Omelet

“ A plain French omelet is, perhaps, one of the most difficult of all things to make; that is, it is the most difficult to have well made in the ordinary private house. Failures come from beating the eggs until they are too light, or having the butter too hot, or cooking the omelet too long before serving.
In large families, where it is necessary to use a dozen eggs, two omelets will be better than one. A six-egg omelet is quite easily handled. Do not use milk; it toughens the eggs and gives an unpleasant flavor to the omelet. ”

“ Omelets may be made in this manner, of smoked tongue, or oysters chopped, cold sweetbread, asparagus minced, boiled onions, mushrooms, &c. A good allowance for a small omelet is the above proportion of eggs and lard, or fresh butter; and a large tea-cup of the seasoning article, which must always have been previously cooked.
They are much lighter when served up of their [245] full size, and not folded over in halfs. A large omelet must have from eight to ten, or a dozen eggs. It is best to bake all omelets of the six egg size, and have more in number if required. ”

“ Let this white just heat through by the time the omelet is done. Fold the omelet together, and dish. The whites will burst out around the edges like a border of foam.
Fancy Omelets.—Various fancy omelets may be made by adding other ingredients and preparing the same as for plain omelets. Two or three tablespoonfuls of orange juice instead of milk, with a little grated rind for flavor and three tablespoonfuls of sugar, may be combined with the eggs and called an orange omelet. ”

“ The famous trick of making an omelet in a gentleman’s silk hat was heartily applauded. A successful magician mixes the eggs with a flourish and presently brings out, not an omelet but a garland of flowers. The flash of red fire which was supposed to cook the ingredients was a great surprise, and Tommy drew forth a handsome wreath of flowers with an impressive gesture. ”

“ In making an omelet care should be taken that the omelet pan is hot and dry. To insure this, put a small quantity of lard into the pan; let it simmer a few minutes, and remove it; wipe the pan dry with a towel, and put in a little fresh lard, in which the omelet may be fried. Care should be taken that the lard does not burn, as it would spoil the color of the omelet.
It is better to make two or three small omelets than one very large one, as the latter cannot be well handled by a novice.
The omelet made of three eggs is the one recommended for beginners. Break the eggs separately ”

“ Some practice is required to make the plain omelet to perfection, as the art consists in folding the omelet just at the right moment, before the eggs used in them are too much set. The omelet should not be firm throughout, like a pancake, but should be moist and succulent in the middle. A very sharp fire is essential, and the omelet should not take more than three minutes in the making.
Steamed Soufflée. Ingredients—1 oz. of butter. 1 oz. of flour. 1⁄4 pint of milk. 4 eggs. 2 dessertspoonfuls of castor sugar. ”

“ Omelets may be made in a great variety of ways, the kind depending not upon a difference in mixing [157] the eggs, but upon the ingredients which are added. Spanish omelet is ordinary omelet with onion. Truffles, mushrooms, chopped oysters, rum, and tomato make other varieties. Flour should never be used in them, as it cannot be properly cooked in the short time that should be given to the eggs. If it should happen that an omelet is to be made, and there is no milk at hand, water may be substituted, but an omelet should never be made without one or the other. ”

“ You have taken it out of my power to display my skill in salad-making; but now, if you are a generous victor, you will give me an opportunity to distinguish myself in the confection of an omelet. It is an omelet of my own invention, a sort of cross between the ordinary omelette-au-vin of the French and the Italian zabaiano, I shall require the use of that chafing dish and spirit-lamp which I see yonder on the sideboard, the sherry decanter, and half a dozen eggs. I can promise your palates a delectable experience; and you, Miss Denary, by watching me, will acquire an invaluable talent. ”

“ Take a broad-bladed knife and keep rolling the omelet as it sets; do not let it get too brown, but roll it in an oblong shape; never turn an omelet over, but push and roll it, as described, then slide it on a hot dish, pour a spoonful of melted butter over it, and send it to table hot. A wood fire is the best, over which to cook an omelet, as you want only a blaze; a great heat in the stove makes it impossible to have the eggs of the light delicate brown required. ”

