Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Tomato Chèvre Omelette

As Dorothy Hartley says, an omelette is a friendly dish. I've tried, every so often over the years, to make the perfect folded omelette only to have it split along the side when I'd try. I'm not sure where or how, but I made the connection between omelettes and antique cooking salamanders, which are a device heated over the fire and placed over the dish to finish cooking from above, which in modern North American ovens is called the broiler. And voila, the recipe below describes how to make the perfect omelette, where the bottom isn't overcooked and the top is just cooked enough to allow for perfect folding.

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 eggs
A generous pinch of salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
⅓ cup (2.7oz/76gr) chèvre cheese
5 large cherry tomatoes in thick slices (approximately 4 slices)
1 Tbsp minced fresh Oregano
½ cup grated Gruyère cheese

  1. Melt butter with oil in a 10" oven-proof fry pan or omelet pan.
  2. Whisk eggs with salt and pepper until frothy.
  3. Pour eggs into hot pan and start cooking at medium heat. Lift the egg and tilt the pan to let uncooked egg get underneath.
  4. With the oven rack at the mid-way setting, start the grill (or use a salamander if you're so lucky to have one).
  5. Crumble to chèvre across the surface of the omelette, then do the same with the tomato.
  6. Sprinkle the oregano over all of this, followed by an evenly distributed layer of Gruyère.
  7. With the egg still uncooked on the surface, (not just slithery but actually jiggly), slip the pan into the oven and broil.
  8. When the egg is set and the edges puff up a little, take it out of the oven and carefully fold the omelette (I do this by first cutting the segments and then folding - more manageable size).