The versatile omelette

Press, 30 December 1982, Page 12

The versatile omelette

It is no accident that one of the first lessons in cooking classes on French cuisine is how to make a proper omelette.

Preparing this fundamental and versatile dish is an excellent introduction to the technique of stove-top cooking. It combines blending fresh ingredients and seasonings, determining proper cooking temperature, and handling a pan.

If you can make a firstrate omelette, you are already on your way to advanced sauteing and sauce making.

A critical element is the pan. It must be the proper shape and made of a

material that conducts heat evenly and efficiently. For a one-serving omelette the pan should be between seven and eight inches across at the base, and have sloping sides and a smooth finish. Given a good pan, the next hurdle is the cooking temperature. Novice cooks sometimes fail because they let the pan get too hot. The result can be an omelette with an exterior that is burned before the interior is cooked. If the temperature is too low the omelette may stick and never develop the delicate, layered consistency desired. Experts seldom know, in figures, what the right temperature should be. After

years of practice they judge the heat by the way butter melts in the pan — quickly, but without turning brown. Many cooks believe that omelette pans should be kept and used for omelettes only, to preserve the pan’s finish. When they are finished cooking they simply wipe the inside of the pan with a damp towel. Experts also say that for the best results water should be beaten into the eggs, at the rate of a tablespoon of water to each egg. A single-serving, plain omelette can best be made with three eggs. They should be beaten quickly with a fork and seasoned with salt and

pepper — perfectionists advise 30 sweeps of the fork through the eggs. The eggs should be at room temperature. Cold eggs take longer to cook and. may misbehave in the process. Beat the eggs at the last minute before pouring into the buttered pan. They will be fluffier.

Stir the eggs in the pan vigorously for a few seconds with a plastic spatula or spoon (do not use metal to stir — it may scratch- the important surface of the pan). Let the eggs cook until they are almost firm, but not dry in the centre. Fold the omelette over and slide it on to a plate.