Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forum4 Levels of Omelets: Amateur to Food Scientist Epicurious
I can relate to the amateur and home cook. The other 2 are educational.
hlthe2b
(101,730 posts)Beyond that, I guess I'd have to experience on vacation at some nice resort or hotel. (as if... )
The older I get the simpler my food tastes. The key now is something not totally boring, that hits the cravings and most of all, fills me up without filling me OUT.
mrs_p
(3,012 posts)Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)Julia Child introduced omelets to the masses in America via her TV show. Her omelets were very simple consisting of little more than eggs, seasonings, and topped with chopped fresh herbs.
IronLionZion
(45,266 posts)It's simple and delicious. They might have some other stuff on the side but not in it.
The American custom is to add cooked fillings. Then there are baked egg dishes like frittata with tons of stuff in it.
If you want to really go overboard with spices and flavors, check out the Indian masala omelette
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)I basically use Julia Child's method, although I like mine browned a bit on the bottom.
TygrBright
(20,733 posts)I was brought up on very light, very fluffy omelettes... almost a souffle' texture. Cooked over high heat without stirring for a very short time, it produced an extremely thin layer of browning on the bottom that held the round together and allowed the foamy top to rise and begin coagulation and adhere together without overcooking.
BUT... and this was the key... the omelette was never started until the eater was standing by with plate in hand, ready to consume the omelette the moment it had the filling sprinkled on one side, slid out of the pan, and was folded in half with a deft flip of the pan.
We never had "toppings". Just whatever it was filled with... usually shaved ham or prosciutto and a little crumbly herbed cream cheese, but sometimes lightly-sautee'd veggies (or cooked and then sautee'd VERY lightly, in the case of asparagus) with a bit of creme fraiche and a salty seasoning mixture.
You were expected to take it to the table and begin eating immediately, because those omelettes WOULD get tough as nails if you waited for them to cool even slightly.
But hot out of the pan...? Absolute heaven.
It was one of the disappointments of my life when I realized that restaurants NEVER served "omelettes" as I understood them... the dynamics of prep, cook, and serve are too demanding for the restaurant process.
I'd order one in hope, and get the same "scrambled egg pancake wrapped around stuff" over and over again.
It wasn't until I visited France as an adult and had omelettes made and served by home cooks there that I realized where my French-Canadian family tradition of omelette-making had come from.
I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.
But I have eaten some VERY nice scrambled egg pancakes wrapped around stuff, and I no longer expect anything called an "omelette" on a restaurant menu to actually be an omelette.
resignedly,
Bright