“ Moreover, few English cooks can make a tolerable omelet; and thus one of the most delicious and nutritious products of culinary art, with the further merit that it can be more rapidly prepared than any other dish, must really at present he regarded as an exotic. Competent instruction at first and a little practice are required, in order to attain a mastery in producing an omelet ”

“ If you wish it very thick have three sweetbreads.
While frying the omelet, lift the edge occasionally by slipping a knife-blade under it, that the butter may get well beneath.
If the omelets are cooked too much they will become tough, and leather-like. Many persons prefer having them sent to table as soft omelets, before they have set, or taken the form of a cake. In this case, serve up the omelet in a deep dish, and help it with a spoon. ”

“ An omelet is called soft if, when you commence to fold, only about two-thirds of the eggs are solidified; and hard, when nearly the whole of the eggs are solidified. With a good fire it takes only about four minutes to make an omelet. ”

“ When one side is done turn it, and fry the other. To flavor this omelet, mix gradually into the batter either grated ham or smoked tongue; minced oysters; minced onion; mixed [602] with sweet marjoram, or else some mushrooms chopped very fine.
For a Sweet Omelet, add to the above batter powdered sugar, nutmeg, mace, and powdered cinnamon.
The custom is now to dish omelets without folding them over, it being found that folding renders them heavy. Spread them out at full length on a very hot dish. The batter for omelets should always be made in sufficient quantity to allow them very thick. ”

“ Light omelet.—This is not a true omelet, but in reality a soufflé cooked in a frying pan. It is somewhat insipid in flavor and is not easier to make well than the French omelet. As commonly served it is apt to be underdone or tough.
With the light omelet, the eggs and whites are separated and the whites beaten until light and dry. Beat the yolks until creamy, adding water and salt as in (1) . Pour this mixture over the white, and cut and fold the mass. See page 63. Pour this into a buttered baking dish and set in a moderate oven. The oven should not be more than 300° F. Serve in the pan. ”

“ Sweeter smiles fall from the daffodils, if now they prove motive to a fine symphony in gold; as they will if omelette aux rognons be chosen as second course. Do not trust the omelet to heavy-handed cook, who thinks it means a compromise between piecrust and pancake. It must be frothy, and strong in that quality of lightness which gives the keynote to the composition as a whole. Enclosed within its melting gold, at its very heart, as it were, lie the kidneys elegantly minced and seasoned with delicate care. ”

“ An omelet is a dainty and delicate way of serving eggs, and may be well made by any one who will bear in mind that the cooking temperature of albumen is 160° Fahr., and that if exposed to a very much higher degree of heat for many minutes, it will be spoiled,—rendered both unpalatable and indigestible. ”

“ Bread and baked omelets may be served with gravies, sweet sauces or jelly, or with green peas or asparagus, or may have corn, peas, etc., mixed with omelet before baking. They may be made of milk, cream or water. Water makes the lightest and most delicate omelets. Stale, not dry, crumbs are used.
Baked Omelet 2 eggs 1⁄2 teaspn. flour 2 tablespns. water 1 teaspn. oil salt
Beat all together or beat the whites of eggs separately, and bake in a slow oven until set. Fold or serve without folding. A few chopped nuts may be added when desired. ”

“ You can make fine omelet from the eggs of eiders, gulls, puffins and cormorants. Or you can mix flour with the eggs, add salt and butter, and make a nice pancake browned on both sides.
"It tastes rather fishy, of course, but it's very filling, and when you come in after a long, hard run behind the dogs, or soaked to the skin from a boat-ride, it certainly is fine to fill up on cormorant omelet while you pleasantly roast yourself before the leaping flames of a driftwood bonfire.
"A Labrador baby thinks that a gull's egg is as good as a stick of candy. ”

“ Of course, every housekeeper has a chicken liver omelet recipe among her belongings, and made in the most ordinary way they are pretty sure to be worth the eating; but if the livers are cooked in a little butter, and then [Pg 60] a little Madeira is added to the butter, the omelet is far and away ahead of those made by ordinary recipes, as you will see by trying it. ”

