Cooking an omelette

[Los Palmas 7]

OK, I give in. Really fancied an omelette earlier, so went and got all the ingredients. I've tried cooking omelettes before with not much success, so I consulted Delia on-line, got all the tips, followed them to the letter and still ended up with what can only be described as "scrambled egg with bits in it".

Your tips please.

[ehasler]

My method is to mix everything together in a bowl first (I use 2 large eggs per person, and equalish portions of cheddar cheese, tomatoes and ham all chopped to roughly 1cm), then pour into a medium hot frying pan and fry with a saucepan lid on the pan to help cook the top.

You know it's cooked when the top stops being runny, but don't cook for too long as it will turn rubbery. There's not really much more to it!

[grumbledoak]

Well, he might be a poisonous little dwarf to some, but this recipe by AWT sums it up: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/omelett...

What was wrong with yours?

[Davi]

probably overcooking it - scrambled eggs / omelette is a matter of seconds without stirring.

Break eggs into hot pan, stir almost constantly to get it all heating evenly and only stop for a few seconds when it's nearing completion -flip over to flash off the other side.

Basically scrambled eggs that you've let join together

[dreamer75]

I think it's the stirring that makes it scrambly?

I tip the mixture (eggs mixed not beaten, plus a dash of water and seasoning) into a hottish pan (non-stick, a little tiny bit of oil). Then you sort of peel back the edges as they set and tip the still runny mixture on top to fill the gaps by tilting the pan. Keep doing that until there isn't any more runny stuff. Then when the bottom is nice and cooked you either flip it over (via a plate is easier) or put it under a grill.

If you've got mushrooms/ham etc. then I tend to put that in after I've tipped the egg mixture into the pan - let the bottom set a bit beforet ipping in the other stuff, otherwise it burns on the bottom of the pan.

[AndyAudi]

I've done this a couple of different ways

Used to mix everything with egg & pour into medium hot pan stiring reasonably slowly to bring edges to centre etc then leave for a few minutes to cook through, (Sometimes finishing under the grill if I was doing bacon too)

Now I do it much quicker, (after watching the comp's on Saturday Kitchen) whisked eggs with a little cream into hot wok and vigourous stirring to spread it out thinner, after about 30-45 Seconds I put my filling on one half and flip to fold over another 30 sec's and it's out & on the plate.

[f13ldy]

Season and beat 3 eggs in a bowl. Heat pan with a knob of butter and oil over a medium/high heat, when warmish tip mixture in gentle swirl around to get even coverage.

When the bottom has hardened a bit, chuck your ingredients on top cook for a minute longer before flipping over to flash the over side.

Should take a matter of minutes.

[HRG.]

Flipping = omelette on the floor

Top tip given to me by an oldie, just stick it under the grill still in the frying pan for a few moments, finishes the top off a treat

[dreamer75]

Or slide it onto a plate, then tip it back into the pan from the plate - saves heating the grill

[Davi]

dreamer75 said:

Or slide it onto a plate, then tip it back into the pan from the plate - saves heating the grill

or practice and learn how to flip 'em properly

[HRG.]

You wait till you've had a three egg omelette hit the deck and it's the last eggs in the house

No more flipping for me, the stakes are just too high

[Davi]

Don't practice with one you want (or more pertinently, need) to eat, cook one through and practice with that

[HRG.]

A fool and his eggs are easily parted.

[Podie]

HRG. said:

A fool and his eggs are easily parted.

Clearly. I feel you've demonstrated this point rather well.

[Davi]

ahhh well, I tried. something so much more satisfying about eating a pancake / omelette / other flat round egg based foodstuff when you've flipped it.

[HRG.]

Podie said:

HRG. said:

A fool and his eggs are easily parted.

Clearly. I feel you've demonstrated this point rather well.

Oh arse...

[Alex]

Adding a splash of milk to the mixture makes the omelette lighter, fluffier and less like scrambled egg.

[Davi]

Alex said:

Adding a splash of milk to the mixture makes the omelette tasteless and bland

EFA

[Mobile Chicane]

My way:

Eggs in a bowl
S&P
Add a 1/2 eggshell of water for every whole egg used
Whisk
Add to a hot pan kept specifically for the purpose, and then leave it alone
When the mixture in the pan starts to set, bung it under the grill for a minute

[Alex]

Davi said:

Alex said:

Adding a splash of milk to the mixture makes the omelette tasteless and bland

EFA

Try it! Omelette without milk is like rubber.