Parsi Zucchini Frittata

Based on Madhur Jaffrey's Parsi Omlate, this egg, um ... pie... thing... miracle! is a fluffy, flavorful pan-full of heaven. The browning hides a flavorful soft middle of almost cake-like texture.

1 lb zucchini, grated
3⁄4 + 1 tsps salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped (170g) (or 1 cup finely chopped chives, see NOTE)
1 medium potato, diced 1/4 inch pieces (8oz)
2 + 1 Tbsps. vegetable oil
1 hot green chilli pepper, minced
1 large tomato, chopped (8-9oz)
1 1⁄2 tsps. ground cumin
1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper
ground black pepper
9 eggs
3 Tbsps. fresh parsley or 3 Tbsps. cilantro
1⁄4 tsp baking powder

1. Grate the zucchini and mix with 3/4 tsp of the salt. Leave in a collander for 30 minutes, then squeeze all the liquid out. 
2. Meanwhile, chop and measure out the remaining ingredients - it makes the rest so much easier: prepare the onions and the potatoes; chop the tomato; mince the chili; measure out the cumin, cayenne, black pepper; break the eggs in a bowl; measure out the salt and baking powder.
3. Now that everything is chopped, measured and squeezed, heat some oil in an 10 inches fry pan. 
4. Fry the onion and potato and chilli over medium heat until potatoes become just soft. 
5. Add the squeezed zucchini, tomato, cumin, the rest of the salt, cayenne, and a generous amount of black pepper (if using chives, add now). Stir until tomato becomes soft. Set aside.
6. Whisk the eggs until frothy, then dump in the cooled vegetables along with some finely chopped parsley or cilantro. 
7. Sprinkle in the baking powder, making sure it dissolves completely.
8. Wipe clean your fry pan, add the last tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, set the temperature to med-low, pour in the egg mixture. Cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the centre gels. 
9. (Optional) Here's the tricky part. You have to flip the whole pan over to slide the omlate back into the pan to cook the top. To do this, use a dinner plate, place it over the pan, holding it with one hand, and use the other to lift and flip the pan. The bottom of the omelet should be a beautiful brown. Now, slide the omelet back into the pan so that the browned part is on top and cook another 5 minutes or so, uncovered. Flip it onto a plate again to serve.
10. NOTE: If using optional chives, fry the potatoes and chilli (add more chilli if you want it hotter) and fry until potatoes become just soft. Add the chives to the ingredients in step 6.

Pumpkin Pancakes

This recipe is from Natalia, a lovely Mexican pastry chef who made them for us with some of our pumpkins. Flavorful and fluffy.

¼ cup (52 g) butter, melted 

¼ cup (52 g) brown sugar 

4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup (226 g) pumpkin puree 

2 eggs

2 cups milk 490 g

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour 250 g

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1. Melt the butter and set aside.
2. In a large bowl thoroughly combine the sugar and spices. 
3. Stir in the butter and the pumpkin puree and mix until well combined. 
4. Add the eggs, whisk until smooth. 
5. Stir in the milk and vanilla.
6. Whisk in the baking powder and the baking soda.
7. With a wooden spoon add the flour and fold in just until the batter is smooth and no pockets of flour remain.
8. Ladle in ¼ cup of the batter into the pan at a time. Cook for roughly 2 minutes, or until you see bubbles in the middle of the pancakes and the edges are dry enough to get a spatula under the pancake. Flip and cook for 1 more minute on the other side, or until cooked through. Serve with maple syrup. Eat.

Rösti (simple and delicious browned potato pancake)

Similar to a latke, but without the onion. I'm constantly amazed at all the different ways of making potatoes delicious. This is surprisingly light and the mouthfeel has a sense of luxury similar to pasta - all these little pieces reassembled to make a mouthful. Excellent with eggs, the unctuous yolk dribbling over the browned potato.