“ Place knife under the part of omelet nearest handle, tip pan to nearly a vertical position; by carefully coaxing the omelet with knife, it will fold and turn without breaking.
Omelet with Meat or Vegetables Mix and cook Plain Omelet. Fold in remnants of finely chopped cooked chicken, veal, or ham. Remnants of fish may be flaked and added to White Sauce; or cooked peas, asparagus, or cauliflower may be added.
Oyster Omelet Mix and cook Plain Omelet. Fold in one pint oysters, parboiled, drained from their liquor, and cut in halves. ”

“ Nevertheless, the following conditions apply to all—namely, that there should be homogeneity of the egg-molecules; that the whole mass should be smooth and soft; and that it should be borne in mind that an omelet is in reality scrambled eggs enclosed in a coat composed of coagulated egg.
I take as my standard an omelet consisting of three eggs, the seasoning of which comprises a small pinch of table-salt and a little pepper, and which requires one-half oz. of butter for its preparation. The quantities of garnishing ingredients given below, therefore, are based upon this standard. ”

“ If the pupils are sufficiently experienced, let them work together in small groups, first scrambling an egg, then making an omelet. Demonstrate the cooking of the omelet before the entire class. Serve the egg dishes carefully while hot.
[A] The omelet recipes given are for individual portions. To make a large omelet, multiply the quantity of each ingredient by the number of eggs used. The best results will be obtained by making an omelet of not more than four eggs, as larger omelets are difficult to cook thoroughly and to handle well. A two-egg omelet will serve three people. ”

“ When it comes to an omelet for dessert, nothing can be better than an omelet stuffed with preserves or fresh fruit. If preserves are used, there’s a wide range from which to select, and any taste can be satisfied. Fill it with currant jelly, or apricot or grapefruit marmalade, or any other fruit that you like. In almost any case a little grated lemon peel and a handful of chopped almonds will be an improvement. After the omelet is dished it should always be sprinkled with finely powdered sugar. ”

“ Break eight eggs into a bowl; add a teaspoonful of salt, half as much pepper, beat up the whole very hard and throw in a tablespoonful of water. Have the omelet-pan on the fire with a cup of sweet butter heated to a gentle heat (fierce heat would scorch the eggs) ; pour the eggs into the heated butter; raise it as it cooks, with a skimmer-spoon, turn in the brown edges, or turn one half over the other, as it keeps in the lusciousness of the omelet. Keep gently rolling it, as it cooks, until, when done, it is round like a small roly-poly pudding. ”

“ Turn in the mixture, spread evenly, turn down the fire and allow the omelet to cook slowly. Turn the pan so that the omelet will brown evenly. When well puffed and delicately browned underneath, place the pan on the center shelf in a moderate oven to finish cooking the top of the omelet. Crease across center with knife and fold over very carefully. Allow to remain a moment in pan. Turn gently with a spatula onto a hot platter. Garnish with parsley. An omelet is sufficiently cooked when it is firm to the touch when pressed by the finger. ”

“ In the Oven.—When the omelet au naturel or Célestine is cooked enough to commence folding, put the frying-pan in a quick oven for about one minute and serve. The omelet swells and does not need folding, but if it gains in bulk, it loses in taste.
Jardinière.—Chop fine, parsley, chives, onions, shallots, a few leaves of sorrel, and a few sprigs of chervil; beat and mix the whole [367] well with beaten eggs; cook, dish, and serve as directed. It requires a little more butter than if made with eggs only. ”

“ Fruit omelets are spread with powdered sugar usually. Rice, macaroni or hominy are often seasoned in a favorite way with cheese or gravy and spread on the omelet before serving. Macaroni cooked with tomatoes and cheese makes an excellent omelet filling. Thickened, stewed tomatoes are nice, and mushrooms may be added with green peas to the tomatoes for Spanish omelet. In fact there are a thousand good combinations and there isn't a nicer way to use a small portion of any left over than to use it for an omelet filling if it will harmonize with eggs at all. ”

“ A Quaker omelet is a handsome and sure dish when care is taken in the preparation. Three eggs, half a cupful of milk, one and a half table-spoonfuls of corn-starch, one tea-spoonful of salt, one table-spoonful of butter. Put the omelet pan, and a cover that will fit closely, on to heat. Beat well together the yolks of the eggs, the corn-starch and the salt. ”