My dog is named Omelet, so you know I am fond.
Omelets are among the truly great vessels for the odds and ends that inevitably end up in your fridge after a week of cooking, and their blessing is a particular one: they do not demand that you have much of any one thing—a tablespoon, maybe even a teaspoon here or there is plenty. This morning, for example, I found a grotty piece of Stilton in the fridge. (Truthfully, the best Stilton is always a little grotty anyway.) I scraped the driest part of the cheese away and then pulled off about 1 tablespoon of the softer interior. To this I added some dill, which in theory might not be the right herb but was brisk and fresh with a little anise flavor. It was Sunday, and I had gone for a run, so I made myself a three-egg omelet, with marigold-yolk eggs from a local farm. I was hungry and the pan was a little hot, so my omelet didn’t have the pure pale yellow of a textbook omelet, but when I tucked into it, I kind of dug the well-cooked parts playing against the soft middle. I added some arugula on the side to make the whole thing seem more virtuous, and also to mop up the runny bits after I gobbled up the eggs. It was so delicious, the blue cheese adding depth and satisfaction to an otherwise simple meal. I ate it alone, and fast, and didn’t even bother to take a picture. It was gorgeous, though, trust me.
Omelets are a way of life, so instead of giving you a proper recipe, I’ll give you the basic technique so you can make the most of your own odds and ends.
Have your ingredients and your tools ready: a small nonstick pan (6 or 8 inches max—it can be cast iron if it’s well seasoned, but coated pans are closer to failproof), a rubber spatula, a bowl for the eggs, a little board or plate with your fillings (no more than a couple of tablespoons per omelet), and the plate you want to serve on, too. If you are serving with toast, start toasting when you start cooking the omelet.
1. Heat the skillet to a lively heat, but not smoky. A pat of butter should bubble up at the edges but not start to burn immediately. On my stove, that’s medium heat.
2. Whisk your eggs together with a fork and a pinch of salt or pepper. Use 2 eggs for an ordinary morning or 3 if you’re feeling a little hungry. You can make a bigger omelet for more people, but in truth, I think they are most special made for one.
3. Add about 2 teaspoons of ghee (my favorite choice), butter, or olive oil. The ghee won’t burn as easily as the regular butter, and the olive oil has a particular taste that works well with some flavors (such as peppers and chèvre) and less well with others (such as mountain cheeses), but in the end, don’t fret too much. Swirl your fat around the pan.
4. Now add your eggs and let them sit for about 20 seconds: they should cook into a homogenous yellow where they are in contact with the pan. Lift an edge and tip the pan, so that the uncooked egg on top runs under the cooked bit. Repeat a few times.
5. When the top of the eggs is still moist but not sloshy, sprinkle the filling in a line across the pan. Try to do this evenly. Salt and pepper the eggs to taste now if you forgot to do it before cooking. I like a runny center to my omelet, so I start rolling as soon as I’ve added the filling. But if you want your egg cooked all the way through, wait to start filling until the egg isn’t at all sloppy on top.
6. Take the skillet handle in one hand over the plate, holding it at about a 45-degree angle, and use the spatula to lift the edge of the eggs farthest from the plate up and over toward the center of the eggs. From here, use the spatula to keep rolling the eggs down toward the plate, then flip it out onto the plate.
7. Grab your toast and enjoy.
OMELET FILLINGS
(in general, I find it best to limit fillings to two or three, so that each flavor is clear)
- Grated firm cheeses, such as Cheddar, Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano; the harder the cheese, the finer the grate
- Crumbled soft cheeses, such as blue cheese, mozzarella, or chèvre
- Crème fraîche, sour cream, or cream cheese
- Chopped herbs
- Pesto
- Chunky breadcrumbs, well seasoned with salt
- Chopped cooked asparagus
- Braised leeks or fennel
- Chopped roasted red peppers
- Minced ham, cooked bacon, or pancetta
- Minced cooked chicken
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Chopped, squeezed cooked greens, such as spinach or chard
- Slivered snap peas
- Sautéed shallots or onions (you can use raw, but I think they taste best cooked first)
Omelets also like to have a little extra something on top for additional flavor and/or juiciness
- Fresh chopped herbs
- Harissa
- Sriracha
- Pesto
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
And omelet addendum: the mini-frittata
If you want to emphasize the filling, you can always make a skinny frittata, where the filling is actually mixed with the egg mixture: this works well with bitsy fillings like rice or peas. First, warm butter or oil in the pan and toss in the filling; about ½ cup is a good amount. Have ready the eggs, mixed and seasoned. When the filling is warm, pour in the eggs and stir quickly to distribute the filling evenly before leaving the eggs alone to set, as above. Instead of rolling the omelet, flip it like a pancake when it is cooked three fourths of the way through. Briefly cook on the second side before serving. One recent triumph around here was a pasta omelet, with tomato-sauced orzo and Fontina cheese. It made a great afterschool snack for my daughter.