1kg/ 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled or skin on, grated (can split with Jerusalem Artichoke, up to 1lb)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsps. mild veg oil

1+1 Tbsp. (½ oz/14gr+½ oz/14gr) butter

1. Squeeze out excess liquid from the potatoes by taking handfuls of the grated stuff and squeezing out as much liquid as possible. The more dry the raw potato is, the easier it is to have a crisp pancake.
2. Toss thoroughly in a large bowl with salt, pepper and oil.
3. Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large fry pan, allow it to froth and wait for the frothing to quiet down like when you make browned butter. 
4. Add the potato just as the milk solids in the butter starts to colour. Don't pack the potato down and make sure to distribute it evenly. You should have about 1" of raw potato. Take the time to tidy the edges a bit.
5. Turn down the temperature to low and start checking after 7 minutes to make sure you don't burn the potato. 
6. Meanwhile, lightly butter a plate. 
7. When the bottom of the rösti is brown, make sure it's loose from the pan, perhaps by running a spatula underneath it or shaking the pan. Upturn the plate on top of the rösti, hold firmly down with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the rösti onto the plate. Remove the pan. The rösti should just drop onto the plate
8. Melt the second Tbsp of butter in the pan and do the frothing thing again.
9. Slide the rösti into the pan and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy. 
10. Remove from the pan, cut up and serve immediately.

Other Possible toppings

• 2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• Fried, poached, or soft boiled eggs
• Crème fraîche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
• Applesauce
• Smoked salmon
• Sliced avocado
• Thinly sliced ham or prosciutto 
• Grated gruyere or other firm cheese
• Goat cheese, feta, or other soft cheese
• Minced fresh chives, dill, basil, parsley, or mint
• Cooked and crumbled bacon
• Sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, cornichons, or kimchi 
• Bratwursts or breakfast sausages
• Hot sauce, Sriracha, or chili crisp

Tartignole aux pommes (apple pancake)

A dish from northern France, from among the "Ch'ti", it's like a Tarte Tatin but as a pancake. I don't know what to say. It's really good! My ancestors may have originated from this area, and over the generations made their way down to central France before making their way West to the coast, and finally over to l'île d'Orléans as early settlers. Knowing that my family are settlers in New France makes me wonder about my own indigeneity, and what wisdom my ancestors can transmit through traditional regional foods.

4 servings

150g flour

3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp = more custard, 1 tsp=more cake)

Optional, 1 Tbsp sugar

1 pinch salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup water

2 lrg apples, peeled, quartered and sliced thick (300 to 500 g)

40 g BROWN sugar

1 Tbsp calvados, brandy, or 1/2 tsp cinnamon or Poudre Douce)

40 g butter + 10 g

15g white sugar

To serve, plain or drizzle with maple syrup, or yogurt, chocolate, apple butter

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, eggs, water, and salt. Stir the batter very well. Let it rest while preparing the apples.
2. Put the prepared apples in a bowl and mix together with the sugar and flavoring (liquor or spice), to coat.
3. Melt the 40g of butter at medium-high heat. When the butter begins to froth, reduce the temperature to Medium, add the apple mixture, spread evenly across the pan and let it cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Flip the apples to cook the second side. As soon as you've flipped all the pieces, pour the batter over the apple and cook on Low for 5-6 minutes or until the top is almost set. Put a lid on top to make this happen faster.
5. As the first side is cooking and the top is just starting to set, sprinkle the 15g of sugar on top.
6. Meanwhile, grease a dinner plate with the 10g of butter for the next step, reserving any leftover butter to add to the pan for the flip (next step).
7. When the bottom of the pancake is brown, make sure it's loose from the pan, perhaps by running a spatula underneath it. Upturn the plate on top of the pancake, hold firm with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the pancake onto the plate. Remove the pan. The pancake should just drop onto the plate.
8. Set the pan back on the stove-top, add the remaining butter to melt in the pan and slide the pancake back in to finish. Cook the second side for about 3 to 4 minutes to get another nice brown crust. 

Gruyere and Sausage Omelette

Butter, for greasing baking dish

2 Tbsps olive oil

1 small onion, diced

8oz to 1lb pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed

8 large eggs

½ cup whole milk

½ to ¾ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 + ½ cup (4oz) grated Gruyere cheese

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley or lovage (optional: + 2 Tbsps to sprinkle on top) 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter an 8 by 8" baking dish.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the sausage and cook until starting to brown. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of Gruyere cheese and ¼ cup of parsley. Stir in the onion mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Sprinkle with remaining parsley before serving.

