When I conduct cooking classes I like to convey the KPI’s, “Key Performance Indicators”, of the dish to my guests. If you don’t know the end result then how do we measure success accordingly? Yes, some desired outcomes are ubiquitous..nobody wants a soggy over oily chip, right? But believe it or not, not everyone wants a gooey brownie. Americans actually have a stereotype amongst French chefs that we under cook our baked goods. I think it would be helpful if recipes stated the target outcome upfront in order to have a benchmark. This would also allow those with different tastes to recipe shop more intentionally. Let’s face it, there is no right or wrong way no matter what chefs will try to tell you. It’s all personal preference!

This gooey brownie loving chef (hell just give me the batter) loves her French style omelet. I look forward to my omelet with a slice of my homemade bread every Saturday morning.

KPIs:

Outside color is completely clear and smooth. Absolutely no browning,
Slightly wet in the center
Slightly fluffy (not too thin) and definitely not rubbery

No browning and slightly wet in the center. Note that this video is edited to be a minute but this took about 7-8 minutes to cook

Egg Mixture:

It’s debatable whether or not a little milk or water added to the whisked egg makes it fluffier. After copious experiments, I’ve concluded that fresh eggs whisked well with a little kosher salt is all it takes.

Quality ingredients are key in all dishes but especially those that only have two ingredients. This is your excuse to buy those $10 eggs at the farmer’s market that you’ve been ogling.

Pan

The pan size is essential. For an individual omelet (2-3 eggs) I use an 8” nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast iron. My technique calls for whisking in the pan at the beginning so remember to use a rubber whisk to avoid ruining your nonstick. If you don’t have this you can use a rubber spatula to mimic the movement.

Heat

Temperature is extremely important to not browning the crust. I start off at a medium heat when adding the eggs into the pan then shortly reduce the temperature to low heat. The eggs should have a soft sizzle when they are added to the pan. The olive oil in the recipe serves two purposes. It adds a little flavor but also serves the functional purpose of indicating the pan’s temperature. If it beads rapidly the pan might be too hot. If it hits the pan and doesn’t move at all then the temperature is too low. The ideal movement is that it rolls around effortlessly in the pan when swirled. If you’d like to use butter instead then I would suggest cooking with clarified butter or ghee. Otherwise, you risk burning the milk solids and browning the crust.

The Invisible Ingredient: Patience

Patience is an active (or should I say inactive) ingredient in most dishes and the omelet is certainly no exception. It’s counterintuitive to the micromanaging nature of the type A chef but truly makes all the difference to getting the perfect sear on your halibut or, in this case, the silky clear omelet. Please note that the video is edited to one minute. This omelet took about 8 minutes and if you can stretch it out to 10 minutes, all the better. Once the crust is formed over low heat you will add the cheese to melt and cover with a lid for several minutes. If you have a gas stove it might be better to turn it off completely at this time. If the center is too wet after 4-5 minutes you can always turn the stove back on to low to and cook gently.

French Omelet

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prep time: 2 minutes

cook time: approximately 8 minutes

total time: 10 minutes

Servings: 1 omelet

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp olive oil (or clarified butter)

Garnish: sea salt and minced parsley

Instructions:

Whisk eggs and salt together. Heat non-stick skillet to medium heat and add oil. Add eggs to pan gently whisking to break the bottom crust (about 30 seconds-1 minute). Turn heat down to low. Pull in sides with a spatula then swirl replacing the cooked egg layer with the uncooked egg (see vid). Do this until there is only a thin layer of egg on top. Turn heat to very low or off completely. Add cheese and cover for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and desired wetness is achieved. Remove lid. Add additional fillings (i.e cooked onions or mushrooms). Trifold the omelet using the wetness to adhere the fold. Gently push off to plate. Sprinkle with finishing salt and minced herbs.