January 17th - Omelets

January 17th – Omelets

Eggs have gotten an unfair rap in American cuisine. When “healthy eating” entered the radar screen of most Americans, eggs were one of the first foods to be banished. Maybe that’s not surprising, since most of Americans would likely give up eggs for breakfast as opposed to foregoing steak for dinner. I’m not going to pretend that eggs don’t have cholesterol and that they aren’t generally served with other “bad” foods like butter and bacon, but by themselves, eggs are probably no worse than the large cuts of meat that we consider a standard serving size. (No, I’m not a nutritionist, and you absolutely shouldn’t take any diet or nutrition advice from me. After all, I’m a middle aged fat guy.) But in a lot of parts of the world, eggs aren’t relegated to the breakfast table (or to egg salad sandwiches) and actually are considered more of a lunch or dinner food. But somehow here in the US, eggs are still considered a breakfast item.

I don’t eat a lot of eggs. I love them, but don’t seem to cook them much on their own, but one of my favorite ways to have them is as omelets (as well as poached). I love omelets because they’re real food, don’t take long to make, and can be made with whatever you have leftover in the fridge (assuming of course that you have eggs). I’m much more of a fan of French style omelets as opposed to American ones. American ones typically seem to be overstuffed and are a little overwhelming. French style omelets have less stuffing, and as a result are really quick and easy to prepare. Julia Childe got her start on TV cooking an omelet and if you haven’t seen her omelet show from her classic French Chef series, you should go rent or buy the DVD series of her show.

Omelets should cook quickly. If an omelet takes you more than about a minutes to cook (once the pan is hot), you’re likely not cooking it right. There are new “scientific” methods of cooking eggs that emphasize low heat and long cooking times so that the proteins in the eggs don’t toughen, but you can do the same thing by cooking an omelet quickly on medium high heat. It helps to have a non-stick pan, but if you have a well seasoned, cast iron omelet pan, you’ll do fine as well. I normally stick to two eggs, because three eggs seem too much and increase the cooking time too much. I also stick to small amounts of stuffing.

We needed to go shopping tonight and were a little pressed for time. I didn’t know what to cook, and my wife was ready to just make a sandwich, when I asked her if she wanted an omelet. I took the non-stick pan out and put it on medium high heat. I got the eggs and cracked two of them in a bowl. I wisked them well with a splash of water (I don’t know why but I always have), added salt and pepper and then checked the pan. When it seemed hot I added about a tablespoon of butter. When the butter stops foaming, the pan is ready. Pour the eggs in and tilt the pan to spread it. Don’t move them around with a spatula. Let them start to set which will take about 20 seconds. I added about 1-2 tablespoons of chopped ham and a sprinkling of parmesan (it was the only cheese we had) and let it go for about another 20 seconds, after which it should have very little liquid left (but should have a little). To roll the omelet use a motion like who were trying to flip a pan while sautéing. You shouldn’t have to use a spatula. As you move the pan, the omelet should start to roll on its own and should end up roiled at the far edge of the pan. Drop it on to a plate and you have dinner. To get the technique right, check out Julia. She was a true omelet master.

Start the next omelet and you’ve got two omelets in about two and a half minutes. If you have greens, throw together a salad on the side, but you don’t really need one if all you need is a light supper. Otherwise grab a beer or a lighter wine (red or white) and you’re good to go. I had a pint of Belgian Golden, which was perfect. The alcohol and spice cut thought the richness of the eggs. The ham and parmesan gave nice flavors but were in small enough quantities that you still remembered you were eating eggs. Quick and easy.