Brown Rice Mujadara Bowl with a Fried Egg

A 'mujadara' is a classic Arabic dish. Apparently, the word translates as 'pockmarked'. A bit of a strange reference to food, but the lentils make the dish look like it has pimples, or so it did to those who named the dish. For me, it's a delicious accompaniment to eggs and harissa.

Serves 4

For the mujadara:
1 cup brown basmati rice
1 cup French lentils
4½ cups vegetable broth
2 + 1 Tbsps olive oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
½ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
Salt

For the bowl:
Olive oil
4 large eggs
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Paprika
2½ Tbsps harissa (spicy or mild)
(optional) ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1. In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the brown rice, lentils, and a hefty pinch of salt. Reduce the flame to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered, or until the rice and lentils are cooked through (add more liquid as needed). Once the rice and lentils are fully cooked, turn off the heat, put the lid on and set aside. Let sit for another 10 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsps of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the sliced onions until deeply browned and beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes (TIP: add small amounts of water when you feel the need, to prevent the onions from burning; you can also continue cooking the onions for as long as the rice and lentils cook for a deeper caramelization). When the onions are nicely browned and almost finished, add in the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. When the rice and lentils have finished cooking, gently mix in the cumin, parsley, half of the onion mixture and the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Reserve the rest of the onions for serving.
4. Wipe clean the skillet used to cook the onions, lightly grease with olive oil, and return to medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook to your desired doneness. Sprinkle the tops of the eggs with salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika.
5. Divide the mujadara equally between 4 bowls and place a fried egg into each bowl. Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions, harissa, and toasted pine nuts.

Cheesy Grits

A creamy and relatively quick and simple, this gift from the American South goes very well with eggs for a nice lunch. Not true grits since I use regular cornmeal, but adaptable in my opinion to any kind of ground dry corn you have on hand (made it polenta and it was just as good). A crisp salad with that doesn't go amiss. If there are any leftovers, there's a recipe below to make fried patties the next day.

2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1½ tsps salt
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter
4oz sharp Cheddar, shredded

1. Bring the milk, water, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Gradually add the cornmeal while whisking continually. Once all the cornmeal has been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cover. Every 3 to 4 minutes, remove the lid and beat with a wooden spoon to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into the corners. 
3. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the mixture is creamy.
4. Remove from the heat, add the pepper and butter, and beat with a wooden spoon to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually beat in the cheese a little at a time. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Leftover Cheese Grits Patties
Weigh or measure the quantity of grits you have to work with.
Add ⅛ of the total weight-or-measure in flour and mix thoroughly.
The dough will be very sticky. Form into patties (I take a heaping soupspoonfull and plop it in the hot pan, let it cook a bit enough to flip it over, then flatten it and cook both sides until they brown nicely) of about 80 to 100 grams.
Heat a fry pan for a couple of minutes before melting butter in it.
Fry the patties until browned on both sides.

Croque Monsieur sandwich

BÉCHAMEL

2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter

3 Tbsps flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp dijon mustard

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

ASSEMBLY

8 thin slices of bread (Commons or Sourdough Boule)

8 thin slices of cooked ham (about 6oz)

2+2 oz Gruyère, grated

¼ cup Parmesan, grated

1 tsp herbes de Provence

1. Make the béchamel sauce first by melting the butter, and then whisking in the flour, whisking continuously until the mixture starts to turn golden. Note, this usually makes almost exactly twice as much as I need, but I refrigerate the rest to make more sandwiches, later.
2. Stream in the cream, whisking constantly. Add the dijon, salt and pepper.
3. Whisk until the sauce starts to thicken; it will become quite thick.
4. Meanwhile, with the oven rack at the highest level, pre-heat the oven to 450°F. While the oven is heating up, place the bread on a baking sheet and toast it in the increasing heat, flipping the pieces to lightly toast both sides.
5. To assemble, divide all the ingredients into 4 portions of each item.
6. Spread the béchamel evenly on the bottom piece of toast, going from edge-to-edge and put on the baking sheet.
7. On top of the béchamel place the ham, top with half the grated Gruyère, then place the other piece of toast on top, pressing down firmly. 
8. Mix together the second half of the Gruyère with the Parmesan and herbes de Provence. Top the closed sandwiches with this mixture as the final flourish.
9. Bake in the oven for about 6 to 12 minutes or until the cheese inside is melted; the position of the rack should provide sufficient radiant heat to melt the cheese on top as well. If not, your oven is different than mine, so keep the rack in the middle position and after the 6 minutes, broil the top to melt the cheese. Depending on your oven, 6 minutes may not be enough; the metric you can use is whether or not the cheese on top has started to melt.

