Savoury Omelettes

An omelette is a quick and easy dish for any meal of the day. I have suggested serving them as a breakfast dish. One filling – of prawns (shrimp) – may be unusual for breakfast but it ensures that you have fish on that particular day.

Ingredients SERVES 1
METRIC (IMPERIAL) AMERICAN
2 or 3 large eggs 2 or 3
1 tablespoon water, optional ¼ tablespoons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste  
25g (1oz) butter 2 tablespoons
few drops olive or sunflower oil, optional few drops

Method

  1. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork; do not whisk hard, as that aerates the mixture too much and makes it become slightly drier in cooking. Add the water if desired; this gives a lighter texture. Season to taste.
  2. Heat the butter in a small omelette or frying pan (skillet). Ideally this should be no larger than 12–15 cm (5–6 inches) in diameter. Too large a pan means the eggs are spread too thinly. Adding the oil is not essential but helps prevent the omelette sticking to the pan.
  3. When the butter, or butter and oil, is hot pour in the eggs and cook over a moderate heat. Leave undisturbed for about 30 seconds to allow the omelette to begin to set on the underside.
  4. This is the time to ‘work’ the omelette. Loosen the eggs from around the sides of the pan, then tilt it so that the still-liquid egg runs from the top to the sides of the pan. Do this until the omelette is set to your taste.
  5. Fold or roll the omelette away from the handle, tip on to a hot plate and serve at once.

Variation

float image 1 To give a richer flavour and help prevent the omelette sticking to the pan, stir 1 (¼) tablespoons of melted butter or olive oil into the eggs just before cooking.

Flavourings and Fillings

float image 1 Add a mixture of freshly chopped herbs to the eggs; this is known as aux fine herbes.

float image 1 Cheese Omelette: either add a small amount of grated cheese to the beaten eggs, or cover the top of the cooked omelette with grated cheese or spoonfuls of cheese before folding. For a main meal the omelette can be filled with a thick cheese sauce. Often this is mixed with lightly cooked vegetables.

float image 1 Fish Omelette: mix flaked, cooked fish with the beaten eggs and add chopped herbs to taste.

float image 1 Mushroom Omelette: either add finely diced, uncooked mushrooms to the beaten eggs, or fill the cooked omelette with small whole, or sliced, mushrooms of various kinds, precooked in a little oil or butter.

float image 1 Prawn (Shrimp) Omelette: either add a few spoonfuls of peeled and finely chopped cooked prawns (shelled shrimp) to the eggs, or heat whole prawns in a little hot butter and add to the omelette just before folding. If using frozen prawns defrost and dry well on paper towels before chopping or heating. (Avoid this omelette until you have finished the initial diet.)

float image 1 Thai Omelette: to give the eggs a taste of the Far East flavour them with a little finely chopped lemon grass and grated root ginger or ground ginger. Fill the cooked omelette with hot, crisp bean sprouts.

float image 1 Tomato Omelette: if you are satisfied that tomatoes do not adversely affect your arthritis fill the cooked omelette with thinly sliced, raw tomatoes or a thick tomato purée before folding.

float image 1 Vegetable Omelette: fill the cooked omelette with lightly cooked, diced root or other vegetables. (While on the diet avoid those in the nightshade family – listed here.)

Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)

This is a different kind of omelette, eaten cold as well as hot, and solid enough for a packed lunch. The traditional vegetables are potatoes and onions with perhaps a little chopped garlic. However, potatoes must be avoided during the initial days of the diet, so instead use rings of onion with sliced parsnips, carrots and sweet potato or yam, steamed or boiled in a very little salted water until just tender.

Strain well then heat in a little olive oil or oil and butter in the omelette or frying pan. Beat the eggs as instructed in step 1, pour over the hot vegetables and cook steadily until the eggs are set. Do not try and tilt the pan when making this omelette and do not fold. Simply slide onto a plate. Serve hot or cold cut into wedges.