This morning, for the first time ever, I finally made what I would consider a perfect omelette. Did you know, if the egg in your omelette has browned you've done it wrong? After much research, and quite a few trials and fails, here it is, laid out for you in one quick and easy post:
How to Make the Perfect Omelette:
Ingredients you will need:
2 eggs per omelette
1 Tbsp. milk per omelette
dash of salt and dash of pepper
any filling for the omelette, veggies sauteed and meat browned and drained in advance in a separate skillet. Cheese shredded and waiting on standby.
Equipment you will need:
metal or glass mixing bowl
1 Tbsp. measuring spoon
wire whisk
12" nonstick skillet with sloped sides, and a lid that fits
1 silicone spatula
a second skillet if you plan on adding meat or veggies to your omelette, to saute them before adding to the omelette.
1. Place a 12" nonstick skillet with sloped sides over very low heat. We're talking one notch over the lowest setting you can get. Our knobs have numbers, I had it set on 2.
2. If you are adding any meat or veggies to your omelette, cook them in a separate skillet first. I used precooked ham, so I diced up the ham with the red pepper and onion and threw it all into the skillet with a little oil and a dash of salt over medium heat just until the onions and peppers start to soften but still have a little crunch to them. You don't want mush, and you don't want them to brown. If you are using bacon or sausage, saute any vegetables first in a little oil, remove veggies to a bowl, and cook the meat by itself in the same pan. Be sure to drain the meat on paper towels before adding to an omelette. For two Denver Omelettes, I used 1oz diced thickly sliced pre-cooked ham, 1/2 of a red bell pepper diced, and 1/4 of a red onion diced.
3. Crack two eggs into your medium to large mixing bowl, add 1 Tbsp. milk, a dash of salt and a dash of pepper. I know what you're thinking... 2 eggs? I've got a big appetite, I like 3 or 4 (or more) eggs! If you want more than 2 eggs, then make more than one omelette. Trust me on this. 2 eggs per omelette, no more, no less.
4. Add 1Tbsp. butter to your skillet over low heat, and once it melts, swirl the butter around the pan, coating the bottom and about 1/4 inch up the sides.
5. Whisk the eggs for 2 minutes, immediately before adding to the pan. Whisking incorporates air into your eggs, which makes them nice and light and fluffy. This must be done by hand with a wire whisk. Don't try to use a mixer to whisk these eggs, unless you want a tough, chewy omelette. Electric mixers have too much power and whisk too quickly, and can break the proteins instead of incorporating air into your eggs. If your arm wimps out after a minute, whisk it for a minute, set it down, then come back to it and whisk it for about one and a half minutes longer.
6. Immediately following the 2 minutes of whisking, pour the eggs straight into the pan and cover with the lid. Don't swirl them around, don't scootch them around with the spatula, just let them sit and steam for a couple minutes.
7. Check the eggs after about 2 minutes or so. You should still see a bit of uncooked egg on top, but when you tilt the pan the entire egg mass should slide as one, without any liquid threatening to run off the top of your omelette. If it still looks too runny, cover it with the lid for a minute or two longer. Don't rush it, don't turn up the heat. Once you've accomplished this state of semi-solidity, add the filling to one side of your omelette and top with whatever cheese you like. Replace the lid and continue to steam over low heat until the cheese looks almost melted.
8. When the cheese looks almost melted, remove the lid, slide the rubber spatula under the empty side of your omelette, and gently and carefully fold it over in half. Look at the color of the outside of your omelette... if it's a beautiful, creamy, pale yellow, you've done it right! If the egg appears to have browned at all... you've cooked the poor thing over too high heat, or cooked it too long. Better luck next time! Slide the omelette out onto a plate, and enjoy!
Boo is still waiting for her omelette. :)
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