Jacques (apple spooncakes)

According to Elizabeth David, these are from the Perigord region of France. It's amazing how the texture improves if the batter is left to hydrolyze overnight. They are small, custardy delicious little pancakes.

1 cup flour (4¼oz/120g)

½ cup of milk

½ cup water

1 Tbsp oil

a pinch salt

1 tsp sugar + more for sprinkling

2 eggs

2 or 3 small apples (5oz/approx 300g) preferably old and wrinkled, grated. If skin is tough, remove it.

Optional: rum or brandy

the juice from ½ lemon

Butter

NOTE: This recipe should be started several hours before making, preferably left overnight. 

1. Mix together the flour, milk, water, oil, salt, sugar, and eggs; stir the batter very well, then let it rest for several hours to overnight.
2. Grate the apples and mix in the lemon juice (and/or booze). TIP: if it's a fresh apple, take fists-full of the grated flesh and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Lightly desiccated this way the apple will more easily soak up the lemon or booze, and won't make the pancakes soggy.
3. Coat a thick bottomed pan with a pat of butter and heat up until the butter just starts to froth. Turn the heat down to medium low for a slow fry.
4. Using a wooden mixing spoon, drop a spoonful of batter onto the hot pan, making room for more; you should be able to cook at least four little spooncakes at-a-time in the pan. They are done when both sides are nicely browned.
5. Put more butter in the pan for every new batch of spooncakes.
6. Serve immediately. Tasty with maple syrup and/or apple butter and yogurt.

Skillet Cheese Biscuits

There's something wonderfully rustic about baking in a cast-iron pan on the stove-top. I suppose you have to enjoy crust, and with these babies, the crust contains crunchy bits of toasted cheese. It's a finicky pastry, because the temperature has to be well matched to the amount of time it takes to bake, or the pastry over-browns or, at worst, burns. Since the timing is so short it depends on the individual stove being used, so err on the side of caution and for your first try, set your stove to a lower temperature than you normally would.

1⅔ cup flour
2 Tbsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (2oz/58gr) cold butter cut into cubes
1 egg
¾ cup milk or buttermilk or yogurt
1 cup (3oz) grated Parmesan

1. Mix together dry ingredients
2. Add the butter pieces and pinch with your fingers to create a crumb texture. The secret is to have small globules of butter throughout the dough; really cold butter helps with this.
3. Make a well in the middle and crack in the egg - lightly whisk the egg in the well, add the milk and finally mix everything with a wooden spoon just until combined; try not to overwork the dough. It will be quite sticky.
4. Liberally butter an 8 to 10" cast-iron pan. Spread the dough over the bottom. Make cuts in the raw dough to form 8 wedges (tricky 'cause the dough is sticky). Turn on the heat to medium (or lower) and cover. After 5 minutes shake the pan to check if the dough is cooked enough to be unstuck and shifts along the bottom. If it does, gently lift to see if it has browned enough underneath and, if not, leave until it turns nicely golden. Flip and cook another 5 minutes. This part can be tricky - to flip, if your pan has rounded sides, you might be able to slide the biscuits onto a plate to flip it over into the pan or; try using two broad spatulas to lift onto a plate and do the same as above.
5. Again, test the biscuits by shaking the pan to see if it moves, and then gently lift to check the browning. If it's to your liking, turn the biscuits out onto a wire rack and allow to cool, at least long enough to handle, then break apart along the cut lines.

