Cooking with David -- Omelets

Unlike "omelet purists", I usually mix the filling into the egg. If any of the filling requires cooking beforehand, I use the same pan in which I cook the egg; I don't have a separate omelet pan.

1 egg
water
1 green onion (scallion)
1 TBS fresh, finely chopped basil
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup shredded or diced cheese
olive oil

non-stick frying pan

Break the egg into a bowl. (I use a soup plate.) Using half an egg shell as a measure, add cool water. Thoroughly mix with a fork. Add the basil. Mix.

Chop the green onion. Lightly sauté in a small amount of olive oil over a medium fire until the onion starts to color. Raise the fire to high. Add the egg mixture. Top with the cheese. Cover.

Count 30 seconds, and remove the pan from the heat. (I have a gas stove, so I merely turn off the burner.) Let the egg stand for about a minute. Carefully lift one edge of the omelet (use the fork or a spatula), and fold the omelet in half. Serve.

I used to use two eggs, which required lifting the edges of the omelet to allow uncooked egg to run underneath and become cooked. On advice from my doctor to lose weight, I now use only one egg plus a little water. This spreads quite thinly over the entire pan.

For two servings, use 2-3 eggs. Then, I use a mixing bowl and a wire whip instead of a soup plate and a fork.

Almost any kind of cheese may be used. Sometimes, I mix two or even three cheeses. I prefer to shred the cheese. It melts quite well. However, when a block of cheese is too small to hold against the shredder or when I'm using a soft cheese that does not readily shred, then I use a knife to dice it into very small cubes. My mother objected to this. She wanted her cheese in slices laid on top of the omelet, to form a cheese sauce. I told her I would buy her a jar of Cheese Whiz. I used to mix the cheese into the egg before pouring it into the frying pan. I found that this prevented the egg from spreading across the pan.

When basil is out of season in my garden, I use a teaspoon of pesto. A medium slice of a large yellow, white, or red onion — finely minced — can be substituted for the green onion; but I really think a green onion is better in this recipe.

Often, I include mushrooms with the green onion. Italian mushrooms (e.g., cremini, Portobello) are very good. Also, try mixing those with a small amount of oyster mushrooms. They should all be diced and sautéed with the green onion.

Alternatively, sauté diced ham until lightly browned. Be very careful if the ham has added water; it will spatter, jump out of the frying pan, and even burn the cook. (I immediately cover the pan when sautéing ham since I am unable to find thick ham slices suitable for dicing that do not have added water.) Omit the basil, green onion, and mushrooms. Use cheddar cheese.

When frying or sautéing eggs, let them cool slightly in the pan when done. They will shrink slightly and come loose from the pan more easily. With a really good non-stick frying pan, I do not even have to use a spatula; I merely tilt the pan over the serving plate, slide most of the omelet onto the plate, and then tilt the pan further to fold the rest of the omelet over.

Cooking with David

Omelets

Copyright © 2006, 2014 by David E. Ross