WASHINGTON — While omelets are usually associated as a staple breakfast meal, they can also be enjoyed as either a dinner meal or even a dessert! Chef Shelia Crye shares three different recipes on how to make delicious savory and sweet omelets at home!
For both savory and sweet omelets:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
- Pinch of salt
For a savory omelet, prepare one or more of these optional ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite grated cheese (parmesan, feta, cheddar and swiss are all fine)
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs, like parsley, dill or chives, finely chopped
- 3-4 button mushrooms, sliced longwise ¼-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon cooked bacon, crumbled (turkey bacon is fine)
Directions:
1. Start by preparing your optional ingredients. If you use scallions, slice them thinly on the diagonal and then “sweat” them over low heat in 1 teaspoon of butter or vegetable oil until they are translucent—you can almost see through them. If you use a strongly flavored cheese, you won’t need a lot to have great flavor. Have fresh herbs chopped and ready before beginning the omelet.
2. Sliced mushrooms need to be sautéed over medium-high heat in a teaspoon of hot butter or vegetable oil. Toss them in the pan, if you want to practice the sauté method, making the mushrooms “jump.” By cooking over medium-high heat the juices will be sealed in. They are done when they begin to turn a little brown around the edges. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground pepper, and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl break the 3 eggs. Whisk gently with a fork to break the yolks and blend with the whites. Add salt, pepper, and optional fresh herbs.
4. Over medium-high heat, wait for the omelet pan to become hot. Add 1 tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil, and swirl it around. If using butter, wait until it melts and stops foaming, and then add the eggs. Using the flat side of the fork or a silicone spatula, gently shake the pan and stir the eggs around, being careful not to scrape the bottom, where there is a thin layer of butter. It only takes 1-2 minutes until the eggs begin to look like thick custard.
5. Stop stirring, and add the cheese, mushrooms, scallions, bacon or ham. Use a flexible spatula to loosen the omelet from the pan. Grasp the handle of the pan as if it were a broom, and lift the pan, handle up, over your serving plate. The spatula and gravity will help you make the top one-third fold. Slide the bottom of the omelet onto the plate, and flip the entire omelet out. The finished omelet will be folded into thirds, with the ends underneath. French omelets have the ends pointed, like a torpedo. Point the ends using the fork or spatula. Serve immediately.
For a dessert omelet:
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Zest from 1/2 orange or lemon
- 2 tablespoons jam (room temperature) or fresh sliced seasonal stone fruit or berries
- Powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Add sugar and citrus zest to the whisked eggs. Make the omelet until the point where it looks like thick custard.
2. Lay jam or sliced berries down the middle.
3. Flip the omelet onto a serving plate.
4. Dust with powdered sugar and serve hot.
NOTE: The classic French omelet is cooked until the eggs are soft, not hard. Elders, infants, pregnant women and immune-impaired people should use pasteurized eggs for omelets, rather than raw eggs, to avoid the risk of illness.
