Recipe: Classic French Omelette

This recipe comes from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• Pinch salt
• Pinch white pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Finely chopped chives or parsley, for garnish
• (optional) Small amount of filling (about 2oz) such as cheese, meat, mushrooms, vegetables, etc.

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until no traces of white remain. Whisk in the salt and white pepper.
2. In an 8-inch nonstick skillet with rounded sides set over medium heat, melt the butter, being careful not to let it brown. Swirl it around in the pan so it coats the bottom and sides.
3. Pour the eggs into the pan. With the bowl of a fork, tines facing up, rapidly stir the eggs. If you’re concerned about scraping the nonstick surface of your pan, use a plastic fork. Move the fork all around the pan to break up the eggs as they cook. At the same time, hold the handle of the pan with the other hand and vigorously shake the pan back and forth. If the eggs cook too fast, forming large clumps, take the pan off the heat and keep stirring. The eggs will continue to cook a little from the residual heat. Cook until the eggs are loose and creamy with small curds. This will only take 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Optional -- Fill omelette: A classic French omelette has no filling. Sometimes finely chopped herbs like tarragon, parsley, chervil, or chives are stirred into the eggs—it’s called a fines herbes omelette. You could add a small amount of filling. Stick to just two fillings like ham and cheese, cooked mushrooms and goat cheese, or cooked baby spinach and gruyere.
5. If you haven’t already done so, remove the pan from the heat. Run the fork around the edges to release the eggs. Tilt the pan to a 45-degree angle so that the eggs move to one side of the pan. Keep the pan tilted and fold the eggs toward the edge until you have a half moon shape, running the fork under and around the eggs as needed to loosen them from the pan. With the pan still tilted, sharply tap the handle 2 or 3 times with your free hand to push the eggs over the edge by about 2 inches. If this makes no sense, that’s okay—use a spatula to gently coax the eggs about 2 inches over the edge of the pan. Use your fork to fold the overhanging eggs up and towards the center of the omelette. It should now be almond-shaped.
6. Hold onto the handle as close to the pan as possible. Bang the still tilted pan on the counter to move the omelette right up to the edge of the pan. Tilt a plate right next to the omelette and tip it onto the plate so the seam is on the bottom.
7. Sprinkle with chives or parsley, if you’d like, and serve.