La Pescajoune Savoureuse au lardons

A peasant recipe from the Languedoc region of France, the records I found are all for a sweet apple dish. I reasoned that, since one of the essential ingredients for the real deal recipe was lard, that it would lend itself to a savory version. And we quite like it. Loads of variations are possible, but this is the basic recipe for the savory version. Parmesan is an important ingredient, for its strong, sharp flavor that gives the dish the spike of flavor that ignites the rest.

¾ cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ cups milk
6 eggs
1½ cups (total 6oz) grated cheese (a mix of ⅓ Parmesan and ⅔ Gruyere is very nice)
3 slices bacon (115 g), cut into lardons
1 onion ((6oz/170gr) sliced thin

1. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and cheese. In a large bowl whisk the eggs; add the flour mix and combine until there are no lumps, then add milk and mix until perfectly smooth. Let the batter sit for at least the time it takes for you to prepare and cook the rest of the ingredient.
2. Heat an 8 to 10" pan and add the bacon. Just when it starts to release its oil, add the onion and cook together over medium low heat until the onion becomes quite soft and brown. The browning is very important - the more caramelized, the better.
3. Once cooked, drain from the oil and add to the batter; mix thoroughly. 
4. Pour the batter into the oily pan (you can remove all but about 2 tsps of the oil if you want, or leave it all in). Cook, covered, over incredibly low heat until the underside lightly browns and the top becomes firm.
5. Meanwhile, lightly grease a dinner plate for the next step.
6. Upturn the plate on top of the pancake, hold firm with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the pancake onto the plate. Set the pan back on the stove-top and slide the pancake back into the pan to finish cooking, just enough to lightly brown.
7. Once browned on both sides, flip back onto the plate and serve immediately.

Oeufs brouillés (Gourmet scrambled eggs)

The real star of this dish are the scrambled eggs. The croutons and everything else are optional, but to elevate the eggs even more, are a great addition. When I make this it's always to great acclaim. The idea for the recipe come from Monet's Kitchen; I often find in the recipes from this book that there's some important detail missing. It just so happened that I was also looking at egg recipes in Anne Willan's Country Cooking of France, an author whose recipes I also find miss important details. In this instance, the two complimented each other famously. Fried croutons instead of dry croutons are the perfect accompaniment to the eggs - when I make the whole recipe, I doubt it would elicit the same levels of enthusiasm from my diners.

Butter Croutons
2 slices of crusty bread (about 1 cup)
2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter
Scrambled eggs
8 eggs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ to ½ cup butter, cubed (55 to 114gr)
OPTIONS
2 Tbsps minced fresh herb OR
2 Tbsps minced truffles OR
½ cup chanterelle OR morel OR oyster mushrooms sautéed in butter for about 10 minutes WHICH YOU MUST DO FIRST (read instructions)

1. Cube the bread to make croutons.
2. Over medium heat melt the 2 Tbsps of butter in a small pan (level of butter should be 1/4 inch) and allow it to heat up completely so that when a cube of bread is put in, it will quietly sizzle.
3. Add the bread cubes and fry, stirring constantly so they brown evenly, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. 
4. Burns easily!
5. Strain off the extra fat. 
6. With a slotted spoon remove the croutons and divide croutons between two plates.
7. If using mushrooms, use the remaining butter to cook them and set them aside.
8. NOTE: A bain-marie is the usual way of preparing this dish, but a fry pan can be used - it should take about 5 minutes until the eggs just begin to thicken. If using the fry pan, it is VERY IMPORTANT that it be cool before putting in the eggs - if the pan is too hot, the eggs will start to scramble before you can incorporate the butter and it will not be as creamy. The secret is not the bain-marie but to cook the eggs very slowly, therefore a heavy fry pan over very low heat will work as well, but the eggs will likely be a bit chunky instead of creamy, which is just different.
9. If using a bain-marie, bring the water to boil.
10. Break the eggs into a bowl, and carefully remove the threads of the whites without mixing the eggs too much. Add the salt and pepper and beat lightly, as for an omelet. 
11. Grease the inside of the bain-marie with a cube of butter before pouring in the eggs (or, if using, a cool fry pan, which can be the fry pan you've used before but cooled enough to touch). 
12. Beat the eggs well with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
13. Add the remaining cubes of butter, beating constantly after each addition. When the eggs are on the point of setting, you may add your optional ingredient.
14. As soon as the mixture becomes grainy, remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the contents over the croutons and serve.

