish the omelette. If you wish, sprinkle more cheese over the completed omelette, dot with butter, and run quickly under a very hot broiler to melt and brown the cheese.
[With Spinach]
Beat 2 or 3 tablespoons of cooked purée of spinach, into the eggs at the beginning, then proceed with the omelette as usual.
Sprinkle ¼ cup of any of the following cooked ingredients over the eggs after they have set for 2 or 3 seconds in the pan at the point indicated in either of the two omelette recipes, then proceed with the omelette as usual:
Diced sautéed potatoes and minced herbs
Diced truffles
Diced sautéed ham, chicken livers, or mushrooms
Diced cooked asparagus tips or artichoke hearts
Diced cooked shrimp, crab, or lobster
Cubes of stale white bread sautéed in butter
[Tomato-filled Omelettes Gratinéed With Cream and Cheese]
Here is a delicious supper or luncheon dish that can be prepared ahead and gratinéed just before serving.
For 4 to 6 people
4 two-egg omelettes or 2 three-egg omelettes
A buttered plate
A shallow, buttered, fireproof serving platter
Cook the omelettes according to one of the master recipes, but leave them slightly underdone. Slip each as it is made onto a buttered plate, then slide it onto the buttered platter, arranging the omelettes side by side.
1 cup fresh tomato purée
Cut a slit along the length of each omelette to within ½ inch of the 2 ends. Fill the slits with the tomato purée.
(*) If not to be used immediately, rub tops of omelettes with softened butter and cover with waxed paper.
Preheat broiler to very hot.
Just before serving, pour the cream over the omelettes, and sprinkle with cheese and melted butter. Set platter 3 inches from hot broiler for 1 or 2 minutes to reheat the omelettes and to brown the cheese lightly, but do not let the omelettes overcook. Serve immediately.
[Open-faced Omelette Garnished with Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, and Ham]
This is a Basque specialty, and quick to make if the pipérade mixture has been prepared in advance. As the omelette is not folded, and is served in its cooking vessel, it is not a disaster if it sticks a little on the bottom. You may therefore cook the eggs in a low, glazed pottery dish, or a fancy skillet.
For 4 to 6 servings
8 to 12 strips of ham ¼ inch thick and about 2 by 3 inches across
2 Tb olive oil or butter
An 8- to 9-inch enameled skillet
Brown the ham slices lightly on both sides in hot oil or butter. Set them aside, and reheat just before using them at the end of the recipe.
½ cup thinly sliced yellow onions
½ cup thinly sliced green or red bell peppers
Salt and pepper to taste
In the same oil or butter in which you browned the ham, cook the onions and peppers slowly, covering the skillet, until they are tender but not browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
½ clove mashed garlic
Speck of cayenne pepper
2 or 3 firm, ripe, red tomatoes peeled, seeded, juiced, and sliced
Salt and pepper
Stir in the garlic and pepper. Lay the tomatoes over the onions and sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and boil for a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the juice from the tomatoes has almost entirely evaporated. Season to taste, and reheat just before using.
(*) Recipe may be prepared ahead to this point.
An 11- to 12-inch serving skillet or shallow, fireproof serving dish
8 to 10 eggs beaten lightly with ¼ tsp salt and a pinch of pepper
A large table fork
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley or mixed fresh green herbs
Heat the oil or butter in the skillet or dish. When very hot, pour in the eggs. Stir rapidly with a fork until the eggs have just set into a creamy mass. Remove from heat and spread over them the hot pipérade, mixing a bit of it delicately into the eggs. Lay the warm ham strips over the pipérade. Sprinkle with the herbs and serve immediately.
