mid-week miscellany – omelettes and more

vollrath non-stick skillet
new Vollrath skillet shakedown cruise. I almost forgot the basil until the last minute, usually I’ll cut stracciatela

 

One of the first dishes I learned to make that wasn’t an English Muffin “pizza” or a ground beef casserole was an omelette. When I was about 15 years old a family friend* (who also happened to be my parents’ auto mechanic**) said, “if you can learn to make an omelette, you’ll never starve,” and proceeded to show me how to pull the cooked sides back to let the uncooked portion come in contact with the hot pan, when to add the fillings, and how to fold gently so not to tear. Through my high school and college years, an omelette was my go-to dish, one that could be rustled up with a few inexpensive ingredients, and cooked even on a hot plate.

I’ve recently re-discovered the humble omelette as a light, no-fuss dinner option. Add some grated cheese, some fresh basil, serve with a salad or some steamed haricots verts and you have a satisfying but not overly filling meal. But my ancient Le Creuset skillet wasn’t up to the job, and no matter how much butter I used or how careful I was, I couldn’t keep the eggs from sticking. A trip to Surfas Culinary District, a local professional cookware store, yielded this 8″ Vollrath non-stick pan, and have been quite pleased with it. It seems to heat evenly, and there’s no sticking (I still use just a little bit of butter in the pan for flavor).

A few of things I’ve learned about omelette Science along the way:

  • temperature is crucial. Butter should melt quickly in the pan but not sizzle
  • for lighter omelette, add a tablespoon of water (not milk) to the eggs before beating
  • eggs should be gently beaten until whites and yolks are well blended
  • once eggs start to set, shake the pan periodically to prevent sticking
  • pull the edges back as they set and tilt pan to let the uncooked portion run to the edges (this is key to even cooking)
  • don’t add filling until the eggs are cooked all the way through to the point they’re no longer runny on top
  • add fillings only on one side, then once cheese has melted, flip other side gently over.
  • slide out onto the plate

*no, there was nothing untoward going on

**in fact, two of the best non-professional cooks I’ve known were also auto mechanics for a living. Go figure.

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wool shoe liners

Under the heading of How Did I Live Without These?? I’ve recently discovered Smartwool Secret Sleuth wool shoe liners. These are cut low enough to wear under your loafers or low-vamp ankle boots, and are warmer than nylon liners. Yes, they stay put! My suggestion if you are between sizes is to size down.

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Finally, to kick off the holiday season, I have a couple of giveaways lined up! Good stuff, I promise! Check back on Friday for the first one.

How’s your week shaping up?

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21 Comments

  1. My favorite cafe meal on a cool drizzly day in Paris- omelet frites, small salade verte & white wine – perfection! Also my usual lunch( one egg) & always add water, much fluffier:). I coat pan w olive oil though. Simple things are the best!!

  2. I learned how to make an omelet watching the PBS cooking show “The Frugal Gourmet” back in the eighties. Loved that guy. I still have my tattered notes from that time…. aka before we could look up recipes on the net with a click of the mouse.

  3. I never have learned how to make a good omelet, but love them. From your tips, it seems I’ve been doing it wrong. I wish I understood the part about pulling the cooked edges back. Does this mean you pull them back from the center, opening up a space in the middle of the skillet for the runny parts? This is my most frustrating experience with making omelets – how to get those runny top parts cooked through without overcooking the bottom. I’ve ended up sticking the skillet in the oven under “broil” for a minute, but not a good result.. LOL

    1. I think she means you pull back the cooked edges all around the edge. You want to leave the center of the omelet alone and let it get firm enough that you can add the filling.

  4. How well do the shoe liners hold up? I stopped buying SmartWool socks because I found they wear out at the heel before the season is over. I accept that in cheap socks but not at SmartWool’s price point.

    1. I wear Smartwool socks everyday, starting in November. I walk around the house in them without shoes, and I get 3-4 years wear out of them. If they are wearing out fast you might be wearing too small a size. But I need real socks noe, not shoe liners, and I don’t see them having a place in my life. FTW: Nordstroms Rack usually has a good assortment of last years colors and patterns at about 60% off. If they don’t, wait a couple of weeks and they will probably have them back in stock again

  5. I have 3 pairs of these. They’re great! Holding up well after at least a dozen wearings. I hand wash. Easy to lose though. Find a good spot for them. I keep mine in a special bag in my sock drawer.

  6. Omelettes are a life-saver, but don’t forget the vegetable-heavy kind called a fritatta in Italian and a tortilla in Spanish (no resemblance to the Mexican corn or wheat griddle flatbread, except the shape). I’m not surprised about mechanics.

    We are way past liners up here. I’m wearing merino socks.

  7. One year my family went down to see the Julia Child exhibit (her reconstructed kitchen) at the Smithsonian on a Thanksgiving weekend. A video loop was playing JC’s lesson on omelettes. A little girl, I’d say about four years old, was transfixed and watched it beginning to end. Then she turned to her mother and said, “Mom, let’s go home and make eggs!”
    You just can’t beat an omelette and a green salad, in my opinion. Maybe with a slice of baguette on the side.

  8. Omelettes! They were the first thing I learned how to cook too! My mom taught me. Aw. But, I’m scared of non-stick cookware so I use a little copper frying pan with oodles of butter. Probably even worse for me, but tastes pretty excellent:).

  9. Our go to meal when the chips are down is breakfast for dinner. Usually that means poached eggs (we have a special egg poaching pan), some turkey bacon, and a piece of toast.

  10. “Shakedown cruise”, wow, I rarely hear anyone use that phrase, are you married to a Navy submariner by any chance? Anyways, love the blog, and all the good scoop you provide! I ALWAYS look forward to every post! (and I truly can’t say that about any other blog out there!).

  11. Darn! I was just at Nordstrom Rack and saw those, but I didn’t buy them because all they had was a medium and I wear a 9 and a half. I’ve had extremely good luck with smartwool socks; I’m more likely to lose one than have it wear out.

  12. I lived in France for a year in the 1970s and taught English in a French junior high school. The first time I was invited to another teacher’s home for dinner, she served the most wonderful omelettes with a green salad. It was pure heaven. Regretfully, I’ve never mastered the art of the omelette.

    1. Valerie – like anything worth doing, omelettes take practice. Watch the old Julia Child video, buy a couple of dozen eggs (really good ones – you can’t make a good omelet with lousy eggs), splurge on the best butter you feel comfortable splurging on, and make sure you have a pan that’s up to the challenge. Once you have all that, all you need is a good bottle of wine and a rainy Sunday.

      1. Diane, I love your attitude. This sounds heavenly and I will do it–with the best eggs, the best butter and a great pan–and some wine.

  13. Love omelettes for a quick meal at anytime of the day. They are often my go to meal after a busy day at work with veg or salad.