Egg and Chips

This is such a simple recipe, so few ingredients, and so very delicious. If you have a wood stove, the heat it makes is perfect. If you're looking for more greens in your diet, this is not the recipe for you! Lard is the fat of choice for making this, too. The runny egg yolks are all the sauce you need to flavour the potatoes, I swear. At least, that's how we eat this dish.

¼ to ⅓ cup lard
1 lbs potatoes, diced (optional - peeled)
6 eggs
Salt and pepper

1. Melt the lard in a cast-iron pan at least 10" wide. Turn the heat down to low-to-medium-low.
2. Spread the potatoes in one layer in the melted oil, powder with salt and pepper, and turn frequently until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3. In the remaining oil slowly fry the egg, powdering them with salt and pepper - cooking the egg at low temperatures allow the whites to remain softer and custard-like. If you prefer the crispy edging, turn up the heat. Flip the eggs for a couple of second if you want to.
4. Pile the eggs on top of the potatoes and serve immediately.

Simple crèpe omelette

Eggs are a delicacy unto themselves. Sometimes, I just want a simple egg dish, and Laura Calder's French-Style Omelette is exactly what will satisfy. There is nothing I feel needs altering about this recipe, in all its glorious simplicity. I like to have it on a slice of lightly toasted Commons bread.

French Style Omelette

1 tsp (4.7gr) butter

2 eggs

1 tsp chopped fresh herbs (such as basil, dill, thyme, chervil or parsley)

Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in an omelette or crêpe pan. 
2. Lightly whisk the eggs and pour them into the hot pan. 
3. When the bottom has just set enough to be lifted, gently lift up the edges, here and there, and, tilting the pan, let some of the runny part on top spill underneath. Do this until the top is set, but still a little slithery. 
4. Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper. 
5. Then roll the omelette into log like a crepe and slip it onto a plate (or fold it a couple of times into a squarish slice and slip onto a lightly toasted piece of bread). 
6. Brush the top with extra butter, if you like, to make it nice and glossy. Serve.

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 (100g) in thick slices (approximately 4 slices)
1 Tbsp minced fresh Oregano
½ cup (1 to 2oz or about 30-50g) 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).

Pommes de terre en omelette (Potato omelette)

Although this is a simple recipe, it requires about an hour to complete, since each ingredient can only be cooked when the previous is done. It is a delicious brunch item.

A few strips of bacon (4oz/120gr) cut into lardons or paper clip-size pieces
1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter 
1 onion, chopped (6oz/170gr)
1 clove garlic, chopped
Splash of balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter (yes, another one)
4 medium potatoes (about 2lbs), peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
5 eggs
½ tsp salt
Pepper, to taste

1. Heat a cast iron pan at a medium-high temperature. Cook the bacon until just starting to brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat and reserve in a medium sized bowl.
2. Lower the temperature to medium, add a Tbsp of butter, and slowly cook the onion until soft and translucent. This will take a while, maybe something like 20 minutes. For the last minute of cooking, add the garlic. Strain out and add to the bacon bowl for set aside.
3. Splash the balsamic vinegar in the hot oil and cook until the spitting and bubbling almost ceases - this is when most of the extra water will have been cooked away.
4. Add the potatoes with another Tbsp of butter and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and starts to brown.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, add the salt and pepper.
6. When the potatoes are cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and pop into the bowl with the bacon and onion. Pour out all but 1 or 2 Tbsps. of bacon fat. 
7. Put the bacon, onion and potato back in the pan, stir to mix well, and then pour the egg on top, settling everything with the back of the spoon to make an even surface. 
8. Cover and cook at a low temperature until the egg sets, but the surface remains a little soft or runny or, conversely, cover and bake in the oven at 350°F until set.
9. Serve with cornbread muffins and a fresh salad or pickled onions and beets.